The New York herald., 1873-05-06
A NEW ELaCTRfC LIGHT.
From the London Standard. April e.I

From the London Standard, April 81
The York road, lambeth is not precisely the
place from which one would expect q new light to
shine forth upon the world but yesterday evening
no sooner had the sun disappeared sufficiently far
below the horizon than passers by were astonshed
by having thrown upon them a glare OF light as
white as that Of the moon, and apparently almost
as intense as that OF the solar sphere Following
up the light as 1t poured down side street one
came to the gate Of an engineering factory just
within the limits OF which stood the apparatus
whence the brilliant rays streamed. 70 all IN
tents and purposes the light seemed that OF an
ordinary electric machine greatly intensified.
There were the wires bringing and carrying or
the current: there was the cOncave reflector ana
there were the bits Of squared coke which act as
wicks or poles. But every one who Is accustomed
Judge OF the intensity or the Illuminating power
OF the electric light must have seen that the rea-
tive proportions were those OF Venus, or at least
Jupiter, 10 an asterold. Inquiry was not cOurted,
but information was not refused; and it turned
out thai this light wasting its glories Lam
beth lane, is one OF the chief scientific achieve
ments OF the last two or three years. number OF
gentlemen ana few ladies' were present by private
Invitation 10 witness the demonstration OF the
powers Of this new arrangement Of electric power
which, there seems to be little doubt has overcome
all o. nearly all, the technical dnculties that
have stood in the way OF utilizing electricity
both for lighting and Tor heating. Indeed.
may almost say that the problem has been
solved--how to produce cheap electricity. Some
OF the most eminent OF our men OF science
are said TO have examined the apparatus ana TO
achieved. The light thrown from hai-inch carbon
points into the FORK road last night was flly equal
To tnat oil 900 candles, and we are informed that
light equivalent to 10000 or even 14,00O candles
has been produced. But the great value OF the
light is that u is constant. The current is abso-
lulely uniniermttent. The machine acts without
Il commutdtor. and consequently there Is not only
no intermission but there is no variation. what
the light is the end Of the first five minutes it il
az the end OF the hour or long as the carbon
points remain unconsumed and the process OF
PRODUCTION or the current Is so simple that ID ls
ryp aus IN hn2 npp far TVvn
or two and hall horse power are ample to produce
the rotation OF three bObblns or broad edged discs
covered with copper wire, and acting upon six pairs
OF soft iron parallel bars similarly covered. Magnets
are entirely DISPERSED with In the production or the
power Wncn y aetvcd a,ogetner rom is irictoh
any shape or form. The amount OF the electrical
current OF the machine at work last night was
estimated as equal to that OF 500 BuDsen's cells,
and the inventor Is now making larger one TO
equal GOO OF the cells Tor the purpose OF per-
forming at rapid rate some of the most lmpor-
tant operations ofmanuiacturng chemistry. Thus
he proposes to produce chemically pure copper,
which is now worth from three to four
shillings a pound, at the cost OF ordi-
nary commercial "copper" potassium and So
diuin at less than half their present
per pound, at thirty or thirty-fve and magnesium
calcium and other rare metals at prices which will
application 10 the purifcation Of iron alone there
would seem TO. be an immense field for the use Of
electricity. the inventor OF this machine having
the courage TO declare that he will purify two tons
OF pig iron from phosphorouS, sulphur, carbon and
silica In eighteen to twenty minutes, at a saving
OF two-thrds OF the coal. On this point opinion
can be expressed but everything last night
certainly tends to the probability of such a triumph.
Thus platinum wire OF about eighteen gauge was
melted IN forty seconds, and copper wire In less
than two. piece OF solid steel screw, four five
inches long, was burnt away IN about 1ve minutes,
and piece OF diamond Das been vaporized in
few seconds. so constant Is the current that one
OF these machines, experimentaIIy supplied 10 the
Telegraph Department, has been for some time
creating the power by which the whole or the
London district wires are worked. Last night, in
the works of Mcssrs. hiedon, Lecky n Co., en-
ginecrs, though a machine shop full OF benches
and tools Is not precisely the place most favorable
10 scientific demonstration those who were pres
ent by invitation or accident saw enough to con-
vince them OF the very great future before this
machine, which. so lar back as july 1871 received
the marked approval OF the Academy OF Sciences
in Paris. 1t Is understood that the light-which
last night, win only strength OF three or iour
thousand candles from small points in the interior
OF the works, made a Jet of gas throw distinct
though ghostlikc shadow on a whltswas ashed wall
will be publicly exhibited soon after Easter in
London, as well as In the Vienna Exhibition, whore
1t Will be tested thoroughly under the personal
supcrntcndencc oil It's tnveQtor. NJ. Grapmc.