Re:edison

[Tim Voght <tvoght@indy.net>]

Kyle Davis wrote:

> I might get this backwards, but I saw a segment on TLC, talking about AC
> vs DC. Westinghouse (okay, this part doesn't sound right, but I can't
> think of who else it was) advocated using AC at the turn of the century
> before we were standardized, Edison favored DC. Edison made a film of
> how dangerous AC was by zapping an ELEPHANT with wall current. He said
> his DC power was much much safer..  I think i got this right.
> Kyle

Westinghouse licensed a bunch of AC patents (including induction motors)
from Nikola Tesla. Edison not only did an elephant, he went all around
electrocuting various animals (dogs, etc.) to prove the danger of AC.
Thing was, as far as I know, nobody went around electrocuting animals
with DC for comparison purposes...

Tesla had worked for Edison previous to this, and tried to get Edison to
buy into his AC ideas. Edison hated AC, probably because he didn't
understand it. Edison told Tesla he'd pay him some big bonus if he'd
solve a problem Edison considered impossible. After Tesla solved the
problem, Edison refused to pay the bonus, saying it had only been a
joke. Tesla quit.

Tim