Re: History

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Ed Phillips" <evp-at-pacbell-dot-net> 

"However, before writing Tesla off as a flash in the pan review " The
Complete Patents of Nikola Tesla"

RWW"

	By flash in the pan I mean that he came forth with a remarkably
complete AC power generation, distribution, and utilization system and
then moved on to other things which were of more interest to him, as
derscribed by Leland Anderson.  Have the "Patents" on the shelf here and
look up references regularly.  I also have a copy of Tesla Patent
Wrappers (actually four volumes) which I've been through on many
occasions too.  Lot of lawyer talk but still interesting.  I don't find
anything of practical value (at least related to the electric power
industry) after Colorado Springs.  Do you?  The Tesla of CSN clearly has
a strong grasp of Victorian physics and math and applies it to his
designs and observations.  I find the notes make fascinating reading and
show that he was quite a deep technical thinker, at least at that time.
When it comes to the world power system I can't see any evidence of even
"back of the envelope" calculations as to the design and feasibility of
his proposed apparatus, let alone analysis of how the system as a whole
could have worked.

	Harry Goldman printed a 1930's era article by Tesla in which he
discussed the operation of a Van de Graaf generator.  It is most
interesting because it was typical vintage Tesla writing - lucid and
quite accurate, and I have often wondered what practical things were
going on in his head at the time.  Wish I could find that article
again.......

Ed