Nikola Tesla Articles
a wonderous discovery, but could not interest anyone in it. The financiers asked if he had not something else they could capitalize on. He stated that he could adapt his system as a "world broadcast plant". With it, he asserted, he could provide "interconnection of existing telegraph and telephone exchanges all over the world; establish a secret and non-interferable government communication service; maintain universal distribution of news; establish a worldwide system of musical distribution; maintain accurate time signals to clocks everywhere; provide full facsimile transmission; send accurate navigational signals" - among other possibilities.
"A cheap and simple device, which might be carried in one's pocket, may then be set up somewhere on sea or land, and it will record the world's news or such special messages as may be intended for it," wrote Tesla, concerning his "World-system".
The men of money were skeptical; Tesla promised much. Still, he had delivered on his claims before; the polyphase ac system in general use now was silent testimony to this man's genius. Then J. P. Morgan made a gift to Tesla of a sum which was never disclosed, but estimated to be from $150,000 to twice that amount. James S. Warden, manager of the Suffolk County Land Company made available to Tesla two hundred acres of his company's tract at Shoreham, Long Island, about sixty miles from New York City.
A large brick building was soon erected and a great, wooden tower was being built. An all-wood structure was specified, because of the enormous voltages the plant would handle. Stanford White, the eminent architect of government buildings of that era, provided the plans for such a structure. The tower was some 187 feet high, and many people snickered, because they knew such a wooden tower could not stand, or if it did, would not be able to resist high winds. A torus-shaped copper electrode of copper, 100 feet in diameter, was to top the tower. This was later changed to a hemispherical shape. Needless to say, the equipment being installed-most made to order-the tower itself, and the cost the copper electrode and changes engendered took all the money Tesla had. The smaller investors stood by, waiting to take their cue from Morgan. That financial baron had
