INVENTED BY TESLA. A Device That May Render Fleets and Guns Useless. II .« Alleged to lie a Powerful De stroyer, au(l Distance Is Said to Have No Kfleel ou Its Maglo Itesults. [Special New York Letter.] Nicola Tesla, greatest of living elec tricians. is still a young man. lie was born in the ancient kingdom of Servia, 35 years ago, and combines with the en thusiasm of the Slav the dogged per sistence of the same race. Keared amidst congenial surroundings, and un der the direct supervision of his moth er, whose fame as an inventor of looms and other household devices is more than local; and assisted in his studies l«y his father, an eminent preacher ot the Greek church, his natural love for mathematics and mechanics was given full play. While at school he mastereu half a dozen languages, besides being recognized as the leader in technical studies; and consequently had no diffi culty in securing a position in the Hun garian government telegraph engin eering department at lludupest. The. bureaucratic methods prevailing in the office where he was employed did not please him, however, and he drifted to Paris, and then to the United States, where he found employment in Ed ison's famous laboratory. It is said —whether truthfully or not. 1 cannot tell, that the wizard soon grew jealous of the young man's genius and (suggested that his room would be more agreeable than his company. Tesla took the hint, and established a labora tory of his own at New York, where he has conducted a number of expeii ments which will forever give him a high place in the history of electrical science. A few years ago his worn shop was destroyed by lire, and with it the results of years of research. This calamity, which would have discour aged most men. only served to lire tha young inventor's ambition. In pa NICOLA TESLA, THE WORLD'S GREATEST ELECTRICIAN. Hence he labored and toiled on lessor deviees, which brought him the means of carrying on his greater operations. And now he has broken his silence by announcing to the world the perfection of an engine which, if it does but half he claims for it, will revolutionize mod ern warfare and completely change the position of nations. In fact, the dis armament of the powers would be a necessity, and war would be so terrible that no country could sustain it even for a few weeks. Mr. Tesla's invention, to describe it in a few words, consists in an applica tion of electricity whereby, without in terposition of any artilicial medium of communication, one man can control and direct with absolute exactness the movements of any type of vessel, bal loon or land vehicle at any distance that may be desired. From a station on shore or from the deck of a moving vessel a torpedo boat equipped with this device may be propelled either on or below the surface, maneuver at will in any direction and finally brought into contact and exploded at the side of a hostile ship at any point within the range of the operator. More mar velous yet, assuming that it were pos sible to locate the |>ositiou of the war ship to be destroyed, the torpedo boat could be directed to it, even if the ves sel lay in a European harbor and the operator were stationed at Handy iicok or Fort Monroe. The result of this invention? I.et Mr. Tesla speak for himself: "War will cease to be possible when nil the world knows that the most feeble of nations can supply itself with n weapon which renders its coast se cure and its ports impregnable to the assaults of even the united armadas of the world. Battleships will cease to be built and the mightiest ironclads and the most tremendous artillery afloat will be of no more use than so much scrap iron. And this irresistible power can be exerted at any distance by an agency of *<; delicate, so impalpable a quality that I am justified in predict ing the time will come, incredible as it may seem, when it can be called into uvtion by the mere exercise of the hu man will." flow does the new device work? Hitherto the only means of control ling the movement 01" * vessel from a distance has been supplied through the medium r 112 a flexible conductor, such as an electric cable, but this system, ac cording to Tesla, is subject to many limitations, such as are imposed by the length, weight and strength of thecon ductor, by the difficulty of maintoiuing with safety the high speed of a vessel o. - changing the direction of its move ments with rapidity, by the necessity of effecting the control from a poiiu which is pi aclically fixed, and from many other drawbacks which are In separably connected with such a sys tem. Tesla's plan seems to involve none of these objections. He is enabled by the use of his invention to employ any means of propulsion, to impart to the moving body or vessel the highest pos sible speed, to control the operation of its machinery, and to direct its move ments from either a fixed point or from a body moving and changing its direc tion, however rapidly, and to maintain this control over great distances with out artificial connections between the vessel and the apparatus governing its movement and without such restric tions as these must necessarily im pose. He requires no intermediate