Narrator: THOMAS EDISON... INCREDIBLE.
...AMERICA'S MOST FAMOUS INVENTOR.
IT IS WHITER AND STEADIER THAN ANY KNOWN LAMP.
AND NIKOLA TESLA...
ALTERNATING CURRENT WILL HAVE THE SWAY.
Narrator: ...AN IMMIGRANT GENIUS.
GENTLEMEN, RIGHT THIS WAY.
WHAT EDISON AND TESLA DID --
THAT'S TRULY REVOLUTIONARY CHANGE.
THE WORLD WOULD NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN.
Narrator: TWO MEN ON A COLLISION COURSE.
DO NOT MENTION THE A.C. MOTOR TO ME ONE MORE TIME.
IT'S A SHOWDOWN TO POWER THE WORLD.
Houghton: THIS IS TRANSFORMATIVE.
THIS IS LAYING THE FOUNDATION
FOR ALL NEW TECHNOLOGIES COMING FROM IT.
THIS IS TRANSFORMING THE WAY PEOPLE WORK,
THE WAY PEOPLE LIVE.
WE WILL PROVE THE VALUE OF MY ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS.
Ivester: IT'S A WHOLE PLANET
THAT EVENTUALLY IS GONNA BE ELECTRIFIED.
Narrator: THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN A.C. AND D.C.
TURNS INTO A PUBLIC SMEAR CAMPAIGN.
[ DOG YELPS ]
BATTLE OF THE CURRENTS TAKES OFF INTO ITS MOST COLORFUL MOMENT.
THE ONLY PLACE THAT AN ALTERNATING CURRENT
OUGHT TO BE USED IS THE DOG POUND,
THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, AND THE STATE PENITENTIARY.
[ MUFFLED SCREAMING ]
Narrator: THESE ARE THE EPIC STORIES
OF MEN STRUGGLING FOR SUPREMACY, BUILDING EMPIRES,
AND CHANGING THE COURSE OF AMERICAN HISTORY FOREVER.
-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
¶¶
IN THE BASEMENT OF AN AGING STATE PRISON,
WILLIAM KEMMLER IS ABOUT TO MAKE HISTORY.
[ BREATHING HEAVILY ]
¶¶
KEMMLER, A CONVICTED KILLER,
IS THE FIRST MAN TO FACE THE ELECTRIC CHAIR.
GOODBYE, WILLIAM.
IT'S MEANT TO BE A NEW, MORE HUMANE FORM
OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.
[ MUFFLED SCREAMING ]
Narrator: THIS ISN'T JUST A MILESTONE
IN THE HISTORY OF THE DEATH PENALTY.
IT'S THE FRONT LINE
IN ONE OF AMERICA'S MOST NOTORIOUS PUBLIC-RELATIONS WARS.
1880s NEW YORK CITY
IS THE EPICENTER FOR THE BATTLE OVER
A REVOLUTIONARY NEW ENERGY SOURCE --
ELECTRICITY.
UP UNTIL NOW, MOST HOMES ARE LIT BY KEROSENE LAMPS.
BUT ELECTRICITY IS ABOUT TO LIGHT UP THE WORLD.
THIS IS THE TIME WHEN WE'RE REALLY AT THIS PRECIPICE OF
WHAT DIRECTION ARE WE GONNA GO IN?
Narrator: THERE ARE TWO COMPETING DELIVERY SYSTEMS --
A.C. AND D.C.
ON THE SIDE OF DIRECT CURRENT IS FAMED INVENTOR THOMAS EDISON.
ON THE SIDE OF ALTERNATING CURRENT,
THE VISIONARY GENIUS NIKOLA TESLA.
THESE TWO TITANS CLASH IN THE WAR OF THE CURRENTS.
Houghton: THE WAR OF THE CURRENTS IS A REAL GAME-CHANGING MOMENT
IN AMERICAN HISTORY, IN WORLD HISTORY.
WHOEVER COMES OUT OF THIS AS THE WINNER
IS GONNA HOLD THE KEYS IN THEIR HAND
INTO THE MODERN WORLD.
Narrator: EDISON IS ALREADY A HOUSEHOLD NAME
BECAUSE OF HIS IMPROVEMENTS TO THE TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE.
BUT HIS INVENTION OF THE PHONOGRAPH
CATAPULTS HIM TO ICONIC STATUS.
PEOPLE LOOK AT THE PHONOGRAPH, AND THEY SAY,
"THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE DEVICE."
AND SO HE HAS A FABULOUS REPUTATION.
REMEMBER, GENTLEMEN,
GENIUS IS 1% INSPIRATION, 99% PERSPIRATION.
Carlson: THOMAS EDISON IS BEST REMEMBERED AS BEING
AN INGENIOUS TINKERER WHO HAD AN INCREDIBLE SENSE OF BUSINESS.
Narrator: IN 1876,
HE SETS UP A GROUNDBREAKING LABORATORY
IN MENLO PARK, NEW JERSEY.
Houghton: EDISON'S LAB AT MENLO PARK IS REVOLUTIONARY
NOT BECAUSE THEY WERE INVENTING THINGS,
IT'S BECAUSE THE WAY THEY DEVELOPED A METHODOLOGY FOR INVENTION.
IT'S REALLY THE FIRST INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH LABORATORY
IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
ANY PROGRESS, GENTLEMEN?
NO.
THE MOST CERTAIN WAY TO SUCCEED IS ALWAYS
TO TRY JUST ONE MORE TIME.
YES, SIR.
EDISON WANTED TO STREAMLINE THE INVENTION PROCESS.
HE WANTED TO WORK IN SUCH A WAY
THAT IT COULD BE DONE IN A VERY REGULATED BASIS.
IT'S VERY MUCH EDISON AT THE TOP OF A HIERARCHY,
WHERE HE HAS UNDERLINGS AND SUB-MANAGERS
THAT ARE PRODUCING INVENTIONS AT A SET, INDUSTRIALIZED PACE.
EVEN IF YOU PRODUCE SOMETHING MONUMENTAL,
IT BECAME EDISON'S PATENT OR THE COMPANY'S PATENT
AND NOT NECESSARILY YOURS.
Narrator: EDISON BANKS ON A GAME-CHANGING INVENTION --
A LONG-LASTING INCANDESCENT LIGHT BULB.
UNCERTAIN ABOUT WHAT FILAMENT WILL WORK IN HIS NEW BULB,
EDISON KNOWS ONE THING --
HIS NEW INVENTION WILL BE POWERED BY DIRECT CURRENT.
DIRECT CURRENT WAS MORE POPULAR THAN ALTERNATING CURRENT
AND IS OLDER THAN ALTERNATING CURRENT
BECAUSE IT STEMS FROM THE USE OF BATTERIES
IN THE MID-19th CENTURY.
Narrator: ALL BATTERIES PRODUCE DIRECT CURRENT --
CURRENT THAT FLOWS IN ONE DIRECTION.
LOTS OF PEOPLE WERE ACCUSTOMED TO WORKING WITH BATTERIES,
AND YOU HAD TELEGRAPH DEVICES AND YOU HAD TELEPHONES,
ALL OF WHICH USED DIRECT CURRENT.
