Tesla's Lecture in London

This has now been printed in the New York Electrical World, being copied from the Journal of the Proceedings of the Institution of Electrical Engineers. It appears to give the highest satisfaction to Americans, who are justly proud of their adopted son. Indeed, the picture of the future of electricity drawn by Mr. Tesla is at once sweepingly novel and alarmingly daring. Whether it is all feasible, and, if so, how soon? are questions that arise unbidden to our lips. One shudders at the thought of 100,000-volt distribution being spoken of as “an easy matter,” and transmission through 1,000 miles seems to be certainly unnecessary, although it may be “practicable.” 20,000 vibrations per second possibly are “few” in the Tesla school; but it will take some time to familiarise work-a-day electricians with such quantities. Mr. Tesla does not consider high potentials, such as he uses, dangerous. This may be so, and as we have pointed out on several occasions, it is no doubt explainable by the little energy used. But in any practical application large power is a necessary accompaniment, and then we think it somewhat rash to say there will be no danger. Perhaps the human body is not affected by electric currents of very high frequency, and there certainly seem to be grounds for assuming such to be the case, judging from our knowledge of the effects of light, heat and sound waves. Yet the case is “not proven” so far; and subjects for testing the truth of this theory are not so forward in offering their persons for the crucial tests, as one would expect. If things go on as they are doing now, we shall find our knowledge on this point increased by the evidence of an unwilling witness. Mr. Tesla believes that light and heat effects are proportional to the product of the frequency and the square of the potential, and suggests using periods of several millions per second! We do not mind the frequencies so much, but are thankful the “Professor” does not intend using millions of volts, at any rate in this little country.