The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-11-23 00:00:00

THE ELECTRIC LIGHT.

The Liverpool Corporation have given notice of
their intention to apply to Parliament next Session
for an Act to confer on them sundry powers in con-
nexion with the adoption of the electric light as a
public illuminating medium. They ask for legislative
authorisation to produce and supply light obtained by
"electricity, or by any means other than the burning
of gas," for all purposes within the boroughs of Liver-
pool and Bootle, and the suburban townships of
Toxteth-park, West Derby, Walton, Litherland,
Great Crosby, Wavertree, Mlerton, and Garston, all
of which are in Lancashire, "t 3 the exclusion of all
other persons, companies, or corporations." They also
seek authority to arrange with the Gas Company about
their respective powers, and to purchase by agree-
meat that company's undertakings and works; to
acquire patent rights for the use of inventions for
manufacturing and distributing the propoind light;
to effect contracts for the supply of this illumination
to any corporation or other public body; to acquire and
hold lands, buildings, and easements,*and break up
streets; to levy and recover rates in the boroughs and
places mentioned for the purposes of the Act; to grant
exemption therefrom, and to borrow money on the
credit of the rates and assessments; to apply the cor-
porate funds to the purposes of the proposed Act; to
make bye-laws and impose penalties; and to repeal
certain local Acts the provWona of which are incon-
sistent with the Corporation project.

The Town Council have not yet committed them-
selves to the adoption of the electric light, but are
giving the necessary notices to meet a possible contin.
gency. They have appointed a committee to watch
over the subject, the borough engineer has been
despatched to the Continent to examine into the use
of the electric light in Paris and elsewhere, and the
experimental lighting of some Liverpool neighbour.
hoods is probable.

A Correspondent writes :—" Some additional intel-
ligence of considerable practical importance as to the
Edison electric light has been received (says The Times
of Saturday). It has already been mentioned in The
Times that we had received the direct confirmation
from Mr. Edison of the fact that in his system of
electric lighting the brilliancy of each light can be
adjusted at pleasure. This might be accomplished by
inserting an additional resistance in the path of the
current through any particular circuit, but this would
involve the heating of the added resistance, and there-
fore, a waste of the current for illuminating purposes.
Another mode would be to divert a portion of
the current passing through the glowing platinum strip
by inserting a better conductor across the circuit—
short circuiting the current, as electricians say ; but
this would throw more current into the other lights,
the brilliancy of which would be proportionately in-
creased, a fatal objection to the practical working
of the system. A telegram just received from
Mr. Edison clears up this point. In answer to
the inquiry, Does altering one effect the other
lights on the same circuit 2 he replies, 'Nat the
slightest.' The importance of this information lies
in the fact that electric lighting thus assumes
a more practical aspect, inasmuch as it would ap-
pear to be as steady and as much under control as
gas itself. It is possible that by having many electric
lights on one circuit, as Mr. Edison does, the extinc-
ti,n by short circuiting of one light may not sensibly
affect the others any more than turning out one gas
jet does not practically alter the rest, or less likely,
some delicate governor may be employed in connexion
with the electric generator. Whatever method he
uses, Mr. Edison appears confident of the success of
I his "Mem,"

;.77