BECAUSE THINGS THAT WERE ELECTRIC AT THE TIME
WERE POWERED BY BATTERIES, DIRECT CURRENT
SEEMED TO BE THE SMARTEST WAY TO POWER THIS STUFF.
Narrator: WHILE EDISON WRESTLES WITH
INVENTING A LIGHT BULB POWERED BY DIRECT CURRENT...
...YOUNG SERBIAN NIKOLA TESLA
CONCENTRATES ON ALTERNATING CURRENT.
Houghton: ALTERNATING MEANS IT'S GOING BACK AND FORTH.
THAT'S A -- THAT'S A CONCEPT THAT WASN'T OBVIOUS TO ANYONE,
BUT FOR TESLA, IT WAS.
Narrator: DURING THIS TIME,
ALTERNATING CURRENT IS MORE DIFFICULT TO GENERATE
AND REQUIRES SOME COMPLICATED ENGINEERING.
WHEN YOU MADE A GENERATOR IN THE 1860s AND 1870s,
YOU ATTACHED ONE EXTRA DEVICE, WHICH WAS CALLED A COMMUTATOR.
Narrator: A COMMUTATOR CONVERTS
ALTERNATING CURRENT TO DIRECT CURRENT.
BUT IT'S PROBLEMATIC AND FREQUENTLY BREAKS DOWN.
Carlson: IN HIS SECOND YEAR OF STUDIES AT GRAZ AT THE JOANNEUM,
TESLA BECOMES GREAT FRIENDS WITH PROFESSOR POESCHL,
WHO WAS THE PROFESSOR OF PHYSICS.
AND POESCHL WANTS TO SHOW THE STUDENTS
THAT ELECTRICITY HAS GREAT POTENTIAL,
THAT IT IS REALLY GOING TO BE THE NEXT UP-AND-COMING THING.
Narrator: PROFESSOR POESCHL EXPLAINS TO HIS STUDENTS
THAT A GENERATOR CAN ALSO BE USED AS A MOTOR
IF YOU POWER IT WITH ELECTRICITY.
Carlson: SO HE SETS ALL THIS UP, AND OF COURSE,
THE GENERATOR-TURNED MOTOR DOESN'T WORK ALL THAT WELL
'CAUSE IT WASN'T DESIGNED FOR THAT PURPOSE,
SO IT STARTS SPARKING.
Narrator: THE PROBLEM IS THE COMMUTATOR.
TESLA PROPOSES A RADICAL NEW IDEA.
I BELIEVE I COULD BUILD AN ALTERNATING-CURRENT MOTOR
BY UTILIZING THE OSCILLATING CURRENT AS ITS DRIVING FORCE.
AT THIS TIME, MOTORS RUN ON DIRECT CURRENT,
AND A MOTOR POWERED BY A.C. IS CONSIDERED IMPOSSIBLE.
Carlson: FOR TESLA TO IMAGINE THAT HE WAS GOING TO PRODUCE
A COMMUTATOR-LESS, SPARK-FREE MOTOR
WAS TRULY A VISIONARY IDEA
BECAUSE THERE WERE MOTORS, BUT THEY ALL HAD COMMUTATORS,
AND THEY WERE ALL MUCH MORE COMPLICATED
THAN TESLA THOUGHT THEY HAD TO BE.
ALTERNATING CURRENT...
Narrator: RATHER THAN OFFERING PRAISE,
TESLA'S PROFESSOR SCOFFS AT HIS IDEA.
MR. TESLA MAY WELL ACCOMPLISH GREAT THINGS,
BUT HE CERTAINLY NEVER WILL BE ABLE TO DO THIS.
BUT THE AMAZING THING ABOUT TESLA, EVEN FROM THAT YOUNG AGE,
IS HE GETS UP THE NEXT MORNING AND HE SAYS,
"I'M GONNA PROVE THE PROFESSOR WRONG.
I AM GOING TO MAKE A SPARKLESS, COMMUTATOR-FREE MOTOR."
Narrator: AS TESLA IMAGINES HIS A.C. MOTOR...
EDISON IS ALREADY SELLING HIS D.C.-POWERED LIGHTING SYSTEM
TO THE PRESS...
YOU ARE JUST IN TIME. COME IN.
...EVEN THOUGH IT IS FAR FROM COMPLETE.
Ivester: EDISON WAS REALLY FOCUSED ON DELIVERING
A PRACTICAL INCANDESCENT LIGHT BULB.
OTHERS HAD DONE INCANDESCENT LIGHT BULBS WITH FILAMENTS,
BUT THE CORE SHORTCOMING WAS THE LIFE OF THE BULB.
TRUST ME -- YOU SHALL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.
HE ALSO WANTED TO MODERNIZE IT TO WHERE IT COULD BE CHEAP.
RIGHT, MASS PRODUCTION.
HE WANTED HIS LIGHT BULB IN EVERY HOUSE IN AMERICA.
GENTLEMEN, RIGHT THIS WAY.
EDISON WAS VERY AWARE OF HIS BRAND.
HE LOVED THE PRESS.
HE CONSTANTLY FOUND WAYS TO PROMOTE HIMSELF.
Edison: YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL INCANDESCENT BULB.
THE MORE PEOPLE KNOW EDISON,
THE MORE PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO TRUST HIM AND BUY HIS PRODUCT.
¶¶
BEHOLD.
INCREDIBLE.
MR. EDISON, IT'S SO BRIGHT AND CLEAR.
IT IS WHITER AND STEADIER THAN ANY KNOWN LAMP.
THE PRESS CAN BARELY CONTAIN THEMSELVES.
I WILL ATTRACT THE INVESTORS I NEED TO CONTINUE MY WORK.
OF COURSE, WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW
IS THAT THIS LIGHT ONLY LASTS FOR AN HOUR OR TWO.
Ivester: THE FACT THAT HE WENT TO THE PRESS
AND DEMONSTRATED TO THEM A LIGHT BULB
WITH CLAIMS THAT WERE ARGUABLY A HEAVY STRETCH FROM THE REALITY
OF WHAT HE COULD ACTUALLY ACHIEVE AT THAT TIME
REALLY DEMONSTRATES A POWERFUL SELF-CONFIDENCE
THAT HE WOULD PREVAIL, HE WOULD OVERCOME.
WHEN DO YOU PLAN ON MARKETING IT TO GENERAL PUBLIC?
SOON.
EDISON WAS SOMEONE WHO MANIPULATED THE MEDIA.
HE WOULD OVER-PROMISE WHAT HIS PRODUCTS COULD DO,
BUT THAT WAS PART OF HIS SUCCESS.
IT WAS PART OF WHAT HELPED HIM
DEVELOP THIS IMAGE AS AMERICA'S GREATEST INVENTOR.
Narrator: HALF A WORLD AWAY,
NIKOLA TESLA HAS A VISION FOR AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THAT COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING
AND BRING THE WRATH OF THOMAS EDISON.
DO NOT MENTION THE A.C. MOTOR TO ME ONE MORE TIME.
[ TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS ]
Narrator: IN THE 1880s,
THE UNITED STATES IS EXPERIENCING
UNPARALLELED GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT.
