The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-10-26 00:00:00

EDISON'S ELECTRIC LIGHT.

The Neu YoA Herald of the 12th 'of 'October has the
following on this subject :

"The alarm among the English gas companies and
the panic in their stocks on account of Edison's last
invention in electric lights, as narrated in yesterday's
Herald cable despatches, are not without good cause.
America's great inventor has in truth solved the pro-
blem which for years has puzzled the ablest electri-
cians of the age. He has successfully divided
the electric light, and has made it for illuminat-
ing purposes as far superior to gas as gas is to
the tallow candle of the past. His marvellous inven-
tion gives a mild, soft, yet brilliant light, pleasing
to the eye, clear, steady, and without blemish, and
at a cost less than one-third of that required for
gas. Those who have seen the invention pronounce
it wonderful. Already a company has been formed,
composed of a number of wealthy capitalists, and
Mr. Edison's lawyers are engaged in completing
the final arrangements for the legal transfer. Be-
fore long, therefore, the work of introduction will begin.
The patents for the United States have only just been
granted, while those for the various countries of Europe
have not yet been obtained. To-day the Professor
solicitors send by steamer the necessary documents
to their London agents for procuring the British
letters patent. The French and other patents will be
applied for simultaneously with the English one.
When word .is cabled Mr. Edison that the patents
have been granted he will throw his invention open to
the public gaze; but until then he declines to make
known its details.
"When the other great inventions of Mr. Edison were
in progress, the laboratory was free to all visitors.
The telephone was seen by hundreds long before letters
patent were granted. The same was the case with the
phonograph, the tasimeter, the megaphone, the
quadruples, and many other of his inventions. The
case of the electric light is far different. Its place in
the laboratory is one sacred to a favoured few. If
the host of visitors who daily swarm the laboratory
of the great inventor see it, they see it only
in a detached form. The essence of the discovery is
missing. Mr. Edison himself speaks but little of the
subject, but he is almost constantly. at work on it.
Early morning sees him in the laboratory, and it is
after midnight when he leaves. On Thursday last he
worked continuously from sunrise until sunrise the
following day, and ceased then only after the earnest
importunities of his assistants. All his energies
seem wrapped up in the new invention. His mega-
ghone and phonograph lie idle, save for the work done
on them by some of the Professor's numerous assistants.
A Herald reporter learned yesterday the system im-
posed to be adopted after the patents are all granint.
First, the Professor will light up all the houses in
Menlo Park gratis, and from his laboratory watch the
lights' progress from night to night. When all is in
readiness for general introduction, central stations will
probably be established throughout New York city,
each station controlling a territory of, perhaps, a
radius of half-a-mile. Wires will then be run in iron
pipes underground, after the manner of gas pipes, con-
necting dwellings, stores, theatres, and other places
to be lighted. The gas fixtures at present used, instead
of being removed, will be utilised to encase the wire.
In the place of the burner will be the invention, and
meters will be used to register the quantity of electri-
city consumed. The forra is not yet determined upon.
The light is to be of tin batwing, 15-candle power
character. To kindle it a little spring is touched, and
instantly the electricity does its work. The amount
of light can be regulated in the same way as can that
from gas. To turn off the light the spring is again
touched, and instantly all is darkness. No matches
being used, and there being no flame, all the dangers
incidental to the use of gas are obviated. The light
gives out no heat. It is simply a pure white light,
made dim or brilliant at the fancy of the person
using it.
"The writer last night saw the invention in operation
in Mr. Edison's laboratory. The inventor was deep
in experimental researches. What he called the
apparatus consisted of a small metal stand placed on
the table. Surrounding the light was a small glass
globe. Near by was a gas jet burning low. The
Professor looked up from his work to greet the
reporter, and in reply to a request to view
the invention, waved his hand towards the light,
with the exclamation, 'There she is 1' The
illumination was such as would come from a brilliant
gas jet surrounded with ground glass, only that
the light was clearer and more brilliant. Now I
will extinguish it and light the gas, and you can see
the difference,' said Mr. Edison, and he touched the
spring. Instantly all was darkness. Then he turned
on the gas. The difference was quite perceptible.
The light from the gas appeared in comparison tinted
with yellow. In a moment, however, the eye had be-
come accustomed to it, and the yellowish tint dis-
appeared. Then the Prof eesor turned on the electric light,
giving the writer the opportunity of seeing both side by
side. The electric light seemed much softer; a continuous
view of it for three minutes did not pain the eye; whereas
looking at the gas for the same length of time,
caused some little pain and confusion of sight. One
of the noticeable features of the light, when fully
turned on, was that all colours could be distinguished
as readily as by sunlight. 'When do you expect to
have this invention completed, Mr. Edison?' asked
the reporter. 'The substance of it is all right now,'
he answered, putting the apparatus away and turn-
ing on the gas. 'But there are the usual little de-
tails that must be attended to before it goes to
the people. For instance, we have got to devise some
arrangement for registering a sort of meter, and again
there are several different forma that we are experi-
menting on now in order to select the best." Are the
lights to be all of the same degree of brilliancy?' asked
the reporter. All the same." Have you run across
any serious difficulties in it as yet?' Well no,' replied
the inventor, 'and that's what worries me, for in
the telephone I found about a thousand obstacles,
and so in the quadruplex. I worked on both over
two years before I overcame them.' Mr. Batchelor,
the professor's assistant, who here joined in the conver-
sation, said, Many a time Mr. Edison sat down almost
on the point of giving up the telephone as a lest job,
but at the last moment he would see light." Of all
things that we have discovered, this is about the
simplest,' continued Mr, Edison, 'and the public will say
so when it is explained. We have got it pretty well ad-
vanced no w,but there are some few improvements I have
in my mind. You see, it has got to be so fixed that
it cannot get out of order. Suppose where one light
only is employed it got out of order once a year; where
two were used it would get out of order twice a year,
and where a thousand were used you can see there
would be much trouble in looking after them. There-
fore, when the light leaves the laboratory, I want it
to be in such a shape that it cannot get out of order at
all, except of course by some accident.'
"Leaving Mr. Edison to continue his work, the re-
porter accepted the invitation of Mr. Griffin his
private secretary, to view the generating • machine.
'Mr. Edison has just purchased a new one,' he said,
'which gives much power, and in a few days we shall
have a 50-horse power engine to work it, as we do not
get power enough with the present one. As regards
the generators,' continued Mr. Griffin, Mr. Edison
has as yet given but little attention to them. The cost
can by an improved generator be reduced to a much
smaller figure.'
"None of the New York papers have any leaders or
comments on the discoveries' or on the gas share in
London, although telegrams from Lo •ri on respecting
the latter event appear in their c, runs.'

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electric light were filed in the Patent Office in London
this morning, and as soon as the legal formalities have
been completed, the experiments with the invention
will, no doubt, be publicly made."
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