Niagara Power Transmission, the Electrical Exposition and Mr. Johnston's Libel Suit

It is to be regretted that the holding of the National Electrical Exposition at New York and the remarkable demonstration of the transmission and application of electricity from Niagara Falls to the exhibition were attended by an unpleasant incident which cannot fail to detract from the general good feeling that has prevailed up to the present time. An eastern publication, the Electric Railway Gazette, published an editorial under the title “Transmission of Power Extraordinary,” in which it pronounced the exhibition of the model of the Niagara Falls power plant operated by current from the Falls a “fake” and seriously reflected upon the gentlemen who were identified with the project. The article had the effect of creating a sensation and brought the hitherto obscure publication into prominence. The management of the exposition was naturally indignant at the outrageous charges, and the gentlemen who had planned and executed the project issued statements in which they flatly denied the accusation. Their personal and professional reputation alone should have protected them from even an insinuation of trickery or fraud. T. C. Martin, with whom the scheme originated, made the following statement:

For nearly a year past I had believed it possible to deliver Niagara energy over wire at the exposition, and some months ago set out to do it by securing a small model of the Niagara power plant to begin with, then permission from the Niagara Falls Power company to connect with the power house, Tesla apparatus from the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing company for the transmission to the model, two wires from the Western Union Telegraph company, and wires from the American Telegraph & Telephone company (long-distance telephone) to transmit the roar also to the model. The plan has been, to my positive knowledge, carried out, as I have personally watched the accomplishment of my plan. The electrical engineers coöperating have been A. S. Brown of the Western Union company, Nikola Tesla, L. B. Stillwell of the Westinghouse company, assisted by Messrs. Maclaren and Zimmerman and F. A. Pickernell of the Long Distance Telephone company. I would add that as the Western Union wires are available only in the evening, I carried out the suggestion of A. S. Brown of sending storage batteries to Niagara to be charged, so that the model could also be run in that way for the benefit of daytime visitors, who might otherwise be disappointed. This difference of method in daytime and at night has been carefully explained in labels and printed statements, so that there could be no doubt or misapprehension as to the facts. The Niagara transmission over Western Union wires has been a great success, doing far more than was expected. In fact, failure was freely predicted by many.

In addition to the foregoing statement a card was prepared by L. B. Stillwell of the Westinghouse company, in which that gentleman said:

The power used to operate the small Tesla motor at the electrical exposition comes from Niagara. During the evening it is transmitted over a circuit consisting of three conductors. Two of these are wires ordinarily used for telegraphic purposes by the Western Union Telegraph company. The third is the earth. In technical language, it is a case of tri-phase alternating current transmission. For a time direct or continuous current was used. When the alternating current is in use the potential as measured across any two conductors at the Niagara end of the line is approximately 500 volts. The currents are delivered to the exposition building at a potential approximating 250 volts. The gentlemen in charge of this undertaking have accomplished precisely what they undertook to accomplish, and the transmission is an unqualified success.

The following announcement was officially made by the exposition management:

The National Electrical Exposition company, through its counsel, J. G. Wells, on Saturday, May 23d, brought suit in the Supreme Court against the W. J. Johnston company, publisher of the Electric Railway Gazette and the Electrical World, for $50,000 damages for libel, the suit being based upon an article in the last issue of the first-named paper, charging that the exhibition of Niagara power transmission at the electric show is in the nature of a “fake” and “gigantic fraud” upon the public. The officers of the National Electrical Exposition company are: H. J. Smith, general superintendent of the Edison Illuminating company of New York; W. F. Weiss, vice-president of the New York Steam Heating company; George F. Porter, secretary of the National Electric Light association; C. O. Baker, Jr., of the Baker Platinum Refining company; R. B. Corey, General Incandescent Arc Light company; H. L. Lufkin, Crocker-Wheeler Electric company, and E. F. Peck of the Peck Electric company.

A letter was also issued, signed by “W. J. Johnston, editor Electric Railway Gazette,” of which the following is a copy:

In the Electric Railway Gazette of May 10th appeared an item, written immediately after the opening of the electrical exposition, saying that the success of the experiment in the transmission of electric power from Niagara to New York savors strongly of “fake.” The author of the paragraph believed at the time that he had grounds for making the assertion. He has since made a thorough examination of the circumstances, however, and satisfied himself that he was entirely mistaken in what he said, and a correction will be made in the next issue of the Gazette, dated May 25th. I need not add that both the author of the item and I regret the appearance in an electrical journal of anything that might be construed as a reflection upon the good faith of the well-known companies and gentlemen to whose efforts are due the success of the Niagara transmission.