Nikola Tesla, His Work and Unfulfilled Promises Page 6

when we say we think if he omitted some of the confusing passages his lecture would be much better understood, and if he would keep ideas anent electro-magnetic theory of light, also Hertz and Dr. Lodge from his work, his experiments would be clearer, as well as more interesting. We hope Mr. Tesla is correct when he surmises that the future light may be produced by vacuum tubes, but we believe the subject has been thoroughly searched out ere this by many inventors without a result which has been very promising." In this connection, it might be mentioned that small acknowledgment of the work of Hertz or Lodge occurs in the lectures. The ambiguity referred to in the above quotation, and certainly existing in the lectures, has been passed over in this paper, as in Tesla's case a certain lack of facility in handling English may account for what in another would seem an attempt at mystification.

Had Tesla's labors ended with these lectures perhaps he would have received less criticism in these later days. They seemed to teem with brilliant possibilities. But the applause they had evoked seems to have resolved him to keep himself before the public at all hazards. In the succeeding years each new idea or fad in the electrical world was eagerly seized upon by him and made the pretext for rushing into print, at first in the technical papers, and later, as the engineering press began to regard his effusions askance, in the non-technical daily papers, the adoption of the latter medium being accompanied with increase in sensationalism. When X rays were holding the popular attention, he dabbled in them and published his results. ("Electrical World," Vol. 27, p. 343.) When the Wehnelt interrupter attracted the interest of scientists, Tesla immediately leaped into notice. As the London "Electrical Review" says (Vol. 44, p. 653) "Tesla lets himself out on the Wehnelt interruption in the Electrical Review (New York), March 15th. He invented this device two or three years ago. This belated publication in our contemporary would not, according to the generally accepted code, secure to Tesla the credit of being the inventor; but Tesla evidently does not regret this, since he considers there is not merit in the invention." And again (at p. 733): "Tesla has expressed a somewhat ungenerous contempt for the Wehnelt break, which has recently given such remarkable results in the hands of experimenters here and abroad. Its inferiority to Tesla's break appears to be known as yet only to Tesla; in simplicity, at least, it is certainly superior."

When the efforts of Marconi, Lodge and Slaby brought their first achievements in wireless telegraphy before the world Tesla had nothing but pity for their puerile efforts. When Marconi was ready to send a signal a few hundred miles, Tesla was ready (in the papers) to transmit thousands of horse-power the same distance. ("Century Magazine," June, 1900.) When Marconi was attempting to signal across the Atlantic, Tesla had already (in the papers) received a signal from Mars. (New York "Sun," Jan. 3, 1901). Before the enthusiasm over the Spanish War had had time to cool, Tesla had published a description of his torpedoes, which would revolutionize warfare. (New York "Sun," November 21, 1898.) The "Electrical Engineer" quotes the following from Tesla's signed article (at p. 514 of vol. 26): "We shall be able, availing ourselves of this advance, to send a projectile, at a much greater distance; it will not be limited in any way by weight or amount of explosive charge; we shall be able to submerge