Nikola Tesla Books
a hermit. He had many wonderful memories of the past to keep his mind busy and occupied. He had the satisfaction of knowing that his life, his discoveries, had changed the entire earth. He no longer required a workshop cr a laboratory to continue his experiments to produce new ideas and inventions. His brilliant mind had absorbed knowledge like a sponge. He could remember every detail of more than 5000 experiments conducted over a period of 50 years of work in electrical engineering.
Many years before, he stated that he was able to construct and build every single detail of an invention in his mind, also to predict the exact performance of the invention after it was constructed, ready to test. His highly skilled machinists say that if he were inventing a new tribune, a solar engine or some new type of electrical equipment, he would produce every single measurement from his mind and this included all dimensions down to ten thousandths of an inch. Most of the time they were required to work without drawings or blueprints. Tesla became very secretive about his work as a result of many unfortunate experiences. With such a mind it was possible for him to produce a considerable amount of productive work even in his later years. He gave freely of his time to others whenever his advice, experience or mathematical genius was requested.
During those twilight years of his life it must have been with tremendous satisfaction that he looked out over the Manhattan skyline and down upon the thankless multitudes of humanity. Long ago they had all forgotten that he had ever lived, but Dr. Tesla was happy to know that he had given so much to his fellow man. On his 75th birthday, in 1932, he received letters from leading scientists throughout the world acknowledging that a great portion of their research and life's work had been based upon Dr. Tesla's discoveries. Even today Dr. Tesla is better known in Europe than he is in America.
On January 7, 1943, the maid entered his suite and found him dead. He had died in his sleep during the night. Funeral services were held over for one week, allowint those traveling long distances enough time to arrive in New York before the funeral.
As the final rites and eulogy were being delivered by the presiding Bishop, a brilliant beam of sunlight suddenly poured down from the heavens and through the cathedral window onto the flag draped casket. It was as if Nature and God above had recognized the greatness of this favored son whose work on earth had long since been completed, yet only partially understood and used.
One strange incident that occurred at the Tesla funeral has never been explained. Three press association photographers snapped several dozen photographs inside the cathedral during the ceremony. Not a single negative was usable. The casket, covered by an American flag, the Yugoslavian guards and all of the people present, appeared blurred and out of focus. It was as if they were vibrating or oscillating. However, the lighting fixtures and all details of the cathedral were sharp and clear in each negative. No explanation has ever been found for this strange phenomenon, although photographic experts were called in to examine the se negatives including those of Eastman Kodak Co. Consequently photographs of the Tesla funeral were never released to the press.
