THE TRANSMISSION OF ELECTRIC

ENERGY WITHOUT WIRES

TESLA C'ENTRAt. POWER PLAt-rT Al'IO TRANSMITTING TOWER FOR WORLO TELEGRAPHY
lONG ISLAND, N • V.

Society of Wireless Pioneers - California Historical Radio Society

 THE TRANSMISSION OF ELECTRIC ENERGY WITHOUT WIRES.

BY NIKOLA TESLA.

I T i's- impossible to resist your courteous request extended on an

occasion of such moment in the life of your journal. Your
letter has vivified the memory of our beginning friendship,
concentrated salt solution, and the tinfoil coatings of scrn1e oi my ck­
vatecl terminals shri\'elecl up in the fiery blaze. An experimental
high-tension transformer, carelessly exposed to the rays of the �sc!­
,.,i the first imperfect attempts a"d undeserved successes, of kind­ ting sun, had most of its i11sul.1ting compound melted ot1t and ivas
,;�;,es and misunderstandings. It ·i,1as brought painfully to my mind rendered useless. Aided by the dryness and rarefaction 9f the air,
the greatness of early expectations, the quick flight of time, and the water evaporates as in a boiler, and static electricity is de­
alas! the smallness of realizations. The following lines which, but veloped in abundance. Lightning discharges arc, accordingly, very
for your initiative, might not have been given to the world for a freauent and sometimes of incnnceivable violence. On' one occa­
long time yet, arc an offering in the friendly spirit of old, and my sion approximately twelve thousand discharges occurred in two
best wishes for your future success accompany them. hours, and all in a radius of certainly less than fifty kilometers from
Towards the close of 1898 a systematic research, carried on for a the laboratory. J\lany of them resembled gigantic trees of fire with
number of years with the object of perfecting a method of trans­ the trunks up or down. I nev�r saw fire balls, but as a compen­
mission of electrical energy through the natural medium, led me to sation for my disappointment I succeeded later in determining tht'
recognize three important necessities: First, to develop a transmitter mode of their formation and producing them artificially.
nf great power; second, to perfect means for individualizing and In the latter part of the same month I noticed several times that
isolating the energy transmitted; and, third, to ascertain the laws my instruments were affected stronger by discharges taking place at
of propag-ation of currents through the earth and the atmosphere. great distances than by those near by. This puzzled me very much.
Various reasons, not the least of which was the help proferrecl by 'vVhat was the cause? A nmnher of observations proved that it
my friend Leonard E. Curtis and the Colorado Springs Electric could not be due to the differences in the intensity of the individual
Company, determined me to select for my experimental investigations discharges, and I readily ascertained that the phenomenon was 1101
the large plateau, two thousand meters above sea level, in the vicinity the result of a varying relation between the periods of my receiving
of that delightful resort, which l reached late in :\fay, 1899. I had circuits and those of the· terrestrial disturbances. One night, as I
not been there hut a few clays when I congratulated myself on the was walking home with an assi,tant, meditating over these experi­
happy choice and I began the task, for which l had long trained ences, J was suddenly staggered by a thought. Y cars ago, when I
111ysclf, with a grateful sense and foll of inspiring hope. The perfect wrote a chapter of my lecture bdore the l'rankliu Institute and thl'
purity of the air, the unequaled !Jeanty of the sky, the imposing sight National Electric Light Association, it had presented itself to 111c,
nf a high mountain range, the quiet and restfulness of the pface­ but J had dismissed it as absurd and impossible. I banished it
all around contributed to make the conditions for scientific observa­ again. Nevertheless, my instinct was aroused and somehow I felt
tion ideal. To this was added the exhilarating influence of a glori­ that I was nearing a great revelation.
c111s climate and a singular sharpening of the senses. ln those re­ It was on the third of July-the elate I shall never forget-whc11 I
g-inns the organs undergo percept1blc physical chang<'s. The eyes obtained the first decisive experi111ental evidence of a truth nf over­
