) Edison, who loved fight and considered the
Westinghouse Company "the enemy," enthusiastically joined
the fray.
The propaganda war was the essential part the "battle
of the systems," colorful episode the early years of
electricity that had lasting impact the development the
technology and the industry. They
feared that the opposition would win the propaganda war and
Westinghouse's "army" sales people would overcome safer
and more efficient system.
The laboratory had begun experiments into the effects of
. was fought between the
proponents two competing systems electrical supply: the
Edison low voltage direct current (d/c) and the high voltage
alternating current (a/c) marketed Westinghouse. Edison only wanted the public to
know the difference between a/c and d/c, and set out prove
that the "shyster" Westinghouse was fact marketing unsafe
43
technology. Edison and his company
believed that Westinghouse was being reckless pushing a
system that was technologically and economically unsound. Their response was discredit the
claims made Westinghouse. The long
distance transmission capabilities high voltage current gave
Westinghouse the edge the war words, because they could
claim able reach any customer. The series experiments that achieved this goal
became one the best known episodes the "battle the
systems" and put the West Orange laboratory center stage in
this drama.V-26
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