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NEWSCIENCENEWSCIENCENEWSCIENCE the change, no matter how great, should be gradual and occupied ages, so that the ultimate results could be intelligently foreseen, I cannot but think that reasoning beings would still find means of existence. They would adapt themselves to their constantly changing environment. So I think it quite possible that in a frozen planet, such as our moon is supposed to be, intelligent beings may still dwell in its interior, if not on its surface. creating ripples or disturbances which, spreading through the earth as through a wire, could be detected at great distances by carefully attuned receiving circuits. In this manner I was able to transmit to a distance, not only fee- ble effects for the purposes of signalling but considerable amounts of energy, and later discoveries I made convinced me that I shall ultimately succeed in conveying power without wires, for industri- al purposes, with high economy and to any distance, however great. Signalling at 100,000 Miles! Then it is contended that it is beyond human power and ingenu- ity to convey signals to the almost inconceivable distances of fifty million or one hundred million miles. This might have been a valid argument formerly. It is not so now. Most of those who are enthusiastic upon the subject of interplanetary communication have reposed their faith in the light-ray as the best possible medi- um of such communication. True, waves of light, owing to their immense rapidity of succession, can penetrate space more readily than waves less rapid, but a simple consideration will show that by their means an exchange of signals between this Earth and its com- panions in the solar system is, at least now, impossible. By way of illustration, let us suppose that a square mile of the Earth's surface—the smallest area that might possibly be within reach of the best telescopic vision of other worlds—were covered with incandescent lamps, packed closely together so as to form, when illuminated, a continuous sheet of light. It would require not less than one hundred million horse-power to light this area of lamps, and this is many times the amount of motive power now in the service of man throughout the world. But with the novel means, proposed by myself, I can readily demonstrate that, with an expenditure not exceeding two thousand horse-power, signals can be transmitted to a planet such as Mars with as much exactness and certitude as we now send messages by wire from New York to Philadelphia. These means are the result of long-continued experiment and gradual improvement. Some ten years ago, I recognized the fact that to convey electric currents to a distance it was not at all necessary to employ a return wire, but that any amount of energy might be transmitted by using a single wire. I illustrated this principle by numerous experiments, which, at that time, excited considerable attention among scientific Experiments in Colorado To develop these inventions further, I went to Colorado where I continued my investigations along these and other lines, one of which in particular I now consider of even greater importance than the transmission of power without wires. I constructed a laboratory in the neighborhood of Pike's Peak. The conditions in the pure air of the Colorado Mountains proved extremely favorable for my experiments, and the results were most gratifying to me. I found that I could not only accomplish more work, physically and mentally, than I could in New York, but that electrical effects and changes were more readily and distinctly per- ceived. A few years ago it was virtually impossible to produce electrical sparks twenty or thirty foot long; but I produced some more than one hundred feet in length, and this without difficulty. The rates of electrical movement involved in strong induction apparatus had measured but a few hundred horse-power, and I pro- duced electrical movements of rates of one hundred and ten thou- sand horse-power. Prior to this, only insignificant electrical pres- sures were obtained, while I have reached fifty million volts. The accompanying illustrations, with their descriptive titles, taken from an article I wrote for the Century Magazine, may serve to convey an idea of the results I obtained in the directions indicated. Many persons in my own profession have wondered at them and have asked what I am trying to do. But the time is not far away now when the practical results of my labors will be placed before the world and their influence felt everywhere. One of the immedi- ate consequences will be the transmission of messages without wires, over sea or land, to an immense distance. I have already demonstrated, by crucial tests, the practicability of signalling by my system from one to any other point of the globe, no matter how remote, and I shall soon convert the disbelievers. men. demonstrated, by crucial tests, the practicability of signalling by This being practically demonstrated, my next step was to use the my system from one to any other point of the globe, no matter how Earth itself as the medium for conducting the currents, thus dis- remote, and I shall soon convert the disbelievers. pensing with wires and all other artificial conductors. So I was led to the development of a system of energy transmission and of telegraphy without the use of wires, which I described in 1893. The difficulties I encountered at first in the transmission of currents through the earth were very great. At that time I had at hand only ordinary apparatus, which I found to be ineffective, and I concentrated my attention immediately upon perfecting machines for this special purpose. This work consumed a number of years, but I finally vanquished all difficulties and succeeded in producing a machine which, to explain its operation in plain language, : Lee Va resembled a pump in its action, drawing gupplying electrical energy ‘Transmitting electrical An electrical oscillator electricity from the earth and driving it back through a single wire energy through the Earth delivering energy at a rate into the same at an enormous rate, thus without return. without wire. of 75,000 horse-power. 38 = NEXUS JUNE — JULY 2003 www.nexusmagazine.com