Has Plan to Quicken the Dull Children

New York City School Authorities Consider Electrical Experiment — May Wire Classrooms.

A novel experiment in the classes of defective children in the public schools of New York is to be tried this fall, provided the sanction of the board of education is obtained. This experiment consists of electrifying a school room, which process, it is maintained by experts, arouses the children to greater mental and physical ability and tends to make them brighter in every respect. It is proposed to experiment with the subnormal pupils first, since they have more need of a brain stimulator.

Provided the school commissioners are willing to allow the tests the work is to be in charge of Nikola Tesla, the inventor. The scientist, City Superintendent of Schools William H. Maxwell and Dr. L. B. Blan have had several conferences on the matter, and when the subject was thoroughly explained to Doctor Maxwell he expressed his willingness to have the scheme tried out. It is likely that the proposition will be put up to the board of education at an early fall meeting.

City Superintendent Maxwell said that since the electrifying process is still in the experimental form his first demand was an assurance from Mr. Tesla that, let alone helping the pupils, the test would in no wise be detrimental.

"Mr. Tesla stated that there is no possibility of the experiments having anything but a good effect on the pupils. If this electrification of school rooms will improve the ability of the children it should be thoroughly tried out. The inventor told me that the process has been used with great success in Europe and after a number of conferences with him I came to the conclusion that the system should be tested in the New York schools."

The European experiments with the electrifying machine have taken place in Stockholm, Sweden. The work in that city was carried on under the supervision of Professor Svante Arrhenius, the noted physicist. Mr. Tesla followed the tests across the water and then consulted with Doctor Maxwell. The scientist claims that the main apparatus used in the foreign experiments was originally devised by him. Mr. Tesla explained that it was reported another man was responsible for the invention.

The machinery used in the electrification consist of a series of wires hidden in the walls of the school room. It is proposed to take two rooms, as nearly alike as possible, and at the end of the proper period compare the results obtained in the electrified and unelectrified rooms. About 50 pupils will make up the classes, and the tests are to be conducted without the knowledge of the children or the teachers.

Mr. Tesla has volunteered to take charge of the installation of the apparatus and conduct the tests himself. The wires concealed in the walls of the class room, are to be charged with high frequency currents.

"I am certain," said Mr. Tesla, "that the experiment will prove that these currents will assist cerebration and arouse the children to greater ability. The stimulation of the nerve cells helps the physical as well as the mental condition of the child. With Doctor Maxwell's co-operation very thorough tests of the process are likely to be made. The only thing remaining is to get the sanction of the board of education."