FORTUNES ARE BEING MADE IN STEEL...
MINING,
AND FINANCE.
BY 1882, THE WORLD STANDS ON THE CUSP OF A REVOLUTION...
BEHOLD.
...THAT WILL BRING LIGHT AND POWER
INTO PEOPLE'S HOMES AND BUSINESSES,
FOREVER CHANGING THE WAY HUMANS LIVE.
THIS IS A MOMENT WHERE THERE'S A CLEAR BREAK FROM THE PAST,
WHERE ALL OF A SUDDEN, EVERYONE SITS BACK AND SAYS,
"OH, MY GOD. THIS IS GONNA CHANGE THE WORLD."
IF EDISON IS ALL ABOUT LIGHT, TESLA IS ALL ABOUT POWER.
Narrator: NIKOLA TESLA IS IN BUDAPEST,
STRUGGLING TO DESIGN A MOTOR
THAT WILL CONVERT ALTERNATING CURRENT INTO POWER,
WHEN SUDDENLY, HE HAS A GAME-CHANGING VISION.
TESLA HAS WHAT PSYCHOLOGISTS WOULD CALL AN EIDETIC MEMORY.
AND PART OF THE EIDETIC MEMORY IS THE ABILITY TO VISUALIZE
AT ABOUT ARM'S LENGTH IN A BOX OR A CUBE OUT THERE
WHATEVER YOU'RE SEEING IN YOUR MIND'S EYE.
AND IF YOU HAVE A REALLY GOOD VERSION OF THESE VISUAL SKILLS,
YOU CAN ACTUALLY PICTURE OUT THERE
A THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT.
Narrator: IN A FLASH OF GENIUS, TESLA IMAGINES THE DESIGN
OF HIS MOTOR POWERED BY A.C. ELECTRICITY.
SOMETHING ALLOWED HIM TO MAKE THIS INCREDIBLE MAVERICK MOVE.
IN OTHER WORDS, TO INVERT
HOW EVERYBODY HAD MADE A MOTOR UP TO THAT TIME.
Narrator: TESLA'S BREAKTHROUGH
FLIPS CONVENTIONAL THINKING UPSIDE DOWN.
IN A D.C. MOTOR,
THERE'S A SPINNING ROTOR AT THE CENTER
MADE UP OF COILS OF WIRE WITH MAGNETS ON THE OUTSIDE.
FOR HIS A.C. MOTOR,
TESLA MOVES THE COILS TO THE OUTSIDE
AND THE MAGNETS TO THE CENTER,
CREATING A ROTATING MAGNETIC FIELD.
CONCEPTUALLY, THE INVENTION OF THE A.C. MOTOR BY TESLA
IS A MONUMENTAL BREAKTHROUGH.
NOBODY HAD EVEN THOUGHT IT WAS POSSIBLE.
Narrator: FOR NOW, IT'S ONLY AN IMAGE IN TESLA'S MIND.
TO BUILD ONE, HE NEEDS HELP
FROM THE ONE MAN WHO IS WORKING AGAINST
EVERYTHING TESLA DREAMS OF CREATING --
THOMAS EDISON.
EDISON HAS JUST MOVED HIS HEADQUARTERS TO NEW YORK CITY.
...WE WILL PROVE THE VALUE OF MY ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS.
Carlson: EDISON REALIZES THAT
IF HE'S GOING TO FULLY DEVELOP HIS SYSTEM AND COMMERCIALIZE IT,
HE'S GONNA HAVE TO BUILD A DEMONSTRATION PLANT
IN NEW YORK CITY.
AND HE DECIDES TO BUILD THE PLANT
IN AND AROUND WALL STREET.
HE DOES SO BECAUSE HE WANTS THE POWER PLANT TO PROVIDE LIGHTING
TO THE VARIOUS BUSINESSES AND BANKS THAT ARE ON WALL STREET
SO THAT HE CAN GENERATE MORE MONEY DOWN THE ROAD,
MORE INVESTORS.
Narrator: WALL STREET IN THE GILDED AGE BETWEEN 1870 AND 1900,
IS A FINANCIAL JUGGERNAUT.
MEN LIKE J.P. MORGAN HELP LAUNCH THE MODERN AMERICAN ECONOMY
AND PRODUCE STAGGERING WEALTH FOR CORPORATIONS AND TITANS
LIKE JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER,
ANDREW CARNEGIE,
AND JAY GOULD.
WITH MY CENTRAL GENERATORS HERE, WE CAN EXPAND OUTWARD,
RUNNING OUR LINES UNDERGROUND WHERE THEY WILL BE SAFE.
I WILL HAVE NO HANGING WIRES ENDANGERING THE PUBLIC.
Narrator: EDISON IS BUILDING A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
BASED ENTIRELY ON D.C. --
FROM THE GENERATOR THROUGH TRANSMISSION TO THE LIGHT BULB.
WHEN EDISON WAS WORKING ON THE LIGHT BULB,
HE WAS DOING MUCH MORE THAN THAT.
HE WAS WORKING ON THE WHOLE SYSTEM
TO DELIVER THAT PRODUCT TO THE MARKET,
SO HE HAD THE DYNAMOS GENERATING DIRECT CURRENT ELECTRICITY.
HE WAS TRANSMITTING THAT ELECTRICITY.
Narrator: EDISON'S SYSTEM HAS ONE MAJOR FLAW.
HOW FAR CAN WE EXTEND SERVICE?
UNLESS THE PRICE OF COPPER DROPS,
I WOULDN'T PUSH IT PAST ABOUT HALF A MILE IN EVERY DIRECTION.
VERY WELL.
WITH DIRECT CURRENT,
THE REAL PROBLEM THAT YOU RUN INTO IS
YOU CAN'T ACTUALLY SEND THE POWER OUT OVER LONG DISTANCES
BECAUSE YOU BLEED AWAY POWER
AS THE CURRENT MOVES ACROSS THE WIRES.
Narrator: THE ONLY WAY TO COMPENSATE FOR THAT BLEED OUT
IS TO INCREASE THE SIZE OF THE WIRE.
AS YOU GO TO INCREASE THE DISTANCE
THAT YOU TRANSMIT THE ELECTRICITY
FROM THE STATION TO THE PLACE WHERE YOU'RE GONNA USE IT,
YOU HAVE TO USE A LARGER AND LARGER COPPER WIRE.
EVERY FOOT YOU GO FURTHER COSTS YOU A LOT MORE MONEY.
Narrator: DESPITE THE LIMITS OF EDISON'S D.C. ELECTRICITY SYSTEM,
HIS UNSTOPPABLE NATURE DRIVES HIM FORWARD.
Edison: I WANT TO BREAK GROUND WITHIN THE MONTH.
Narrator: EDISON KNOWS THAT ELECTRICITY WILL CHANGE THE WORLD,
AND HE WANTS TO CASH IN.
Ivester: HE SEES THAT IT'S NOT JUST NEW YORK.
IT'S CERTAINLY NOT JUST AMERICA.
IT'S A WHOLE PLANET
THAT EVENTUALLY IS GONNA BE ELECTRIFIED.
