New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-11-15
THE ELECTRIC LIGHT.


MR. EDrsoS's SUCCESSES AND HoPEs-HE IS IN
GOOD HEALTH AND EXCELLENT SPIRITS, AND IS
PUSHING oN HIS EXPERIMENTS vIGoRoUsLY-
his CONNECTION WITH THE METROPOLITAN
RAILROAD.
To the Editor or The Tribune.
SIR: rnE TRIBUNE Of this morning contains the
following paragraph, which you will undoubtedly
be glad to correct
PROFESSOR KDIsoN's EXPERIMENTS.
Professor Thomas A. Edison has ceased his expert
mentS on the Metropolitan Elevated Raj road with a
Wow TO discovering Of deadening the sound
and has severed his connection with the railway COM
pany IL il understood that Professor Edison is suffer
ing from hralth, aud that he also given up
penments with the electric light.
My relations to both the Metropolitan Elevated
Railway Company aud to Mr.. Edison, in respect to
his inventions and discoveries in electric light give
mo opportunity to know the truth about these
matters: and the public interest concern
ing them makes it seem a duty to correct
statements which / know to be erroneous
Mr.. Edison's experiments upon the railway struc-
ture have terminated because they are complete.
His connection with the company remains tho samo
as before under subsisting contract by which the
company has a right to his advice and services at
any time as an expert in acoustics.
Mr.. EdisOns ill-health, as learn indirectly from
his family physician, DR.. Leslie Ward, of NewYork.
and directly from DIR. Il. l.. Reyes, of New-YOrk,
who visited him professionally two weeks since at
Menlo Park. was Of u temporary character and not
at all serious. For about two weeks past MIR.
Edison has been daily and nightly, as usual, at
work in his laboratory upon the electric light L
spent several hours with HIM there on Tuesday last
He seemed IN the highest spirits, and IN excel
lent health, and very enthusiastic over the
result of his work in electric lighting Since the
state OF progress in this work is of interest to the
public, may avail of this occasion to state my
understanding of il, promising that l am not an
expert.
As understand IT, Mr. Edison first discovered
some months since his new method of dividing the
electric light or in other words OF taking the cleo
the current which by onR-knOwn methods produces
Through incandcsceDce and slow combustion OF
carbon pencils) single light equal. say TO 1000
candles aud passing 10 over an extended wirel dis
tribuung it at numerous different points so as to
yield at each point separate light of say fifteen
candles-the ordinary gas-buner power. lie then
devised fors of lamp Intended in connection with
other devices. to enable him TO produce with the
same current such number OF separate lights that
the sum Of these divided lights would equal the
sum of gle light produced by the carbons. His
first invention, as it will appear in the first
patents to DO issued, viii but made
quatey show the novel discoveries and
devices which he has made, even to tins time
mt winch time, according TO his own view, he IL
comparatively only upon the threshold of new
and wonderful development of electrical science
In the meantime, the proper exhibition of what ha'
already been invented. well as tho study of the
economical questions involved. required the cree
ton Of large buildings. engines, etc, which is now
going on with the utmost rapdity. Pending their
completion, Mr.. Edison. far from having given up
his experim snts. Is pursuing q great variety OF
them with his customary energy, and even more
than bis customary good fortune
In the meantime thcre is an interest some
where TO set on foot false reports affecting Mr..
Edisons light, Of which, recently circulated in
an uptown club. beg space 10 correct. lt was
stated that an official paper emanating from the
British Patent Office. had been seen which denied
patent to Mr.. Edison. Tue author of the report
would perhaps have been moro careful bad he
known that the legal period liked for the issue OF
denial of such patent has not yet been reached,
and that the existence Of such paper at this time
is therefore impossible. Yours
GRosvENoR =. LowREY.
No. 8 Broad-st., Sae- York. Nov. II, 1873.