Dangerous Betrayal

by Bill Blowers

  Viko did not apologize. “These precautions are an expression of the value we place on this wireless development. If you still feel wronged after the demonstration, then I will offer a sincere apology.”

  Viko went about turning on the equipment. Andrews studied the machinery before him. The two transceivers were smaller than a small steamer trunk. There was no transmit key and no headphones. His first reaction was that it appeared to be much too small. He had seen Marconi sets take up entire rooms with a wall of complex wiring, dials, and knobs. His inquiries about these anomalies were answered by nothing but a wink and a gleam in the eye of Viko, as if to say, that is part of our secret.

  At ten a.m., four of Andrews’s top designers and Mr. Edward Harland entered the room. Harland inquired of Andrews, “Tom, what do you think of this new wireless?”

  “I am as much in the dark as you are. Viko calls them transceivers. To be honest, the claim that they can communicate across the sea seems preposterous. But I am here to observe and learn.”

  At that Harland turned to Viko. “Well, young man, this is your show.”

  Viko said, “What you are about to witness will amaze you. These two devices represent the future of wireless communication. They will speak for themselves.”

  He picked up the handheld device (microphone) on the transceiver labeled “Wittington.”

  “Harold, my good man, are you there?” To the amazement of all, the voice of Harold Wittington spoke plainly and clearly from the speaker: “Of course, is my dear friend Edward there with you?”

  Viko gave the microphone to Harland, showing him how to press the button when speaking. Harland hesitated a moment and said, “Harry? Is that really you? Where are you?”

  “I am in my office in London.”

  Harland was speechless. He had never seen or heard of such a device, and he didn’t know what to say.

  Wittington asked, “Well, Eddie, cat got your tongue?”

  “Why didn’t you tell me about this; it is amazing! I am having trouble believing my ears!”

  “Now tell me, Eddie, would you have believed me if I told you about this? Would you really have believed that this is possible?”

  Edward Harland had to admit he would not have; he would have been doubtful that such a thing could be done in 1910.

  Thomas Andrews asked if he might use it. He held the microphone in his hand and looked it over as one might expect of an engineer. He pressed the button and spoke over the miles to Wittington.

  “This is Thomas Andrews. Who is responsible for this? Is this Marconi’s newest wireless?”

  “Let me assure you, Mr. Andrews, Marconi knows nothing of this. He is little more than a thief. Why do you think Viko has taken such precautions? Would you like to speak with the two inventors of this marvelous new wireless?”

  “Are they there with you at your office?”

  “One of them is standing before you, Viktor Gracac. The other, the world’s greatest inventor, is in New York City. Viko, please introduce him to our distinguished guests. I will stand by at this end.”

  At that, Viko took the microphone from Andrews. He turned off the first transceiver and operated a control that applied power to the second transceiver, the one labeled “AMERICA.”

  “What are you doing?” asked Andrews.

  “Well, do you want to speak to him?”

  “But he is in New York.”

  Viko picked up the second microphone. “Uncle Nik, how is the weather in New York at five this morning?”

  With just a slight hissing sound in the background, the baritone voice of Nikola Tesla came through with excellent clarity: “A slight wind is blowing, and it’s a chilly sixty-eight degrees outside.”

  “Gentlemen, let me introduce you to the creator of all wireless, Mr. Nikola Tesla.”

  There was complete silence in the room. The name Tesla was well known in Great Britain as the inventor of polyphase AC electricity, but his work with wireless was practically unknown. Such was the veil of deception that Marconi had pulled over everyone’s eyes.

  Viko handed the microphone to Thomas Andrews.

  Andrews stammered a bit and said, “I can believe that we have spoken with Harold Wittington 300 miles from here. But you are at least three thousand miles away. How is such a bloody thing possible?”

  Tesla said, “That will be explained at an appropriate time in the future. Did you send a secret message via cablegram to your office in New York to be delivered to the following address, 31 South Fifth Avenue?”

  Harland took the microphone from Andrews, introduced himself, and replied, “I did. Viko here suggested we do it to remove any doubts regarding this new invention of yours.”

  “Well, a Mr. Findley, who claims to be from the New York office of Harland and Wolff, is standing here with me with a sealed envelope that I have yet to open. Here, I will let him speak directly to you.”

  Findley spoke into the microphone. “Mr. Harland, is that you? Why didn’t you let us know that you were traveling to New York? We would have been prepared for your arrival. Why have I been summoned from my bed at three in the morning to deliver a cablegram to Mr. Tesla?”

  Harland was momentarily speechless. Here was proof that he was communicating across the Atlantic Ocean. “I am in our office building in Belfast, Ireland. Let me assure you that I am not in New York.”

  Tesla read the secret message: “Mary had a little lamb whose fleece was white as snow, and everywhere that Mary went the lamb was sure to go.” Tesla chuckled. “My, my, I’m sure the doctors were most surprised at such a delivery,” at which the entire room of people in Belfast burst out laughing.

  Thomas Andrews and his engineers were spellbound. They wanted to know more and the questions came like the staccato of machine gun fire. How did it work? When would it be available? Was it thoroughly tested? After nearly two hours, a very tired Nikola Tesla begged that they say goodbye as it was seven o’clock in the morning in New York and he had been up for nearly two days. They agreed to a meeting the following day to arrange to put this new wireless on Titanic.