Carlson: SO, THERE ARE EARLY EDISON SYSTEMS IN LONDON,
IN BERLIN, AND IN PARIS,
ALL OF WHICH ARE PRIME MARKETS FOR EDISON
BECAUSE THE SYSTEM'S GONNA WORK WELL IN DENSELY POPULATED AREAS.
[ BELLS TOLLING ]
[ TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS ]
Narrator: EDISON'S EUROPEAN LIGHT COMPANY NEEDS SKILLED EMPLOYEES,
AND THERE IS ONE MAN WHO FITS THE BILL.
Ivester: TESLA STARTED WORKING FOR EDISON
AND ENDED UP IN STRASBOURG.
Narrator: AT THE STRASBOURG RAIL STATION,
AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM CAUSES AN EXPLOSION,
BLOWING OUT A WALL
DURING A VISIT BY GERMAN EMPEROR WILHELM I.
EDISON'S COMPANY IS CALLED IN
TO UPGRADE THE OLD ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
BUT NEEDS SOMEONE WHO SPEAKS GERMAN
AND KNOWS HOW TO INSTALL THE EDISON SYSTEM --
NIKOLA TESLA.
FOR TESLA, IT'S MORE THAN JUST A JOB.
IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY
TO ADVANCE HIS THEORIES BASED AROUND A.C. POWER.
TESLA FINDS AN OLD ALTERNATING CURRENT GENERATOR
AND DECIDES TO BUILD AN A.C. MOTOR
TO PUT HIS THEORY TO THE TEST.
HE TAPS INTO THE ALTERNATING CURRENT MAINS,
THE WIRES THAT ARE STILL THERE FROM THE OLD SYSTEM.
HE PLUGS IN HIS MOTOR, AND HE IS GOING TO SEE
WHETHER EVERYTHING THAT HE HAS BEEN THINKING ABOUT
IS ACTUALLY GOING TO WORK.
HE'S READY, HE PLUGS IT IN...
[ ELECTRICITY CRACKLES ]
...AND LO AND BEHOLD, THE WHEEL DOESN'T TURN.
AND THEN HE SUDDENLY REALIZES
THAT HE'S BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS WITHOUT CONSIDERING
THE MATERIALS BY WHICH HE MADE ALL OF THOSE COILS.
Narrator: TESLA REALIZES
HE'S USING A MATERIAL THAT CANNOT BE MAGNETIZED
TO CREATE THE ROTATING MAGNETIC FIELD.
SO HE FINDS A STEEL FILE THAT CAN BE MAGNETIZED
AND JAMS IT INTO THE COIL.
AFTER YEARS OF THEORY, TESLA'S DREAM COMES TO LIFE.
AND HE'S ABOUT TO COME TO AMERICA
TO TURN THE ELECTRIC INDUSTRY ON ITS HEAD.
[ BELL RINGING ]
BY THE 1880s,
TRANSPORTATION AND THE BOOMING ECONOMY
NOT ONLY FUEL AMERICAN EXPANSION OUTWARD,
BUT LAUNCH POPULATION EXPLOSIONS IN THE CITIES
WITH AN INFLUX OF IMMIGRANTS
FROM SOUTHERN AND EASTERN EUROPE.
TESLA JOINS THESE IMMIGRANTS
AND ARRIVES IN AMERICA TO WORK FOR EDISON.
HE CARRIES WITH HIM A LETTER OF REFERENCE
FROM TIVADAR PUSKáS, A PERSONAL FRIEND OF EDISON'S.
Carlson: PUSKáS WRITES, "DEAR MR. EDISON,
THERE ARE TWO GREAT MEN IN THE WORLD.
YOU ARE ONE,
AND THE YOUNG MAN STANDING IN FRONT OF YOU IS THE OTHER."
YOU COULD NOT ASK FOR A BETTER LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION.
Narrator: TESLA BANKS ON
DEVELOPING HIS PLANS FOR A.C. POWER WITH EDISON.
MR. EDISON.
IT IS A PLEASURE TO FINALLY MEET YOU IN PERSON.
I'M NIKOLA TESLA.
[ CHUCKLES ]
PUSKáS SPEAKS HIGHLY OF YOU.
LIKE YOU, I AM A MAN OF IDEAS.
GREAT IDEAS ORIGINATE IN THE MUSCLES, MR. TESLA --
HARD WORK.
HARD WORK IS THE KEY.
I'LL HAVE JOHNSON GET YOU STARTED WITH US.
Narrator: TESLA BEGINS WORK ON EDISON'S D.C. GENERATORS
AND IMMEDIATELY PROVES HIS WORTH.
Carlson: DRAWING ON HIS EXPERIENCE
AS A TROUBLESHOOTING FIELD ENGINEER IN EUROPE,
TESLA GOES TO WORK IN THE EDISON MACHINE WORKS,
REDESIGNING THE GENERATORS AND THE EQUIPMENT
SO THAT THEY WILL OPERATE MORE EFFICIENTLY.
IF WE REPLACE THE LONG MAGNETS
WITH, UH, SHORTER, MORE EFFICIENT ONES...
HE'S ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE
THAT HAS SOME BASIC MATHEMATICS AND PHYSICS BACKGROUNDS,
SO HE CAN APPLY A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF SCIENCE
AND APPROACH THESE PROBLEMS SYSTEMATICALLY.
WE CAN TRIPLE THE OUTPUT.
Ivester: HE HAD DONE ALL SORTS OF IMPROVEMENTS
TO DIFFERENT MACHINES AND DEVICES
THROUGHOUT THE D.C. SYSTEM --
MADE THINGS MORE EFFICIENT, MORE EFFECTIVE, MORE RELIABLE.
REALLY PROVEN HIMSELF ENORMOUSLY USEFUL TO THE EDISON ENTERPRISE.
Narrator: ACCORDING TO TESLA,
EDISON PROMISED TO PAY HIM A $50,000 BONUS FOR HIS WORK.
AND NOW HE WANTS TO COLLECT.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
FORCES THESE TWO TITANS INTO A DIRECT CONFRONTATION
IN THE WAR OF THE CURRENTS.
I WAS PROMISED $50,000.
Narrator: IN 1884,
THOMAS EDISON EXPANDS HIS DIRECT CURRENT LIGHTING SYSTEM
INTO THE HEART OF NEW YORK CITY.
IT'S THE BEGINNING OF THE NATION'S POWER GRID.
THIS IS LAYING THE FOUNDATION
FOR ALL NEW TECHNOLOGIES COMING FROM IT.
THIS IS TRANSFORMING THE WAY PEOPLE WORK,
THE WAY PEOPLE LIVE, MODERN APPLIANCES.
WHAT THIS DOES IS
IT ALLOWS THESE HOUSEHOLD CHORES TO BE DONE AUTOMATICALLY.
IT ALLOWS WOMEN A LOT MORE TIME TO JOIN THE WORKFORCE.
THIS IS TRULY BRINGING US INTO THE MODERN WORLD.
Narrator: NIKOLA TESLA IS A VALUABLE EMPLOYEE TO EDISON,
EXPANDING HIS PRODUCT LINE AND INCREASING EFFICIENCY.
