Fair Topics at Buffalo

EDISON'S LATEST INVENTIONS GOING TO THE PAN-AMERICAN.

Why Tesla Did Not Exhibit — Complaints of Prices at the Fair Restaurants — Ups and Downs of the Midway Shows — A Threatened Invasion of Big Signboards.

BUFFALO, July 13. — Those who go to the Electricity Building at the Pan-American to see the latest work of the inventors find much to interest them, but generally go away complaining that they expected 600 exhibits by Edison and Tesla and found none. So far as Edison is concerned that complaint soon will be met. From the beginning of the Exposition his phonographs and like inventions have been on exhibition, but now the wizard means to put on view his two most recent and valuable inventions. These are the new thermopile and the new storage battery. Edison's confidential representative was here this week and arranged for space for the proper exhibition of these inventiors.

Among persons interested in the development of electric energy the thermopile exceeds in importance the new battery for the reason that it is expected to revolutlonize the method of producing electrical power. It generates electric power direct from heat. While steam represents only 18 per cent. of the energy of the fuel burned to create it, and part of the steam is lost in the present method of creating electrio power, this thermopile wipes out the intermediate processes and fastened to an ordinary Rochester burner will develop five volts and twenty-three amperes of eloctricity. Only the harnessing of Niagara furnishes cheaper electricity. The invention at present is in this small form. What will be the effect if it is developed into the larger capacity required for general Industrial purposes is a question much discussed.

Charles R. Huntley, general manager of the Buffalo General Electric Company, who also is one of the directors of the Pan-American Exposition, announced to The Sun reporter to-day that arrangements had been made with Edison for the exhibition of the thermopile and the new storage battery as quickly as they can be made ready. For the storage battery, it is asserted that it has twice the capacity with half the weight of the present batteries, and moreover will outlive the beavier one.

None of Nikola Tesla's inventions will be exhibited here, although it was on Tesla" plan that the Niagara Falls transmission line was built. Tesla fully intended to make an exhibit here. He planned a large building, in which he was to show his discovery of wireless light and other inventions of a spectacular kind which would appeal to the curious public. Wireless telegraphy was to be a feature of the show. Tesla's idea was to secure this privilege from the Exposition as a concession and charge an admission to his exhibit. Negotiations drifted along and finally stopped altogether when Director-General Buchanan announced to Mr. Tesla his decision that these Inventions must be shown as an exhibit if at all. Mr. Tesla hasn't been here since and the public has been deprived of a show it might well be satisfled to pay for.