  As Harland was leaving, he proposed a question to Viko. “What would be involved in equipping all of our ships currently under construction, as well as ground stations in both Ireland and New York with this new device? We will need about twenty units in six months’ time.”

  Viko was speechless. He was not sure how to reply, never expecting such an overwhelmingly positive outcome. After regaining his composure, he replied, “Sir, I am humbled that you think so highly of these machines. I’m at a loss for words. Let me discuss this with Mr. Wittington and Mr. Tesla, and I will be prepared to talk tomorrow.”

  Viko and Thomas Andrews went to a nearby pub for lunch to discuss the technical details of installing the new wireless. Andrews agreed to provide Viko with full access to the electrical system planned for Titanic and her sister ships.

  A meeting was held the next day with Harland, Wittington, Viko, and Andrews in attendance. They discussed contract details, essentially confirming that all pending orders with Marconi Wireless would be canceled, and immediate orders would be placed with the New Tesla Wireless Company for twenty transceivers, four for ground-based installation and sixteen for use on ships. They agreed that Viko would make recommendations to the ship designers regarding the electrical requirements and any accompanying changes needed to the electrical systems of the ships.

  Wittington would immediately transmit the orders to New York via cablegram while Viko went over the ships’ electrical plans with the electricians. Viko was going to be in Ireland a bit longer than planned. Tesla was in New York to handle things until Viko returned, with production soon to be underway.

  Or so they thought.

  This was the biggest development in wireless communication to date, and it was not a baby step, it was a giant leap forward. Those few in the demonstration room of Harland and Wolff that historic day when Nikola Tesla said hello from across the ocean knew they had just witnessed th
e future. With its success came possibilities hard to contemplate in 1910. This invention could revolutionize worldwide communication.

  Tragically, none of this was to be. Forces commanding far-reaching power, driven by greed, fear, and hatred, would throw insurmountable roadblocks in their way.

  Weeks dragged by. Technical meetings were testing Viko’s considerable patience. He was getting his first glimpse into the world of large company politics populated by influential managers whose primary goal seemed to be protecting their own turf and whose vision did not extend much beyond the tips of their noses. Decisions that would have been made at Tesla Electric in minutes took an entire afternoon at Harland and Wolff as arguments erupted, sensitive egos had to be assuaged, and consensus decisions that were mostly poor compromises were hammered out.

  The electricians at Harland and Wolff were twice Viko’s age and had been designing ships and their electrical wiring longer than he had been alive, but the designs were primitive at best. Being as diplomatic as possible, and acting the part of an apprentice observing the work of masters, he asked questions that led others to see the errors in their work. Slowly he gained their confidence, and they found themselves listening to the advice of this rather remarkable young man.

  Thomas Andrews was impressed with Viko’s insightfulness and skill as a manipulator. He asked him a favor. “Would you mind spending some time with me tonight after hours to take a close look at the layout of Titanic’s electrical system, in private, where you will not be inhibited by the presence of these men? There are aspects of it that concern me, and I would appreciate your input.”

  Bruce Ismay had set a ridiculously early sailing date for Titanic’s first voyage and everyone was rushing about, at times haphazardly, not having adequate time to fully consider a problem before being forced to move on. Andrews made the decision that Edison DC generators would be the source of electricity, not because of any compelling advantage they possessed, but simply because he could use most of the wiring details from earlier ship designs and did not have to be bothered with new designs and the bitching and complaining he inevitably heard from Ismay about “unnecessary details.”

  Mundane details did not bother Ismay. His only concerns revolved around the luxury that could be provided and the earliest possible sailing date. Andrews was constantly fighting a losing battle for more time to ensure safety and reliability.

  Later that evening, as they sat in the quiet corner of a local pub, Andrews once again asked Viko for his honest evaluation of the electrical design from an “outside” person. Viko did not have to hold back or worry about being diplomatic. He was given the opportunity to be totally honest.

  “There are many things that concern me about the ship. First of all, there is no redundancy in the electrical system. It ultimately controls the steering of the ship. This seems terribly shortsighted.”

  Viko continued. “There is but a single boiler dedicated to providing steam for electrical generation. The generators are Edison DC dynamos that require constant maintenance to be reliable. What are you going to do in the middle of the ocean when that boiler goes down? AC generators from Westinghouse would be smaller, more reliable, and you could use AC power throughout the ship rather than DC.”

  Andrews responded, “You are very insightful for a young man. You have just expressed several of the fears and concerns I have had since these plans were first drawn up. This is not how it started. I specified to the designers that there were to be three boilers available for the electrical generators, a primary and two backup systems. I also requested that a thorough study be done regarding using Westinghouse AC rather than Edison DC.

  “One of the crosses I have to bear as the chief designer is putting up with the White Star Line and its director, Bruce Ismay. He knows nothing of ship design or the inner workings of vessels.”