AND THESE ARE NEW IMPROVEMENTS
THAT WILL VASTLY INCREASE EFFICIENCY AND REDUCE COST.
Carlson: TESLA THINKS, "I'M GONNA GET REWARDED FOR THIS,"
AND THINKS HE'S GONNA GET A BONUS OF $50,000.
THIS IS ALL VERY GOOD, NIKOLA.
I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU ANOTHER IDEA OF MINE,
ONE I THINK YOU WILL FIND FASCINATING.
I HAVE DESIGNED AN A.C. MOTOR.
Narrator: EVEN WHILE WORKING FOR EDISON,
TESLA REMAINS CONVINCED
THAT ALTERNATING CURRENT IS THE POWER OF THE FUTURE.
BUT EDISON WAS VERY COMMITTED
TO THE IDEA OF USING DIRECT CURRENT.
Houghton: DIRECT CURRENT HAD BEEN AROUND
A LOT LONGER THAN ALTERNATING CURRENT HAD,
AND IT'S WHAT EDISON ACTUALLY OWNED A LOT OF PATENTS ON.
SO THE MONEY WAS THERE WITH DIRECT CURRENT.
YOU'RE WASTING YOUR TIME AND MY TIME DISCUSSING THIS NONSENSE.
BUT AN ALTERNATING CURRENT SYSTEM WOULD ALLOW YOU
TO EXPAND BEYOND THE LIMITATIONS OF A D.C. CURRENT SYSTEM.
DO NOT MENTION THAT A.C. MOTOR TO ME ONE MORE TIME.
Carlson: EDISON IS SO INTENT
ON DEVELOPING HIS D.C. INCANDESCENT LIGHTING SYSTEM
THAT HE REALLY COULDN'T CARE LESS ABOUT AN A.C. MOTOR.
THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE WE SHOULD DISCUSS.
YOU HAVE DONE A MARVELOUS JOB
MAKING IMPROVEMENTS TO MY SYSTEM.
AND I'VE GOT SOMETHING FOR YOU.
I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE A TOAST
TO YOU FOR A JOB WELL DONE.
WHAT IS THIS?
WHERE'S MY MONEY?
WHAT MONEY?
MY $50,000.
[ LAUGHS ]
I WAS PROMISED $50,000.
MY DEAR TESLA, YOU CLEARLY DON'T UNDERSTAND OUR AMERICAN HUMOR.
Narrator: IT'S THE END OF TESLA WORKING FOR EDISON.
GOODBYE TO EDISON.
Carlson: TESLA DECIDES TO QUIT THE EDISON ORGANIZATION,
AND HE GOES OUT AND FINDS HIMSELF A NEW SET OF BACKERS.
Narrator: ALFRED BROWN AND CHARLES PECK
BELIEVE TESLA CAN HELP MAKE THEM MONEY,
BUT ARE UNCERTAIN THAT AN ALTERNATING CURRENT MOTOR
IS WORTH BACKING.
GENTLEMEN, YOU'VE HEARD THE STORY OF THE EGG OF COLUMBUS.
COLUMBUS APPEARS BEFORE QUEEN ISABELLA AND HER COURT
TO STRIKE A DEAL.
IF HE IS ABLE TO MAKE AN EGG STAND ON END,
SHE AGREES TO PROVIDE FINANCING FOR A FLEET OF SHIPS.
THE EGG OF COLUMBUS IS A PARABLE FOR DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE
AND DEMONSTRATING DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE TO SOMEBODY
SO THAT THEY'LL FINANCE YOUR UNDERTAKING.
COLUMBUS LIGHTLY CRACKS ONE END OF THE EGG
AND MAKES IT STAND UPRIGHT.
AS A RESULT OF THAT DEMONSTRATION,
COLUMBUS GETS THE MONEY TO SAIL TO THE NEW WORLD.
I PROPOSE TO MAKE AN EGG STAND ON END
BUT WITHOUT CRACKING IT.
Narrator: TESLA'S GENIUS
IS HIS UNDERSTANDING OF ELECTROMAGNETISM.
AS HE APPLIES A.C. CURRENT TO HIS CONTRAPTION,
THE EGG DOES THE UNTHINKABLE.
TESLA CREATED A SYSTEM UNDERNEATH THE TABLE
THAT CREATED THE RIGHT ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD.
AND THEY SAID,
"WELL, IF YOU CAN MAKE OBJECTS SPIN ON THE TABLE LIKE MAGIC,
THEN WE'RE REASONABLY CONFIDENT
YOU CAN DO SOMETHING USEFUL AND PROFITABLE,
AND WE'LL INVEST IN YOUR COMPANY."
Carlson: IT WAS TESLA'S ABILITY TO TELL THE RIGHT STORY
TO ENGAGE PECK AND BROWN'S IMAGINATION.
AND THAT WAS PROBABLY TESLA'S GREATEST GIFT,
IS THIS ABILITY TO
LINK THE TECHNOLOGICAL WITH A COMPELLING STORY.
Narrator: WITH BROWN AND PECK'S BACKING,
TESLA FINALLY HAS THE FUNDS TO DEVELOP HIS A.C. MOTOR.
AND THEY KNOW JUST THE MAN TO SELL IT TO.
Carlson: GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE HAS MADE A FORTUNE
WORKING ON AIR BRAKES AND ELECTRIC SIGNAL SYSTEMS
FOR THE RAILROADS.
HE WANTS TO MOVE INTO ANOTHER INDUSTRIAL SECTOR.
HE WANTS TO MOVE INTO ELECTRIC LIGHTING AND POWER,
AND HE NEEDS TO BUY THE PATENTS
IN ORDER TO BASICALLY LAUNCH HIS BUSINESS THERE.
SO WESTINGHOUSE LOOKS AT THE TESLA PATENTS
AND DECIDES THAT HE'S REALLY GOING TO
GO ALL IN FOR ALTERNATING CURRENT.
AND IF IT'S GONNA BE AN A.C. SYSTEM
THAT'S GONNA SERVE LOTS OF CUSTOMER,
YOU NEED AN A.C. MOTOR, AND TESLA IS HIS GUY.
YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF WHAT YOU'VE BUILT.
Ivester: IT WAS REALLY A MATCH THAT MADE ITSELF.
TESLA HAD THE MOTOR, AND HE NEEDED SOMEBODY WITH A SYSTEM.
WESTINGHOUSE HAD THE SYSTEM,
AND HE NEEDED SOMEBODY WITH THE MOTOR.
Narrator: WESTINGHOUSE HAS A SYSTEM
THAT'S DESIGNED TO TRANSMIT POWER OVER LONG DISTANCES.
AND NOW WITH TESLA'S A.C. MOTOR, HIS SYSTEM WILL WORK.
Houghton: IF YOU'RE DOING ALTERNATING CURRENT,
YOU COULD SEND 15,000 VOLTS OVER MILES IF NOT HUNDREDS OF MILES.
IT DIDN'T BLEED OFF AS MUCH OF THE POWER
TRAVELING THOSE KINDS OF DISTANCES.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE REAL ADVANTAGES HERE.
