The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-01-13 00:00:00

MR. EDISON'S SYSTEM OF ELECTRIC

LIGHTING.

A Correspondent of The Tins gives some particu-
lars respecting the development of Edison's system of
electric lighting, of which so much was heard in Lon-
don during the early part of 18E2, and which has since
then almost exclusively engaged the attention of the
inventor.

It is well known that the Edison system comprises
the manufacture, distribution, and tneasurenient of
electricity by means of a meter, and the sale of light
and power to consumers on their own premises. In
New York, the central station in rearl•street was
opened on the sth of September last, since which date
there has been no intermission in the production of the
current, either day or night. The pressure on the
20 miles of mains is constant and equal, and the addi-
tions to the ystern average something like 80 lamps
per diem. The remarkable simplicity of admini-tra-
tion cannot fail to impress even the ignorant visitor.
The regulation of the system is carried on by means of
an automatic device, by which when the lamps on the
system are below their proper candle-power a green
lamp is switched into circuit, and when the candle-
power is excessive, the fact is indicated by the dis-
play of a red lamp. The lamps are perfectly steady,
and are maintained at a somewhat greater candle
power than the majority of incandescent lamps in
England.
The success of this practical trial of the system is
now beyond question. Not only are the inhabitants
of the district daily demanding the supply of the new
light, but stations up town in New York, as also in
Boston, Chicago, and Denver, are already in con-
templation. .
Not less successfu is the Edison Isolated Company,
an organization for the supply of light to mills r.nd
factories, &c., by means of plant on the premises.
Th's company declared an annual dividend at the
rate of ten cent. during the month of November, and
in so doing enjoyed the distinction of being the first
electric light company to pay a dividend on the
results of electric lighting pure and simple, excluding
profits on manufactures or sales of concessions.
The Edison 'Lamp Compasiy, whose factory is at
Newark, in New Jersey, possesses an establishment
which is remarkable even in the land of ingenious
processes. The Edison lamp passes through more
than 200 stages during manufacture, many of which
are automatically performed by the agency of elec-
tricity. Mr. Edison's mind is stamped on many of
these processes, the exquisite simplicity of which alike
charms and astonishes. The factory can turn out
10,000 lamps per day, and according to Mr. Upton,
Mr. Edison's coadjutor in the undertaking, the
resources of the factory are immediately capable of
considerable extension.

At the Edison Machine Works at Goerk-street,
New York, the dynamos, large and! small, are manu-
factured. Six dynamos of the largest size were await-
ing shipment to London; four were being prepared for
Milan, where a central station on the Edison system
is being crganised by professor Colombo.
The factory of Bergmann and Co. is exclusively
devoted to the manufacture of switches, fittings,
sockets, regulators, and other details of the com-
plete Edison electric light system. Here also the
application of electricity as a motive power and
lighting agent was manifested in an impressive
manner. Mr. Edward H. Johnson, whose name i.
well known in London, together with Mr. Edison,
is continually at work improving the minutite of
the system. I was shown a simple screw, the sole
survivor of 42 separate and discarded models, which
had failed to satisfy Mr. Edison's standard of effici-
ency. DAails of the system are separately and con-
stantly subj-cted to the fierce light of criticism, and
continually being brought up to the requirements of
the inventor. As an example of American manufac•
ture and administrative power the following is an
instance :—An order to light the Boston Bijou Theatre
with 650 lights was completed in eleven days after
receipt of the order. The theatre was wired, the I
boilers and engine placed in position, the streets ex-
cavated, and the special regulating system necessary
for subduing the lights on toe various circuits on the
stage or auditorium not only devised ar.d roanufac-
, factured in New York, but used in position. The
feasibility of accomplishing this work in so short a
time arose greatly from the absence of such municipal
and legislative restrictions as in England impede the
progress of electric lighting in every direction.
Duriog past years Mr. Edison has suffered from
injudicious, because premature, revelations of his in-
ventions, and for some time, therefore, he has remained
silent whenever pressed for information as to the pro-
gress of his inventions. Some months have elapsed
since the Edison system was first shown to the English
public at the Crystal Palace, and, as is well known, it
is in operation at various places. Since then Mr.
Edison has, however, not been idle. He has made re-
markable discoveries, the effect of which is greatly to
increase the efficiency and reduce the cost of the light.
These discoveries include a considerable improve-
ment in the dynamos and the invention o f a more
economical lamp of very high resistance. It is inte-
resting to know that the development of the capacity
of the machines does not involve the disuse of any of
its parts. Nothing is made obsolete. A simple and
inexpensive addition increases, to use popular lan-
guage, the electrical out-turn, and by the use of the
improved lamp more light is obtained from a given
quantity of electricity than is now the case.
Patents for these and other improvements have
already been applied for, both in England and the
States, and the English companies will shortly give a
public demonstration of the new inventions. Mr.
Edison's knowledge of the conditions of the electric
light question in England is complete. To his mind
the price of gas in England is the one factor in the
problem which requires solution. It is this problem
to which he has applied himself with so much
success.