  Andrews went on, “In the early days of the project, he insisted on a weekly review of our progress. The subject of one of the reviews was a detailed discussion of the steam engines that will be powering the ship. During that discussion he learned that two of the small boilers could be diverted in an emergency to provide steam for the electrical generators. The total power that this was to use would have been about two thousand horsepower, a pittance compared to the full capacity of the main engines of fifty-nine thousand horsepower. When Ismay heard ‘two thousand horsepower,’ he went berserk and screamed at everyone, ‘You cannot take two thousand horsepower for electricity, absolutely not! That power needs to go to the main engines.’

  “It was a terrible display of temper. Unfortunately, I lost my temper and kicked him out of the meeting. It was only a few hours before I was hauled on the carpet. Ismay had gone directly to the top and threatened to pull all three ships unless I apologized and acquiesced to his demands.

  “I did my best to make Harland understand the foolishness of Ismay’s demand, but Harland was adamant. At that point, I suggested to Harland that he find another chief designer, got up, and turned to leave. I was fully prepared to resign my position.

  “Harland put his hand on my shoulder and asked me to calm down and reconsider. Then he turned to Ismay and asked him to step outside and leave us alone, RIGHT NOW. I watched Ismay turn a dark shade of red as he got up and stormed out of the room.

  “Harland and I sat down in the corner of his office. He explained to me that he was backed into a corner. He considered Ismay nothing more than a pompous ass, a man who got where he was only because of the premature death of his father. And then he explained the cold hard facts to me. ‘Unfortunately, Thomas, you are going to have to change the electrical systems as he requests and then do everything in your considerable talent to minimize risk as a result of this.’

  “I was left with two choices: leave a job that was my whole life or acquiesce to this shortsighted demand. I told Harland that I would do it under one condition. He would get Ismay out of my hair, permanently. The next day Morgan contacted Ismay, telling him to sail to New York immediately. That night I took the entire design team to a pub and proceeded to get thoroughly snockered. We happily toasted Ismay’s departure from our lives. But, as you can see, we dropped backups to the electrical system. Welcome, Viko, to the world of influence, power, and money. Makes for some very poor decisions doesn’t it?”

  Viko just sat there quietly listening to Andrews. Had he not known of the tribulations Tesla had been through in his dealings with the likes of Edison and Morgan, he would not have believed it. How could a few shortsighted men manipulate and control the destinies of innocent, unknowing multitudes?

  Viko suggested they use Westinghouse AC generators rather than Edison DC dynamos. He was able to demonstrate that the AC generators would work with most of the other electrical equipment on board, except that the motors would have to be switched to Westinghouse AC induction motors.

  The next day, Andrews informed his designers and engineers that they were to make the necessary changes immediately. Orders to the Consolidated Edison Company were put on hold, and Westinghouse received orders for AC generators and induction motors for all three ships.

  Viko remained at the shipyards for two more weeks then made a short trip back to London to report the progress to Wittington. Exhausted and much looking forward to a few days’ rest at sea, he boarded the Californian for his trip back to New York.

  CHAPTER 34

  Another Tesla Failure

  No one greeted Viko when he arrived in New York. He had sent his last cablegram from London seven days earlier and was quite specific about Tesla meeting him at the west-side docks.

  Viko found an empty carriage near the pier, loaded up his luggage, and headed off to the company, arriving there in the early afternoon of a cold December day in 1910.

  When he walked through the door, it looked packed up and ready to be relocated. Wooden boxes of all sizes were stacked along one wall, and tufts of excelsior packing material, looking like a beige snowstorm, were everywhere. None of the workmen were around.
<
br />   Where were the new transceivers? Viko didn’t expect to see them completed, but he did expect to see chassis fabrication and glasswork underway.

  He found Tesla, bent over his desk, obviously engrossed in writing a letter.

  “Viko, it’s good to see you. How have you been? How was the trip?” Tesla got up and embraced Viko in a warm greeting. “I have much to tell you.”

  Thoroughly confused at this point, Viko sat down, not quite sure what his uncle was about to say. Several times during his stay in Ireland he wrote Tesla, and cabled, keeping him informed of the activities at the shipyards. Each time he ended his messages with the same question, “How are the new transceiver sets coming along?”

  He expected to return to New York to a flurry of activity, finding new employees busily building and wiring the new transceiver chassis. Wittington had provided the funds, so everything should have been happening, leading to a day when the world would learn of voice communication, used on none other than Titanic herself. Viko savored the thought of the success and recognition this moment would bring.

  “Uncle Nik, where are the workers? Where are the new transceivers?”

  Tesla sat there. He paused for dramatic effect and said in hushed tones, “I have done it, Viko. I have finally figured out the secret I have been seeking these past many months.”

  At first Viko thought Tesla meant some type of improvement for the transceivers.

  “What secret are you talking about? Do we have time to include it? We have less than six months to meet the delivery of the first four transceivers?”

  “Delivery schedule? Six months? What are you talking about? No one but I myself know of this. There is no schedule. I am talking about wireless power.”

  Viko stared in total shock. It all hit him at once. All this time, Nikola Tesla had ignored work on the new wireless sets ordered by Harland and Wolff! He had gone off in another new direction, abandoning yet another of his own huge technological leaps and those who were depending on him to deliver it.