assume an extraordinary limpidity, improving vision; the cars dry whelming importance for the advancement of humanity. A clen,c
out and bl'come more snsrcptihle tn sound. Objects can he clearly 111ass of strongly charged clouds gathered in the west and toward,
distinguishC'cl thC're at distances sud1 that l prefer to ha,·e them told the evening a \'iolcnt storm broke loose which, after spencling- much
hy someone C'lse, and I ha\'c heard-this I can n:nturc to ,·ouch for­ nf its fury in ihe mo11ntai11s. was driven away with great velocity
the claps of thunder seven and eight hundred kilometers away. I nn•r the plains. I-lea,·y and long persisting arcs for111ecl almn,;1
might have done helter still, had it not been tediot1, 1n wait fur in rcg-11lar 1i111c intervals. �1y oltservations were now greatly facili­
the sounds to arrin·. in delinite i11ten·als. as heralded prcl'isely hy tated am! rendered more accurat" by the experiences already g-ainccl.
an electrical indicating apparatus-nearly an hour before. I was ahle tn handle my instruments quickly ancl I was prepared.
In the middle of June, while preparations for other wnrk were The recording- apparatus being properly adjusted, its indications
gc)ing 011, I arrai1ged one of my receiving transformers with the became fainter and fainter with the increasing distance of the storm,
,·icw of cktcrmining- in a 111wcl manner, experimentally, the electric until they reasecl altogether. I ,vas watching in eager expectation.
pntential of the globe and studyinl-' its periodic and casual tlt1ctua­ Surely eno11gh. in a little while the indications again began, grew
tit 1n�. T'hi:,.. fc,nn�d p:1rt of a pla,! ��3r�fully 111appl.·\l 1.. 1 ut i11 ,1tlvc.111cc. stronger and ,trnngcr and, after passing throug-h a maximum, grad­
.\ hig-hly sen,iti,·e. sclf-restorati,·e device, controlling a recording ually decrca,ccl and ceasecl once more. :-!any times, in regularly rl'­
i11,trumcnt, wa;, included in the secondary circuit, while the primary curring inter\'als. the same actiqns were repeated until the storm
was c,rnnel'ted to the gronnd and an elevated terminal of acl_iustahlc which. as e,·ident irom simple cn111putations, was moving- with nearly
capacity. The yariations of potential gaye rise to el<!ctric surgings in cnnstant speed. had retreated to a distance of ahnut three hunclrccl
the primary; the,e generated scrnnclary currents. which in tt1rn kilometers. Xor clicl these strange actions stop then, hut continued tn
affected the sensitiYe cle,·ire and recorder in proportion to tb�ir maniiest themseh·c, "·ith undiminished force. Subsequently, similar
intensity. The earth was found to be, literally. aliYe with electrical observations were also made by my assistant, :-Ir. frit7. Lowenstein,
Yibrations. and soon I was deeply absorbed in this interesting in­ and shortly afterward several ad,11irablc oppnrtunities presented
,·estigation. No better 0pportunities for such 0bsen·ations a, I themseh·es which hrought out. still more forcibly, and unmistakahly,
intended to make could be fonncl anywhere. C0lorado is a cnuntry the true nature of the wonderfnl phenomenon. �o doubt whatever
famous for the natural displays of electric force. In that dry and remained: l wa., ohsen·ing stationary wa,·e,.
rarefied atmosphere the sun's rays beat the object, with fierce in­ .-\, the ,ource oi cJic-turbances m,wcd away the receiving circuit
tensity. l raisC'cl steam. to a clangerl't1s pressure. in barrel, tilled with ,·ame ,11cce,,ively upr.11 their n,idc, and lnnp,. Impossible as i1
St't'med, this planet. despite its \·ast extent, behaved like a conductor or such special messages as may be intended for it. Thus the entire
of limited dimensions. The tremendous significance of this fact in earth will be converted into a huge brain, as it were, capable of
the transmission of energy by my system had already become quite response in every one of its parts. Since a single plant of but one
clear to me. Not only was it practicable to send telegraphic mes­ hundred horse-power can operate hundreds of millions of instru­
sages to any distance without wires, as I recognized long ago, but ments, the system will have a virtually infinite working capacity,
also to impress upon the entire globe the faint modulations of the and it must needs immensely facilitate and cheapen the transmission
