The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-11-01

OaBfGSss 3stfs ssss
The announcement shat BIZ tson mas
ssslsroye.ret d means for div fding Toe eisstrsc
current definitely there ma King g, pos.
aiblc 10 use elect for {sntinS snaal
ss,ass nae mad pdagyeiions effecs I'M bringing
ssesyy she value OF Gas stocks. Tho stock OF
she. shartered Gas Company OF london,
Tar example, has been depreciated ia
tho market between Eve aud ten million
dollars, is ne, may trust q stat ensent
made before q recent meeting OF the
.xan,g.any. AZ sn auesion saleo gas stock
In this city October 18th shares OF the New
york Easl.ghs Company that on September
I,th brought OH sold for is Shares OF
the Manfatsar Company that sold Tor 2eSSa
In septenibsr went Tor 1494> Whether this
enormous failing OF in value in six weeks
liz to be charged entirely 70 the fear OF cleo,
4ric competition docs not sppear but evt
IDENTITY the larger part OF 10 Is. fora similar
decline is noticeable in other places. ls
there my sufficient reason for it
The manufacturers oil Gas say that tnere
is none; that the electric light 1s simpiy
ssoSra;nate branch 81 illumination, aud no,
naarSy 90 dan ycrolis a competitor as the pc.
frnIes,rn light is. The electric hight may an
ever. and be ecouicaf Tor lighting large
.snaces srosa g single source; but even
.sf,at Il antsse doubtful by recent improve e
unarts in large gas-burners, with wnicn
she sincrease in illuminating power Is
worry .n,r,rh more rapid than. the in.
.crease ein the amount OF gas consumed.
sTbe,nse OF electricity for lighting rooms OF
snoderara dimensions Is declared 1mpracts.
-,caI from the difficulty or impossibillty OF
fliridipg the current sufficiently, and un
nroftabie from the rapid loss OF power
when the current Is divided at all. AS
Professor Morton explained Iaiely, when
the intensity OF the light is diminished Dy
subdivision the percentage OF light decreases
ENORMOUSLY; so that where given eieetri .
force, applied to one lamp, gives ;s,, iiSn. ,
say ;of eighty burners, 1t Wiii with Two
sanons give only as much light as thirty
burners.
= whether Mr.. Edison has overcome all
4base obstacles to the economical use OF
electricity in small lights remains to be
nrnyed. Nevertheless, his invention seems
TN have been the occasion Of something ike
manic among the holders OF gas stocks-a
manic which would be foolish, even were
everything claimed for the invention aDso'
lnteIy true and certain; rs iltt!e une&.
cited thought with regard to the nature OF
gas. and the vast ,indeveloDed FIELDS OF use
snlness open to it, will show.
Rut what is Mr.. Edison's discovery? A
few words will suffice to give an idea OF It,
It is based, on the well-known fact that q
wire NAV be heated by an electric current,
the basis Of many attempts to accomplish
what Mr.. Edison claims to have done. The
reader may have seen the gas Jets OF the
dome OF the Capitol at Washington lighted
nv similar means. Over each burner is
placed coil OF platinum wire, which, when
heated by the electric current, rlgnltes the
fras Mr.. Edison uses the coil itself rs the
source OF light, the current sent through II
. heinp strong enough to make the coil white
hot. or .self-iuminous. The difficulty to be
overcome at this point was the liability OF
The ,wire to fuse and spoil the light-a diff
entity which Mr.. Edison claims to have oo-
waited by the introduction OF simple DE.
vice which, by the expansion OF small
t,ar the instant the heat OF the coil ap-
breaches the fusing point OF platinum In
ferposes check to the flow OF the current
-throush.th coil. This automatic arrange
rnent. in connection with an auxiliary re-
sistance coil, secures, it is said, an even
fIow OF electricity through the coil, and
consequently steady glow Of pure light.
TT this Is done economically. 1t is obvious
that marked advance has been made In
artificial illumination.
Must gas 60 out in consequence? Our
opinion TO the contrary has already Deen
expressed. The, communication from Mr..
Strong relative to the use OF gas as fuel may
be read with interest in this connection; it
will be found in another column. The
enormous capital invested in gas-Works AN
street-mains is ia no danger Of being made
useless. Whatever may come out OF the
electric light, the demand for gas IS sure to
increase enormously. BY recent improve
ments in the processes of gas-making it has
become possible to supply this most perfect
fuel at rates which must rapidly do away
with all other fuels for most domestic and
other purposes; and 1t is quite possible
that the gas that will be required for sup
plying power for the generation OF electri-
City, supposing the use of electricity to eX-
tend, as its advocates claim, will amply
compensate for all that is likely to DE with
drawn from public consumption by the adj
,vances Of the new light. At all events, the
holders OF gas stocks will do we'll not to
sacrifice their property in consequence OF
this temporary and uncalled-for furry.
TroubIc ON a BObtafI car.