2 Jan
2002
2 Jan
'02
8:14 a.m.
The Edison electric chair was part of Edisons campaign to show how
dangerous Tesla's and Westinghouse' A.C. transmission was. And also to
promote his D.C. method. In his vituperous campaign he would hold
exhibitions displaying to strong-stomached reporters how stray pets he had
youths snatch off the streets would be Westinghoused by AC currents.
Edison had managed thrugh subterfuge to acquire a license to use 3 of the
Tesla patents. So it was only a development by default by Edison.
The Sing-Sing execution exhibition was a flop since Edisons engineers
underestimated the charge to be used (they had only used it on small
animals previously) and they only half-killed the prisoner. They had to zap
poor guy again and in the words of a reporter present it was " an awful
spectacle, far worse than hanging"
I guess you could call him a good manager type with the wisdom to
recognize a good idea, but others might also call it theft of intellectual
property. Word was that when one of his young employees came up with an
idea he would immediately the next day scoot out and patent it. This, as
well as minimal pay, was the source of Tesla and Edisons lifelong animosity.
He claimed Edison cheated him.
Lawrence
On Mon, 31 Dec 2001, Richard Erlacher wrote:
Reply to:
lgwalker(a)mts.net
From what I've read, Edison wasn't a
technician, either, but, rather, was a
manager type. He had the wisdom to see a good idea, though he clearly goofed
with his take on electric power transmission.
But didn't he develop the first practical commercial electric chair as
part of his promotion of his power transmission system?
Electrocution is much more energy efficient than having to melt a pot of
iron.