Tesla's Great Discovery

Since an eminent scientist engaged in astronomical investigation mistook a new searchlight, with which the Navy Department was making experiments, for a comet, nothing has occurred to arouse such widespread interest as the announcement by Nikola Tesla that he has accidentally established telegraphic communication with the planet Mars.

A few days ago it was learned that Mr. Tesla had made a discovery the importance of which would arouse the envy and admiration of all other scientific explorers, but it was only yesterday the character of his triumph was made known.

According to the interesting reports sent East from Colorado Mr. Tesla obtained an electrical connection with Mars through one of those fortunate strokes of chance which have been of frequent benefit to science. He was engaged in an effort to telegraph from the top of Pike's Peak without wires, and as this proceeding necessitates projecting messages into space with no great certainty as to where they will be received, it is not astonishing that the electric current Mr. Tesla happened to be using was on its way to another world instead of being headed for Omaha, as the investigator fondly believed.

In consequence of this, Mr. Tesla, was astonished to observe certain movements on the part of the instrument he was using, which he was at first unable to understand. Nothing so weird had ever come out of Omaha, not even when the Populists were holding a convention there. The signals used were not those of the Morse system of telegraphy, and Mr. Tesla doubted if the force exerted was electricity. It was not until he had devoted much thought to the occurrence that the eminent inventor reached the profound conclusion which has made him the envy of all his fellow investigators.

He decided the strange message he had received had come from Mars, and that the person or persons at the other end of the circuit were trying to establish communications between the two worlds certain to prove interesting and instructive to the inhabitants of both.

This great discovery Mr. Tesla will contribute as his gift to the twentieth century. It is incomplete yet, but Mr. Tesla hopes to improve it, and put it in working order. Apparently, it has sidetracked his original intention of telegraphing to Omaha without wires, but as that can be done at any time he will give his attention to the new enterprise which promises such unexpected results.

Mr. Tesla had agreed to astonish the world with the announcement of his latest achievement, and while there are sections yet to be heard from there is no reason to doubt that he has kept his word.