wires, cables or other form of mechan ical or electrical connection with the object save the natural media iu space, lie accomplishes similar results, how ever, by producing waves, impulses or radiations which are received through the earth, water or atmosphere by suit able apparatus on (he moving body and causes the desired actions so long as the body remains within the effective i ange of such currents, waves, impulses and radiations. Having made these experiments, Tes la proceeded to demonstrate his the ories by means of a model which he I exhibited to a representative of the ! New York Herald. Elevated on stools in the center of the inventor's laboratory was a model of a screw-propelled craft about four feet long, no attempt having been made t.j follow the usual sharp lines of a tor pedo boat. The deck was slightly arched and surmounted by three slen der standards, the center one being considerably higher than the other two, which carried small incandescent bulbs, a third bulb being fixed at the bow. The Keel consisted of a massive copper plate, the propeller and rudder being in the usual positions. The boat contained the propelling machinery, consisting of an electric motor actu ated by a storage battery in the hold, another motor to actuate the rudder and the delicate machinery which per forins I he functions of receiving through the central standard the electric im pulses scut through the atmosphere from the distant operating station, which set in motion the propelling and steering motors, and through them light or extinguish the electric lamps and fire the exploding charge in & chamber in the bow in response to sig nals sent by the operator. "Now watch," said the inventor, and, going to a table on the other side of the 100111, 011 which lay a little switch box, he gave the lever a sharp turn. Instant ly the little propeller began to revolv.s. "Now I wiii send the boat to starboard," he added, and another movement of tne lever sent the helm sharp over, and another motion turned it back again. "During the day," explained Tesla, "we should steer our course by keeping the two standards in line, but at night we should depend on electric lights," and at a signal both the tiny bulbs we»e illuminated. "Now we will assume," continued the inventor, "that the boat has arrived within striking distance of the vessel to be destroyed, and the bulb in the bow will serve to show that the explosion has taken place." As he spoke he touched the lever agaii,. and the light flashed and was extinguished. "Im agine, if you can," concluded Tesla, "what an irresistible instrument of de struction we have in a torpedo boat thus controlled, which we can operate day and night, on the surface or be low it.and from any distance that may be desired. A ship thus assailed would have no possibility of escape." Mr. Tesla further claims that it is not even necessary to make a close ap proach to the vessel to be destroyed. At a distance of 100 feet the explosion of 200 pounds of dynamite will exert a shattering effect on a battleship, and 200 or .'IOO tons of the explosive, when exploded even a mile away would raise a wave that would overwhelm the largest and strongest ship ever built. Mr. Tesla contemplates giving a pub lic demonstration of his invention at the Paris exposition, where he intends to exhibit a model of a torpedo boat whose movements are to be directed from his olliee at New Vork. (iooil Men Not Needed. Stranger—l should thick such an en terprising, public-spirited citizen as Mr. Goodman would be nominated for some important oflice in this community. Politician—He'd run well, but we don't need him. "Don't need him?" "No. We're always sure of a big ina jcrity, anyhow."—N. Y. Weekly. A Slow 'l'rain. I'rakeman (on southern railroad) Passengers is not, allowed on th' plat form, sir, when the train is in mo ron. Passenger - Beg pardon; 1 will go ia. 1 did not notice that the train was in motion.—N. i. Weekly. GAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1898. SAMPSON TALKS. Comments on Some Incidents of the Santiago Campaign. lie Claim* that Gen. Shatter Uipectod Too .Wick ol'tlte Blockading Fleet and ■>!«! ><)( Froperlj llrfug nl/.e llie >u\y in llie Hour ol Final Trillin I'll. Washington, Dec. i.—The navy de partment yesterday made public a re port from Admiral Sampson covering the operations of the blockading fleet off Santiago after the destruction of Cervera's squadron. The report be gins with a dispatch dated July 15, und winds up with one dated Guan tanamo, August 4. In tlie first report Sampson tells of the demonstration made against. Aguadores by tlie Mich igan troops under Duffield, the point of which was that as soon as the ships took part in the firing the Span iards disappeared, lie says the bom bardment of Santiago on July 2 serv ed no particular end because Shaffers attack had Wen postponed, lie qur/cs dispatches from himself to Shaffer stating that it is impossible to force an entrance to the harbor until the mines had been removed and that work could be accomplished only after the troops had taken the forts. Shatter replied that lie could not tell when lie could take the batteries. If they