JUST AS WESTINGHOUSE SEEMS TO GAIN THE ADVANTAGE
WITH TESLA'S A.C. MOTOR,
FEAR OVER POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ELECTRIC WIRES
GRIPS NEW YORK CITY.
THERE'S JUST WIRES
GOING ALL OVER THE PLACE BETWEEN BUILDINGS.
AND THEY INCREASINGLY WERE JUST GETTING CONCERNED ABOUT
WHERE THEY WERE GONNA PUT THE NEXT WIRES.
Carlson: THE EDISON COMPANY
INSTALLS THEIR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM UNDERGROUND.
Narrator: EDISON'S SYSTEM RUNS ON LESS THAN 300 VOLTS,
AND IS MUCH SAFER THAN HIGH-VOLTAGE SYSTEMS OVERHEAD.
Houghton: AS THESE SYSTEMS ARE BEING PUT IN,
PEOPLE DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND THE REAL DANGER HERE.
YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE BEING ELECTROCUTED,
A LOT OF ACCIDENTS TAKING PLACE.
[ ELECTRICITY BUZZING ]
DID YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENED?
I SAW THE WIRE.
HE'S NOT BREATHING. I DON'T THINK HE'S ALIVE.
YOU GOT TO GET HELP.
Narrator: IN THE SPRING OF 1888,
THE TRAGIC DEATH OF A BOY BY A DANGLING WIRE
STRIKES FEAR IN THE HEARTS OF NEW YORKERS.
EXTRA, EXTRA!
DEATH-BY-WIRE HEADLINES SPLASH THE FRONT PAGE OF THE PAPERS.
IT CREATES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE OPPOSING A.C. POWER.
AND ONE MAN, HAROLD BROWN, SEIZES THE MOMENT.
ALTERNATING CURRENT IS FAR TOO DANGEROUS
TO BE ALLOWED INTO OUR CITIES UNREGULATED AND UNRESTRAINED.
Narrator: BROWN HAS PREPARED A DEMONSTRATION
FOR THE NEW YORK BOARD OF ELECTRICAL CONTROL.
HIS PLAN IS TO BAN THE USE
OF ALTERNATING CURRENT ABOVE 300 VOLTS --
SOMETHING THAT WOULD DESTROY WESTINGHOUSE
AND HIS HIGH-VOLTAGE A.C. SYSTEM.
Brown: I REPRESENT NO COMPANY AND NO FINANCIAL INTEREST.
I WAS DRAWN TO THE CONTROVERSY BY THE SENSE OF WHAT IS RIGHT.
Narrator: BUT BROWN DOES HAVE AN INTEREST.
Houghton: HAROLD BROWN WAS AN EMPLOYEE OF THOMAS EDISON AT MENLO PARK.
HE IS A TRUE BELIEVER
IN THE FUTURE POTENTIAL OF DIRECT CURRENT,
AND HE COULD BE CONSIDERED A ZEALOT IN MANY CASES,
MUCH IN THE SAME WAY THAT EDISON WAS.
YOU WILL SEE TODAY THE DEADLY RESULTS OF ALTERNATING CURRENT.
Narrator: HAROLD BROWN DEVISES A GRISLY DISPLAY
TO PROVE THAT A.C. IS MORE DEADLY THAT D.C.
Carlson: BROWN BEGINS TO DO A SERIES OF DEMONSTRATIONS
WHERE HE ELECTROCUTES ANIMALS USING ALTERNATING CURRENT.
AND HE DOES SO IN A FAIRLY GRUESOME WAY.
BUT I ASSURE YOU, THE DOG IS QUITE HEALTHY.
HE WEIGHS APPROXIMATELY 80 POUNDS.
I WILL BEGIN TODAY WITH 300 VOLTS OF DIRECT CURRENT.
Narrator: BROWN STARTS WITH D.C. CURRENT.
THE DOG IS IN OBVIOUS PAIN, BUT SURVIVES THE CHARGE.
Man: THE ANIMAL IS CLEARLY IN PAIN, SIR.
NOW, THE REAL ISSUE IS FROM A TECHNICAL STANDPOINT
IS NOT WHETHER IT'S A.C. OR D.C.
IT'S THE VOLTAGE.
1,000 VOLTS OF D.C. AND 1,000 VOLTS OF A.C. --
BOTH WILL KILL YOU.
IT'S THE LEVEL OF THE VOLTAGE THAT'S DEADLY,
NOT WHETHER IT'S A.C. VERSUS D.C.
I WILL NOW ADMINISTER ALTERNATING CURRENT.
BROWN'S STRATEGY IS TO GET PEOPLE ALL WORKED UP
AND ASSOCIATE THAT THE HIGH VOLTAGES
THAT ARE OFTEN USED WITH A.C. ARE GONNA KILL YOU.
HE WANTS A.C. AND DEATH TO GET CONFLATED.
Narrator: BROWN NOW ADMINISTERS ALTERNATING CURRENT...
[ DOG YELPS ]
...BUT AT A HIGHER VOLTAGE
THAN HIS PREVIOUS DEMONSTRATION WITH DIRECT CURRENT.
IT'S A GRAPHIC DISPLAY.
THE DOG IS DEAD BEFORE IT HITS THE FLOOR.
THE ONLY PLACE THAT AN ALTERNATING CURRENT
OUGHT TO BE USED IS THE DOG POUND,
THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, AND THE STATE PENITENTIARY.
Narrator: EDISON'S CAMP RAISES THE STAKES.
IF A.C. CURRENT IS SO GOOD AT KILLING ANIMALS,
WHY NOT USE IT TO EXECUTE CONVICTS?
THE WAR OF THE CURRENTS
IS HEADED TO A GRUESOME SHOWDOWN.
[ ELECTRICITY CRACKLES ]
Narrator: BY 1887, THERE IS A FIERCE BATTLE
BETWEEN INVENTORS THOMAS EDISON AND NIKOLA TESLA
OVER WHAT KIND OF CURRENT
WILL BE USED TO DISTRIBUTE ELECTRICITY --
A.C. VERSUS D.C.
BRINGING ELECTRICITY TO THE MASSES
FOR PURPOSES OF BOTH LIGHTING
AND MECHANICAL MOTION THROUGH MOTORS.
THAT REPRESENTED A REALLY PROFOUND CHANGE IN SOCIETY.
YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF WHAT YOU'VE BUILT.
Narrator: TO CAPITALIZE ON THAT CHANGE,
NIKOLA TESLA JOINS FORCES WITH GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE.
AT THE SAME TIME,
HAROLD BROWN, AN ENGINEER WORKING WITH THOMAS EDISON,
EXPLOITS RECENT HEADLINES
AND BEGINS A PUBLIC SMEAR CAMPAIGN
TO DESTROY ALTERNATING CURRENT.
[ DOG YELPS ]
BROWN'S TIMING COULDN'T BE BETTER.
THE NEW YORK PRISON SYSTEM
DECIDES THAT THEY ARE GOING TO EXPERIMENT WITH
A MORE HUMANE WAY OF EXECUTION.
Houghton: BROWN AND EDISON ACTUALLY WERE AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY.
