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Mr. Edison had surveyed Niagara Falls on his own initiative in 1886. His first assistance to the new-formed Cataract Construction Co. consisted simply in repeating that electric power could be transmitted from the Falls, as Direct Current.
In this opinion he was joined by the late great George Westinghouse. Both counselled against attempting to make and transmit Alternating Current, despite its comparative cheapness. Mr. Westinghouse had an alternative idea—Compressed Air, upon which he had been experimenting (e.g. his air-brake). The original plans of Cataract Construction Co. actually called for a plant at the Falls whence Mr. Westinghouse felt confident he could transmit compressed air to take the place of steam behind industrial pistons in Buffalo, 20 mi. away.
In the face of these expert opinions, Scientist-Financier Adams remained a dissenter. He had read in foreign scientific publications about the success some Swiss engineers were having with Alternating Current, which requires, as schoolboys know, much less initial impulse and much less bulky lines for transmission over long distances, than is required for Direct Current. Proponents of Direct were saying that high voltages of Alternating would "jump right off the wire"; that it was dangerous, fit only for use in lethal chairs at penitentiaries. Mr. Adams quietly ordered some experiments in insulation, which eventuated in the familiar porcelain cup device now used on high tension lines.
Then, actuated as much by scientific curiosity as by financial prudence, he set off for Europe to see for himself the status of Alternating Current. Before going he ended all his Edison connections, to remain unprejudiced in the controversy.
In France, England, Switzerland he consulted the foremost electrical engineers.
He observed experiments and progress in Switzerland. He formed an International Niagara Commission, with Sir William Thompson (later Lord Kelvin) of Glasgow for chairman, to act as judges in a prize competition for the design of the Niagara generators. From the first, the Commission advised against Alternating Current, but the man who designed the prize-winning generator, a Scottish professor named George Forbes, joined Mr. Adams in the belief that Alternating would prove feasible in the end.
Mr. Adams returned to the U. S. with his mind made up. He was followed by a stream of letters and cablegrams from Lord Kelvin vigorously counselling against the "awful mistake," the "gigantic mistake" of adopting Alternating Current.
Inventor Westinghouse, meanwhile, had been following Mr. Adams' movements and investigating Alternating Current for himself. He was prepared, when the bids were let, to construct AC generators on the Forbes design, and was quick to acknow ledge Mr. Adams' victory when the installations proved successful. The compressed-air plan was scrapped. Alternating Current began flashing from Niagara in volume sufficient to turn every wheel and light every bulb in Buffalo. When Lord Kelvin visited the Falls and signed the visitors' book, he cheerfully saluted the wisdom Mr. Adams had shown in proceeding contrary to the foremost electrical advice of the time.