were as difficult as those against which he was pitted it would take some time and a great loss of life. Rays he:"I am at a loss to see why the navy cannot work under a destructive tire as well as the army. Mv loss yesterday was over 500 men. An hour later on the same day. July 2, Shafter again appealed to sarnp.son to immediately force the harbor entrance, so as to avoid future loss among his men, already very heavy. Says he: "You can operate with less loss of life than 1 can."' In reply Sampson pointed out that the channel of the harbor was strewn with mines, which would certainly re sult in the sinking of one or more of his ships if lie attempted to enter the harbor, and that bv sinking one the harbor would lie blocked against the entrance of the others, lie had hoped that Shafter would take the batteries from the rear so he might drag for the torpedoes, but if it was Shafter's desire that he should force the entrance lie would prepare to undertake it, thinking, however, that the posittion of both army and navy would be made more difficult if they failed in the attempt. lie promised to use mines at fluantananio to countermine those at Santiago, which would consume considerable time. Says Sampson: "It is not so much the loss of men as it is the loss of ships which has until now deterred me from making a direct attack upon the ships within the port." After the battle with Cer vera's fleet Shafter renewed his re quest that Sampson force an en trance, saying his present position has cost him a thousand men and he did not wish to lose any more. Samp son in comment says this shows a complete misapprehension of the cir cumstances. lie alleges that the sink ing of the Mercedes would obstruct the entrance of the larger American ships and that extensive shore bat teries were known to exist. His chief of staff had indicated to Shafter the points that should be carried before any attention was paid to the city and the taking of these points would have insured the destruction of the mines and the entrance of the American fleet. Shafter had consented to this and Sampson did not know why the plan was changed unless the troops liad been advanced too far to divert, lie expresses the belief that an ad herence to the original plan would have resulted in the much quicker surrender of the Spanish troops and less loss of life except the navy, which would have borne the brunt of at tack. Sampson says:"i have been sur prised to see published in the papers any statement of refusal on my part to endeavor to force my way into the harbor and cannot understand in case the newspaper reports be truthful statements of what was sent by him, (!en. Shafter's sending any reports of this kind. I here, moreover, would animadvert upon the apparently ex traordinary openness with which every detail of hope, effort or sugges tion on the part of the army has been published. The unwisdom of such procedure is too manifest for discus sion." Admiral Sampson gives a number of dispatches showing that he was asked to participate in the terms of surrender and tried fo find out when he should send a representative, but owing to one or two delays no time was fixed. Sampson's comments fol low: "The foregoing certainly shows clearly the most absolute joint action, and I took for granted that we should he joint signatories of any capitula tions. as is customary in all services in such circumstances, (apt. Chad wick arrived at the front at the earl iest hour it was possible for him to do so. and informed Geti. Shafter of mv expectancy in the matter, but Shafter peremptorily refused. The convention had already been signed, and lie states as one reason that nothing had been said of the army in my report of the fleet action of July 3. There would have been as much reason for men tioning the navy in the report of the land action of July 1. when assault was made by our army on the Spanish lines, lClaneo I.cave* Cuba lor Spain. Havana. Dec. I.—The Spanish mail steamer Yillaverde. with Marshal Blanco, the former captain general of Cuba, and his suite on board, left this port at I a. in. Wednesday. The departure of lllaneo was not accom panied by the pomp and ceremony marking similar events in previous years. I »nr|M(l Jlie Fresldeiiey. San Francisco, Dee. 1. —Thomas Ke galado, the head of the revolutionary government in Salvador, has usurped the presidency and proclaimed him self chief executive of tlia republic. THE EVACUATION OF CUDA. PICKED UP A PRIZE. ISrtllHli Steamer Tow* into Fort a l»l*ina*ted Ship Containing a Valua ble Carjio. Philadelphia, Dee. 3, —The British steamship Marston Moor, which sail ed from Baltimore November 9 for Rotterdam, arrived at Delaware Break water Friday, having in tow one of the richest prizes picked up at sea for some time. She towed in the Brit ish bark I.a Kseoeesa, which was bound from Iquique to New \ ork, laden with 2,000 tons of nitrate of soda, valued at about $63,000. The prize w as picked up off Cape Ilenlopen, The bark when sighted was in charge of the chief officer. Capt. Kvans, her commander, had died of brain fever. She was in a helpless condition, hav ing experienced a heavy gale. Ihe decks were swept, pump