human voice, far more still, to transmit power, in unlimited amounts, of intelligence.
to any terrestrial distance and almost without any loss. The first of these central plants would have been already com­
With· these stupendous possibilities in sight, with the experi­ pleted had it not been for unforseen delays which, fortunately, have
mental evidence before me that their realization was henceforth nothing to do with its purely technical features. But this loss of
merely a question of expe;t knowledge, patience and skill, I attacked time, while vexatious, may, afte;· all, prove to be a blessing in dis­
vigorously the development of my magnifying transmitter, now, guise. The best design of which I knew has been adopted, and the
however, not so much with the original intention of produciHg one transmitter will emit a wave complex of a total maximum activity
of great power, as with the object of learning how to construct the of ten million horse-power. one per cent. of which is amply suf­
best one. This is, essentially, a circuit of very high self-induction ficient to "girdle the globe." This enormous rate of energy delivery,
and small resistance which in its arrangement, mode of excitation approximately twice that of the combined falls of Niagara, is obtain­
and action, may be said to be the iiametrically opposite of a trans­ able only by the use of certain artifices, which I shall make known
mitting circuit typical of telegraph:.• by Hertzian or electromagnetic in due course.
radiations. It is difficult to form an adequate idea of the marvelous For a large part of the work ·which I have done so far I am in­
power of this unique appliance, by the aid of which the globe will debted to the noble generosity of l\1r. J. Pierpont Morgan, which
he transformed. The electromagnetic radiations being reduced to was all the more welcome and �timulating, as it was extended at a
an insignificant quantity, and proper conditions of resonance main­ time when those, who have since promised most, were the greatest
tained, the circuit acts like an imme-nse pendulum, storing indefinitely of doubters. I have also to thank my friend, Stanford White, for
the energy of the primary exciting impulses and impressing upon the much unseltish and valuable as!'.istance.. This work is now far ad­
earth and its conducting atmosphere uniform harmonic oscillations vanced, and though the results may be tardy, they are sure to come.
of intensities which, as actual tests have shown, may be pushed i\leanwhile, the transmission of energy on an industrial scale is
so far as to surpass those attained in the natural displays of static not being neglected. The Canadian Niagara Power Company have
electricity. offered me a splendid inducement, and next to achieving success for
Simultaneously with these endeavors, the means of individualiza­ the sake of the art, it will give me the greatest satisfaction to make
tion and isolation were gradually improved. Great importance was their concession financially profitable to them. In this first power
attached to this, for it was found that simple tuning was not suffi­ plant, which I have been designing since a long time, I propose to
cient to meet the vigorous practical requirements. The fundamental distribute ten thousand horse-power under a tension of one hundred
idea of employing a number of distinctive elements, co-operatively million volts, which I am now able to produce and handle with
associated, for the purpose of isolating energy transmitted, I trace safety.
directly to my perusal of Spencer's clear and suggestive exposition This energy will be collected all over the globe preferably in
of the human nerve mechanism. The influence of this principle on small amounts, ranging from a fraction of one to a few horse-power.
the transmission of intelligence. and electrical energy in general. One of its chief uses will be the illumination of isolated homes. It
cannot as yet be estimated, for the art is still in the embryonic stage; takes very little power to light a dwelling with vacuum tubes oper­
but many thousands of simultaneous telegraphic and telephonic mes­ ated hy high-frequency current:- and in each instance a terminal a
sages, thro11gh one single conducting channel, natural or artificial, little above the roof will he sufficient. Another valuable application