THEY DIDN'T THINK IT WAS A HUMANE THING
TO PUT PRISONERS TO DEATH,
BUT BROWN FIGURED THAT ONE OF THE BEST WAYS
THAT HE COULD DEMONSTRATE THE DANGERS OF ALTERNATING CURRENT
IS TO CREATE A MACHINE
THAT WOULD EXECUTE PEOPLE USING ELECTRICITY.
Narrator: BROWN WANTS TO USE ALTERNATING CURRENT,
BUT WESTINGHOUSE
REFUSES TO SELL HIS ALTERNATING CURRENT GENERATORS
TO BROWN OR THE PRISON SYSTEM.
Carlson: BROWN GOES OFF AND QUIETLY BUYS ON THE SECOND-HAND MARKET
A COUPLE OF WESTINGHOUSE GENERATORS,
AND HE INSTALLS THEM.
Narrator: BROWNS PROPOSAL TO USE THE ELECTRIC CHAIR
SPARKS CONTROVERSY, AND A LEGAL BATTLE ENSUES
TO DECIDE IF ELECTROCUTION IS HUMANE.
THE STAR WITNESS IS THOMAS EDISON.
EDISON IS THE COUNTRY'S MOST FAMOUS INVENTOR,
AND HE WAS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS INVENTORS IN THE WORLD.
AND SO WHEN PEOPLE GO TO HIM
AND ASK HIM FOR HIS ADVICE ABOUT NEW TECHNOLOGIES,
ABOUT NEW INVENTIONS, HIS WORD ESSENTIALLY IS IT.
IN YOUR JUDGMENT, CAN ARTIFICIAL ELECTRIC CURRENT
BE GENERATED IN SUCH A WAY
TO PRODUCE DEATH IN HUMAN BEINGS IN EVERY CASE?
YES.
WHEN HE SAID YES,
THAT'S REALLY ALL THEY NEEDED TO HEAR.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS.
Ivester: IT'S HARD NOT TO READ INTO
HIS PRESENCE AROUND A.C. AS THE MODE FOR ELECTROCUTION
AS AT LEAST NOT BEING SOMEWHAT INFLUENCED
BY HIS BUSINESS INTERESTS.
YOU WANT THE NEWS? WE GOT IT!
Narrator: THE COURTS AGREE WITH EDISON.
BROWN'S ELECTRIC CHAIR
IS GIVEN THE GREEN LIGHT TO CARRY OUT AN EXECUTION.
THE FINAL ACT TO LINK ALTERNATING CURRENT TO DEATH
IS SET TO PLAY OUT IN THE AUBURN PENITENTIARY.
WILLIAM KEMMLER
IS THE FIRST MAN SENTENCED TO DIE BY ELECTROCUTION.
AND THANKS TO BROWN,
IT WILL BE IN A WESTINGHOUSE CHAIR
POWERED BY ALTERNATING CURRENT.
Houghton: THE EXPECTATION FOR THE EXECUTION
WOULD BE THAT IT WOULD BE SHORT,
IT'D BE QUICK, IT WOULD TAKE A COUPLE JOLTS.
IT WOULDN'T BE SCARY. IT WOULDN'T BE GROSS.
IT WOULDN'T BE A LOT OF BLOOD.
IT WOULD BE QUICK, EFFICIENT,
AND THEN THE PRISONER WOULD BE DEAD.
[ BREATHING HEAVILY ]
¶¶
GOODBYE, WILLIAM.
[ ELECTRICITY CRACKLES ]
[ MUFFLED SCREAMING ]
Narrator: 1,000 VOLTS SHOOT THROUGH KEMMLER'S BODY,
SENDING HIM INTO VIOLENT CONVULSIONS.
[ ELECTRICITY STOPS ]
AFTER 17 SECONDS, HIS BODY APPEARS LIFELESS.
HE IS DEAD.
Man: MY GOD, HE'S STILL ALIVE.
Ivester: IT DOESN'T REALLY WORK OUT AS PLANNED.
THE FIRST ATTEMPT DIDN'T WORK.
SO THEY HAD TO GO AT IT AGAIN.
STAND CLEAR.
[ MUFFLED SCREAMING ]
Houghton: HE'S STILL BREATHING AFTER SEVERAL JOLTS.
IT'S ONE OF THE MOST BOTCHED EXECUTIONS IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
THERE ARE WITNESSES WHO ATTEST TO
WILLIAM KEMMLER'S SPINAL CORD BURST INTO FLAMES,
AS OPPOSED TO SOMETHING THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE CLEAN, EFFICIENT.
IT WAS THE OPPOSITE.
ELECTRICITY KILLS AX MURDERER
IN GRUESOME SPECTACLE!
Houghton: PEOPLE ASSOCIATED THIS WITH EDISON
BECAUSE HE HAD SAID
IT WAS THE SOLUTION TO EXECUTIONS IN THE FUTURE.
SO IT WAS A REAL PUBLIC-RELATIONS FIASCO
FOR EDISON'S GROUP.
Narrator: THE FALLOUT FROM THE FAILED SMEAR CAMPAIGN
IS THE LEAST OF EDISON'S WORRIES.
THE ABILITY TO TRANSMIT
HIGH-VOLTAGE ALTERNATING CURRENT OVER LONG DISTANCES
SPREADS THE USE OF A.C. POWER ACROSS AMERICA.
WESTINGHOUSE IS PRIMED FOR SUCCESS,
AND THE ORDERS FOR HIS A.C. SYSTEM POUR IN.
WESTINGHOUSE IS GONNA STEAL THE MARCH ON EDISON
BECAUSE HE'S GONNA BE ABLE TO SELL ELECTRICITY FOR COMPANIES
WHERE THEY WANT MOTORS TO RUN ELEVATORS,
HAUL ORE UP OUT OF MINES, OR RUN MACHINE TOOLS.
SO WESTINGHOUSE IS IN A GREAT POSITION.
Narrator: BUT THERE IS ONE FINAL FACE-OFF
BETWEEN EDISON'S D.C. SYSTEM AND TESLA'S A.C. SYSTEM --
A DRAMATIC FINAL SHOWDOWN IN THE WAR OF THE CURRENTS.
...OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.
Narrator: IN THE LATE 1800s,
AS AMERICA'S GILDED AGE CONTINUES TO SHINE,
THOMAS EDISON AND NIKOLA TESLA
ARE IN A BATTLE OVER ELECTRICITY.
AND IT APPEARS TESLA'S A.C. SYSTEM IS WINNING.
THE FINAL FACE-OFF TAKES PLACE
AT THE 1893 WORLD'S FAIR IN CHICAGO.
ELECTRICITY WILL AMAZE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE FOR THE FIRST TIME.
THE ONLY QUESTION -- WILL IT BE A.C. OR D.C.?
Houghton: WHOEVER LIT THE EXPOSITION
WAS GOING TO BE ESSENTIALLY KNIGHTED
AS THE ELECTRICITY PROVIDER OF THE FUTURE.
Narrator: EDISON'S DIRECT CURRENT ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
IS UP AGAINST THE ALTERNATING CURRENT SYSTEM
DESIGNED BY TESLA AND NOW OWNED BY WESTINGHOUSE.
BUT BEFORE WESTINGHOUSE CAN ENTER THE BIDDING PROCESS,
HE MUST RESOLVE HIS FINANCIAL ISSUES.
