The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-10-25
ELECTRIC LTGHT.
a savant who Thinks TINT Edison has Under
inken Too MenvY y job.

taken Too HenVy - JOb
To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sh: Your
remarks upon Edison's electric light are full
Of interest. judge that tho panic in gas stocks.
which has been produced in great part by the
broad claims of Mr.. Edison 10 tho discovery of
u practicable method of subdividng the cleo
trio light, is. TO say tho least. premature.
Mr.. Edison Is now experimenting with his
light. and at latest accounts had not solved
all the problems involved. The field in which
he II laborng IN an entirely now one to him. as
the science OF magnetic or dynamo. electricity il
far different from that Of telegraphy or electro
magnetism. There are problems involved.
especially in the subdivision Of the light. which
are far greater than any embodied in any pre-
viOus invention or improvement Of MIR. Edison.
The scientific world has been laboring at II al
most constantly since Kings invention in 1S45.
In 1858 M. Jobart Of Paris made some very
startling claims. which wero almost exactly the
same M those made by Ellison. hut continued
experiment exposed their fallacy
The principal difficulty to be overcome is the
lack OF economy IN any method Of producing
light by electricity. except by the votaic are
between carbon points and rs Mr.. Edison dis
claims this method. aud limits himself to tho
plan OF incandcscencc. he will find his path
bcsct with difficulties in this direction. This is
shown by thc well-known fact that an electrical
current Of q given strength will yield about ten
times as much light when used to produce tho
voltaic arc between carbon points az II could by
being passed through "a picco OF platinum, go
ne to raise II TO white heat and give the light
In some experiments recently made In Paris
10y N. Fontaine. it was found that q powerful
battery OF fOrty-cight elements would produce
in ono lamp n light by incandescencc equal to
forty burn9rs but that when the Same current
only thrcc to nvo burners and when divided be-
tween thrcn lamps, only ono-quartcr burner in
extinction OF tho light A similar resuu wns
reached whether the lamps were placed In
series in tho same circuit or I'm derived circuits
In using a dynamo electric machine in place Of
Il battery as the source OF the electricity the
same difficulty would present itself, with this
additional ono. that whereas tho electro motive
i9ir'o vt battery remains constant under all
changes Of resistance. that OF Il machine docs
MOI, but decreases as the resistance increases
The writer has thoroughly investigated the
subject OF electric light as m economical SUBJ
stitutc for gus, and Is entirely familiar with all
this direction, Abrond by means oi tho
Grammc mnchine and the tnbiochkoir candle
sixteen lights of70o-candle power each are pro-
duced from ono machine. absorbing sixteen
horse power. Tho candles cost sixteen cents
cach, and burn an hour and a half Estimates
Of ils cost vary from one-haf 10 three times the
cost ot gas. In this country tho field Is occu-
pied Ivy several kinds OF apparatus. At the
american Institute talr are number Of Wal
lace machines. furnishing in oil nineteen lights
scattered through the main building. Inquiry
rom the engineer WHO cares for the engine
driving these machines develops the fact that
not less than siNty-horse power is consumed
Tor these nineteen lights. In the machinery
halls four lights arc used. furnished 10y Brush
machine absorbing seven horse power. These
nrc much stcndirr and prasunter TO the eye
than those In the main building. The makers
of the Brush machine claim that. with a larger
machine absorbing twelve-h horse power, they
can produce fifteen to twenty lights of 2.OO1-
candle power each, thus considc raNly imnrov-
ing upon the French system.
Unless MIR. Edison can Substantial his claims
and produce better results than are given above
and there ia not the slightest evidence thnt he
has actually done even as much-ihc conclusion
clearly reached is this That for the lighting OF
dwellings and all places where twenty or thirty
or perhaps forty gas burners suffice. gas will
hold its own and still bc tho most economical
| light For the lighting ~ large spaces. requir-
| ing much light. such rs large factories. mills.
| fonndries. docks. dero,s. hotels. theatres &c..
electric light Is most certainly suitable. and
! will no dOub, 10 very largely used but these
| are not tho main Deepen lencc Of the gas COM
nanies. and Il would be singular II their dv-
bends should he materially affected for some
| time 10 come 10y the e new light"
Tho writer las no interest direct or indirect,
IN ens gas stocks. and, on the contrary. would
be glad 10 SEQ electric light fully successful. He
| II one of Il considerable number. however who
would be glad 20 ascertain and distinctly under
| stand not only what Edison saws he can do. or
| how he proposes - do IT, but what ho actually
has done to support his claim. q.
NEW YORK. Or. ~.