and witho11t serious mutual interference, are certainly practicable, will be the driving of clocks and other such apparatus. These clocks
while millions arc possible. On the other hand, any desired degree will be exceedingly simple, will require absolutely no attention and
of individualization may be secured by the use of a great number will indicate rigorously correct time. The idea of impressing upon
of co-operative elements and arbitrary variation of their distinctive the earth American time is fascinating and very likely to become
features and order of succession. For obvious reasons, the principle popular. There are innumerable devices of all kinds which arc either
will also be valuable in the extension of the distance of transmission. now employed or can be supplied, and by operating them in this
Progress though of necessity slow was steady and sure, for the manner I n�ay be able to offer a great convenience to the whole
objects aimed at were in a direction of my constant study and exer­ world with a plant of no more than ten thousand horse-power. The
nsc. It is, therefore, not astonishing that before the end of 1899 introduction of this system will give opportunities for invention and
I completed the task undertaken and reached the results which I have manufacture such as have never presented themselves before.
anno1mcecl in my article in the Cc11turJ• Af aga::hie of June, 1900, Knowing the far-reaching importance of this first attempt and
l'Very word of \\'hich was carefully weighed. its effect upon fut11re development, I shall proceed slowly and
l\T uch has already been done towards making my system com­ carefully. Experience has taught me not to assign a term to enter­
mercially ;\\·ailable, in the transmission of energy in small amounts prises the consummation of which is not wholly dependent on my
for specilic purposes, as well as on an industrial scale. The re­ own abilities and exertions. But I am hopeful that these great
sults attained by me ha,·e made my scheme of intelligence transmis­ realizations are not far off, arnl I know that when this first work
"in11. for \\'hich the name of "\,Vor"rl Telegraphy" has been suggested, is completed they will follow with mathematical certitude.
easily realizable. lt constitutes, I believe, in its principle of operation, \,\'hen the great truth accu1e11tally revealed and experimentally
me:rns employed and capacities of application, a radical and fruitful confirmed is fully recognized, fiat this planet, with all its appalling
departure from \\'hat has been d·Jne heretofore. I have no doubt immensity, is to electric currents virtually no more than a small
that it \\'ill pro,·e ycry efficient in enlightening the masses, partic- metal ball and that by this fact many possibilities, each baffling
11larly in still 1111ci,·ilized countries and less accessible regions, and imagination and of incalculable consequence, are rendered absolutely
that it \\'ill add materially to !(eneral safety, comfort and con­ sure of accomplishment; when ::he first pla11t is inaugurated and it is
n·nience. and maintenance of p<aceful relations. It involves the shown that a telegraphic 111ess:1ge, almost as secret and non-inter­
empl()yment of a number of plants, all of which are capable of ferable as a thought, can be tr.rnsmitted to any terrnstrial distance,
transmitting- indiYidualized signals to the uttermost confines of the the sound of the huma11 voice, vith all its intonations and i11Aections,
earth. Each of them will be preferably located near some important faithfully and instantly reproduced at any other point of the globe.
renter of ci,·ilazation and the ne,,·s it receives through any channel the energy of a waterfall made available for s11pplyi11g light, heat or
will be flashed to all points of the globe. A cheap and simple de­ motive power, anywhere-on sea, or land, or high in the air­
\·ice. which might be carried in one's pocket may then be set up humanity will be like an anthe.1p stirred 11p with a stick: See the
'-omewhere on sea or land, and it will record the world's news excitement coming'.
EXPERIMENTAL LABORATORY, COLORADO, ERECTED SUMMER OF 1899.

(DISCOVERY BY MR. TESLA OF THE ST'ATIONARY WAVES OF THE EARTH WAS MADE l�ERE. l

REPRINTED BY E. J. QUINBY, 1972

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