Carlson: WESTINGHOUSE TAKES ON LOTS OF CONTRACTS
AND GETS LOTS OF BUSINESS,
BUT THE COMPANY DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH CAPITAL,
AND SO WESTINGHOUSE IS REALLY IN A BAD SPOT.
THE WESTINGHOUSE BANKERS
ARE WORRIED ABOUT LIABILITIES THAT THEY HAVE ON THE BOOKS,
AND ONE OF THE LIABILITIES IS
FOR EVERY HORSEPOWER OF ELECTRIC MOTORS THAT GET INSTALLED,
THE COMPANY HAS TO PAY TESLA $2.50.
THE BANKERS SAY,
"YOU'VE GOT TO GET RID OF THIS CONTRACT."
I'M NOT ABLE TO SECURE THE INVESTMENTS I NEED
BECAUSE THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT
HOW MUCH THIS MAY COST IN THE FUTURE.
YOU PUT YOUR FAITH IN ME,
AND I HAVE FAITH IN YOU AND WHAT WE'VE BUILT TOGETHER.
¶¶
AND HE TEARS UP THE CONTRACT,
AND HE WALKS AWAY FROM A STEADY REVENUE STREAM.
Narrator: TESLA IS MORE CONCERNED ABOUT HIS VISION THAN MONEY.
BUT THAT DECISION COULD COME BACK TO HAUNT HIM.
Ivester: TESLA WAS AN INVENTOR
THAT REALLY WANTED TO TRANSFORM SOCIETY FUNDAMENTALLY.
AND HIS INTERESTS WERE REALLY DRIVEN BY
INTELLECTUAL AND SCIENTIFIC VISION.
Narrator: WITH TESLA'S CONTRACT TORN UP,
WESTINGHOUSE CAN NOW ENTER THE BIDDING PROCESS
FOR THE WORLD'S FAIR.
Houghton: THE COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION IN CHICAGO OF 1893
WAS THE WORLD'S LARGEST EXPOSITION
THAT HAD EVER HAPPENED.
IT'S ACTUALLY THE CLIMAX OF THE WAR OF THE CURRENTS.
GENTLEMEN, THIS IS THE FINAL BID BETWEEN
GENERAL ELECTRIC AND WESTINGHOUSE
TO PROVIDE ALL MANNERS OF ELECTRICITY
TO THE WORLD COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION.
Men: HEAR, HEAR.
IT WOULD ALSO BE THE SHOWCASE FOR ALL THE NEW TECHNOLOGIES
THAT ARE GOING TO BE RUN THROUGH ELECTRICITY.
Narrator: IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY
TO DEMONSTRATE TO THE WORLD THAT YOU CAN BUILD
A COMPLETE SYSTEM FOR A LARGE TOWN OR SMALL CITY.
GENERAL ELECTRIC'S BID TO PROVIDE ELECTRICITY
IN THE FORM OF DIRECT CURRENT -- $577,485.
[ APPLAUSE ]
WESTINGHOUSE'S BID
FOR ALTERNATING CURRENT ELECTRICITY IS $399,000.
WESTINGHOUSE WINS THE CONTRACT.
[ APPLAUSE ]
Narrator: IT IS A RESOUNDING VICTORY FOR WESTINGHOUSE AND TESLA.
IT'S ALSO A GAMBLE.
HIS REAL COSTS COULD BE MUCH HIGHER THAN HIS BID.
BUT IF HE PREVAILS,
WESTINGHOUSE KNOWS IT WILL BE WORTH THE PUBLICITY.
FOR NIKOLA TESLA,
IT'S THE CULMINATION OF 17 YEARS OF HARD WORK.
I THINK YOU'RE GONNA LIKE WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH YOUR GENERATORS.
Carlson: THE CHICAGO WORLD'S FAIR
IS A PLACE WHERE THE WESTINGHOUSE ENGINEERS
ARE ABLE TO FULLY REALIZE TESLA'S VISION.
Narrator: THE RESULT OF TESLA'S LIFE'S WORK
IS LAID OUT INSIDE THE GIANT ELECTRICITY HALL.
EACH OF TESLA'S GENERATORS CAN LIGHT 30,000 BULBS.
IT IS THE LARGEST SINGLE EXHIBIT OF OPERATING MACHINERY
EVER DISPLAYED.
ON MAY 1, 1893,
PRESIDENT GROVER CLEVELAND
THROWS THE SWITCH THAT HERALDS A NEW AGE.
WITH SOME 200,000 ELECTRIC LIGHTS,
THE WORLD'S FIRST FERRIS WHEEL,
AND A SPECTACULAR ELECTRIC WATER FOUNTAIN,
27 MILLION PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE WORLD
WITNESS THE WONDER OF ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS
POWERED BY ALTERNATING CURRENT.
SO, IT SEEMS THAT IN ALL...
Carlson: THE OTHER THING THAT TESLA DOES AT THE CHICAGO WORLD'S FAIR
IS A SERIES OF DEMONSTRATIONS
USING HIGH-VOLTAGE, HIGH-FREQUENCY A.C.,
WHICH HE GENERATES FROM HIS NEWEST INVENTION,
THE TESLA COIL.
[ APPLAUSE ]
[ ELECTRICITY CRACKLES ]
Ivester: HE WAS DEMONSTRATING THE ALMOST MAGICAL-LIKE NATURE
OF THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE WITH ELECTRICITY,
BUT THE CHICAGO WORLD'S FAIR WAS A TRIUMPHANT VICTORY
BY WESTINGHOUSE AND ALTERNATING CURRENT
OVER EDISON AND DIRECT CURRENT.
Narrator: THE COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION
SECURES A.C. AS THE ELECTRICITY OF THE FUTURE.
ALTHOUGH EDISON LOST THE WAR OF THE CURRENTS,
HE CONTINUES INVENTING
AND BECOMES ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST RECOGNIZED NAMES
AND AN AMERICAN FOLK HERO.
TESLA CONDUCTS GRAND EXPERIMENTS,
INCLUDING WIRELESS POWER TRANSMISSION.
BUT HIS DREAMS AND VISIONS WIN OUT OVER HIS BUSINESS SENSE,
AND HE DIES PENNILESS AND ALONE IN A NEW YORK HOTEL.
TESLA'S REPUTATION HAS RECENTLY SEEN A REVIVAL,
AND HIS CONCEPT OF AN A.C. SYSTEM ULTIMATELY PREVAILS.
Ivester: EDISON AND TESLA BOTH HAVE A PROFOUND IMPACT
ON OUR SOCIETY AND THE WAY WE LIVE TODAY
IN THE FORM OF THEIR INNOVATIONS IN ELECTRICITY.
Houghton: EVERYTHING WE HAVE TODAY RUNS ON ELECTRICITY.
THERE ARE VERY FEW OF US THAT COULD LIVE A DAY, A COUPLE HOURS
WITHOUT SOMETHING THAT'S PLUGGED IN OR BATTERY-POWERED.
WHAT EDISON AND TESLA DID --
THAT'S TRULY REVOLUTIONARY CHANGE.