Nikola Tesla Exhibition Before the Electro-Therapeutic Association

Nikola Tesla, the wizard of electricity, gave an exhibition of some of the wonders at his command before the ladies and gentlemen of the Electro-Therapeutic Association of New York the other day, and, among other things showed them a new invention of his for the generation of electricity, which he claims must soon supplant the dynamo, as it will do the same work at half the expense and without the wear and tear which shortens the life of the present instrument used for the generation of electricity. The “oculator,” as he calls it, is a small affair and exceedingly simple. There is a piston rod, which works by a combination of steam and electricity, and which runs in and out of its socket just 800 times to the second. It is hard for the mind to conceive of such rapidity of motion, but there the little fellow is hard at work in plain sight, and looking almost like a solid bolt, so swiftly does it come and go

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thus overcoming the greatest defect of the dynamo. “So precise is it in its action that I can maintain the same speed within the thousandth part of a second for hours. You will understand the tremendous possibilities of economy.” The electro-therapeutics all said they did, for they were well stored already with electric lore. “We have only reached the ante-chamber of electrical discovery,” said the tall and handsome Montenegrin, who loomed above the tallest doctor present at least six inches, “but we are making giant strides in the way of knowledge. We are going to use electricity for almost everything. We are going to know all about it, and, above all, we are going to know how to control it. Even now it is the safest motive power we employ. If a steam boiler in a large factory bursts it is likely to kill a score — perhaps 100 — people. A horse running away with a carriage full of people may kill all of them. Electricity rarely kills more than one man at a time. A ‘live wire’ in this room might kill one man, but hardly two men. Electricity is like a rattlesnake. It strikes its victims one at a time. But it will not long be possible for it to kill anybody. We are going to harness it and make it absolutely safe. As a motive power it will be safer than engines or horses, because it will never get out of harness. Just as soon as we learn how to harness it so as to secure perfect safety, and I think that time is not far distant, electricity will take the place of fire and steam, and will be the only agent employed to light and heat and move the entire world.”