smashed, boats carried away, together with fore and mi/.zeti masts. TIN PLATE COMBINE. It Will Have a Capital ol" >0,000,000 and Control the Trade 111 this Coun try. Pittsburg, Dec. 3. -Representatives of all of the tin plate manufacturing concerns in America met here Friday for the purpose of arranging prelimi nary details of the combination that is to unite all the tin plate interests on this side of the Atlantic. The com bine will be formed on lines entirely different from any yet effected in the United States. The new company will have a capital of $50,000,000. The work of appraisement will com mence next Monday, when 20 of the plants will shut down (ten of them being located in the west and ten iu the east). On the following Monday 20 other plants will be shut down and an invoice of their value taken. A Hard Klow at Hueliet SllopM. Chicago. Dec. 3. —On charges of using the I'nited States mails to carry on a scheme to defraud patrons in bucket shop deals, four persons, form erly belonging to or connected with the firm of which W. 11. Hennig was the head, and including Hennig. were sentenced and fined yesterday before Judge (irosseup. The defendants all pleaded guilty. The eases were the first in which convictions of bucket shoppers have been secured under the federal law in this city and the re sult is regarded as a death blow to bucket shops. An Oflleial Denial. Washington. Dec. 3.—ln view of a published statement that a committee nf the Anglo-American commission had accepted the recommendations of a I'nited States naval commission as to the building of warships on the great lakes. I.ord llerschcl and Sena tor Fairbanks, representing all parties on the commission, say: "The state ment that an agreement has been ar rived at by the sub-committee ap pointed to consider the question of naval vessels on the great lakes is in correct. The matter is still under dis cussion." Alleged Swindler* Arrested. New York, Dec. 3.—George S. Mar tin. Charles S. Grill and W. S. Cutler, said to be members of the Worthing ton gang, one of the most notorious gangs of real estate swindlers in the country, were arrested Friday and locked up in the Tombs on charges of swindling. The police have been after them for over a year. Each of the men has a long list of aliases and is known in nearly every state in the t'nion. The Worthington gang was run by Henry and John Worthing ton. who had offices at IS Wall street. I.ee'M Troop* Ordered to Havana. Savannah. Dee. 3. The Second di vision of the Seventh army corps, the Second division hospital corps and the signal corps of the Seventh corps have been ordered to move as soon as pos sible from Savannah to Havana. fliiflalo Join* (lie Western Leaiine, Chicago, Dec. 3. Buffalo yesterday became a member of the Western League of baseball clubs. The papers were signed by President Johnson on behalf of the Western league and by James Franklin on behalf of the Buffalo club. It is the first time the Western league circuit ever has ex tended so far east. Hale Objeet*. Washington, Dee. !!. Senator Hale, of Maine, announces his opposition to the pea: e treaty which is being form ulated in Paris, lie is opposed to the acquisition of the Philippines. MADE BIG GAINS. Iron anal Steel Trade Show* Improvement, Order* tor ?00,tUH> Tonxut Itailk till* Week. New York, Dec. 3. —K. (i. Dun & Co.'s Weekly Review of Trade says: The report of failures for November is extremely gratifying because it shows not only a decrease in number and a smaller amount of liabilities than in any other month excepting 1 three summer months since the monthly record began, but because careful analysis shows a striking im provement both in the small and in the large failures, and in nearly all classes of industry and trade. Con sidering that failures are usually smaller in summer months than in November, the monthly return may be considered about the best ever made and shows a condition of finan cial soundness rarely surpassed. Nobody can estimate the gain for the iron and steel industry which vvill result from the past week's transac tions in steel rails, which are said to exceed 700,000 tons. Sales of wool were large in Novem ber, but they have been effected by important concessions in price. Man ufacturers have somewhat larger orders and are more hopeful, but a considerable share of the machinery must remain idle until the material is cheaper in comparison with the cost of wool and goods in other countries. Failures for the week have been :ifSl in the I'nited States, against 306 last year, and 19 in Canada, against last year. Cuban* \ l*H the l*re*ldent. Washington, Dec. 3.—The members of the Cuban commission, iieaded by- Gen. Garcia, called at the White House Friday and were received by the president. The meeting was en tirely unofficial in character. It last ed an hour and a half. The greeting of the president was very cordial, but the Cubans were received as citizens of Cuba and not as having an official status. Nothing could be learned as to the subjects of the conversation. Naval Militiamen'* Convention. Philadelphia, Dec. 3.—The annual meeting of the Association of Naval Militia of the I'nited States met here Friday on board the receiving ship St. Louis, representatives being pres ent from 12 states. The day was given to a general discussion of the advisability of forming a naval re serve of a national character. THE MARKETS. Fliiunclal. New York. Dec. 3. Money on mil per cent. Prime mercantile paper 1 ; -i percent. Sterling exchange steady at 4K4 Vi£4M\ for de mand and 4Hl'i(a, 181for CO days. Government bonds llrmcr. 4.rain, Provision* anal Live Stock. Flour —Active for spring patents. Wheat No. 2 red 76 , i4#7 , i !»c. Corn—No. 2 at I0'„c. Oats—No. a at 32c Hotter -Western creamery 15752?n. Beeves Steers t4.S(X(£MO, oxen and stags 83.12'/,. good pigs 3.45,'rj3.50. Sheep—B<"st wether* $4.45 4.60, fa*.r mixed i3.70'i<,4 CO. choice latnDs East Buffalo, Dec. 3. Cattle—Good butchers cows .3.25'i3.05, best veals sr. 0^80). Hogs—Yorkers and mediums 53 35^3.10, pigs $ .30. Sheep- Mixed sheep $4.00 J 4.25, best lamb* 5- ;*5 j.5.45. Oil Market. Oil City, Dec. 3. -Credit balances'l.is. Cer tificates opened at 1.12'j bid for cash, noothc bids; uo ■AN GASBAGS. Spain's Diplomats are Prizo Winners in this Role. ANOTHER DAY OF DELAY". Dons Claim to Lack Instructions on Various Points. TO TIIE HIGHEST BIDDER. >. |>ulll Wall*. lor u llrttrr Offer lor Ilia 4 arollne 4; roup ol IHIUIMIM 1111111 III" AmorloaiiH May .'lake and Germany IN a Factor IN tlw ILEAL. Paris, Dec. 3. — Friday's session of the peace commission was a repeti tion virtually of several earlier meet ings. Whan. after two hours of dis cussion the Spaniards were pressed for definite statements, they pleaded that they had not received instruc tions from Madrid. Thereupon the Americans declared that it was use less to waste time in debate with men. who were not empowered to make bargains. Although adjournment was taken till to-day it is probable there will be a further postponement till Monday. The Spaniards' version of Friday's session is that they asked to have the treaty concluded tirst and then the minor matters discussed. According' to reports from American sources the Spanish commissioners endeavored to draw hints as to how far the Ameri cans were willing to compromise the demands under discussion without disclosing what concessions Spain was willing to make. As the negotiations proceed the prospects ol'consuming much time in crease. Several very important propo sitions, presenting many phases, in vite discussion and must afterward-* be embodied in the agreements. This task of embodying may be long drawn out, every word requiring considera t ion. On the questions yet unsettled which do not concern territory or financial interests, both commissions display anxiety to pro-mote the wel fare of the inhabitants involved. Washington, Dee. 3. —It can be stat ed positively that no hitch has oc curred in the proceedings of the peace commission at Paris, and an impres sion to th ~;irirv in certain quar ters probably a Hose through a misun derstanding of the phase those pro ceedings have reached. With the ae quiesence by the Spanish commis sioners in the American demands set out in the original protocol all dan ger of a failure to sign a peace treaty disappeared, and that such a treaty will be forthcoming, covering at least all of the protocol points, is consid ered assured. What is now going on in Paris is a negotiation respect ing certain objects which the I'nited States goverment seeks to accomplish in that manner, instead of resorting to the more tedious method of corre spondence between the two govern ments. These objects hav been stated ir» the cablegrams from Paris, namely, the acquisition of one of the Caroline islands as a cable and coaling sta tion: of certain rights to land cables on Spanish possessions at other points; the procurement of freedom of religious worship in the Carolines, and the revival of certain treaties of trade and commerce, etc. These mat ters do not in any way affect the con clusion of the peace treaty. They might all fail to be realized and still the treaty would not be affected. Moreover, while Spain was the sub ject of peremptory demands in the case of the protocol points, she is free of compulsion now while these diplo matic exchanges are in progress. She. may sell to the I'nited States one of the Caroline islands or may refuse to do so. and, moreover, if we buy isl ands it must be at a price satisfactory to Spain. She ma;, even sell the Caro line group to (iermany instead of to the I'nited States if she can obtain a better price from the former. There is good reason to assume the correct ness of the report that Germany is bargaining for these islands. The statement that Spain has re fused to sell us Ceutil, opposite Gibral tar, for a coal and cable station is inaccurate; the I'nited States govern ment has not made any proposition for the acquisition of that island. The ease is different respecting the Carolines. The American naval ex perts have urged very strongly that this group IH> retained and in addi tion that the l'elew group, lying to the westward, be purchased. They have pointed out that 'the south most island of the l.adrone group. Waloa, lies only ::00 miles north of Ponape. !n the Carolines, and the l'elew isl ands are only about