The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-10-26
New York Graphic.l
EdisOn's New Light.
Electricity Soon to Take the Place OF Gas
ia All Cities.

positively No Admittance' was the discour-
aging greeting at the door of Edison's labora-
tory at Menlo Park, Saturday, when the repre-
sentative of the Graphic entered and encoun-
tered the pleasant faces of Mr.. Bachelor, Edi-
sons indispensable assistant, and Mr.. Griffin,
secretary and correspondent.
"Now, what is that inhospitable sign for?"
they were asked.
ssYou see," Bachelor said, edison is alto
gether more amiable than it is wise to be. He
doesn't want to bar anybody out, so he lets all
sorts of i1quisitve people come here and occupy
his time, when they are moved by no motive
higher than idle curiosity. But at important
seasons like this we can induce him to keep
some of the people out"
He is particularly busy now, is he?' asked
the Graphic
"Yes," responded Bachelor; "ths fact is, for
several weeks now he has been at work night
and day on this electric light. He has driven
it into pretty small corner at last. Here he
comes and can speak for himself"
at this point Mr. Edison came Gathering
down the stairs, glowing with pleasant ex-
element and evidently just emerged from his
wizards cave. Hello. is it you" he said rap
idly. "In week or two I'll have my electric
light ready for you . illustrate, if you care to
do SO.
"You seem to be making panic among the
gas companies" said the Graphic.
"Wel, yes: those old fellows know what they
are about. I've got 'em, certain, and they are
fnding it out"
SIS there really any coed cause for this sud-
den tumble of gas stocks?"
SIT is little precipitate, perhaps. but it was
bound to come. The electric light is the light
OF the future-and it will be my light-unless,"
he added, with concliatory twinkle, ''some
other fellow gets up better one. Still. the gas
stocks need not decline. The C)mpanies can
just adopt electricity instead OF gas and run our
wires inside of their pipes"
"The American Gaslight Association doesn't
believe IN you" suggests ! q scientific gentle-
man who w1 present
"Tht q gentlemen are right from their point
of view" said Edison, but they talked in the
dark. they didn't know what had got hold
of. Bachelor was at their meeting and was
greatly amused"
"Howeyer seeing is believing continued
he, land will show you the electric light and
my methods of feeding aud regulating it, only
stimulating that you will give no description of
applied for, but not yet granted"
He led the way up stairs again, to the second
floor of the laboratory, which has been illus
trated in the Graphic, and paused before the
bench where he first hit on the phOnOg raph,
and where be fnishe1 his telephone. Three
small brass standards were there six or eight
iuches high, each with small glass globe or
cylinder at the top, enclosing curious nest of
wires. From each standard wire descended
through the floor.
"Thege are the lamps" said the invent ,r
re-lghting the pc which had gone out and
placing it on the bench where it immediatly
vanished again. He touched lever on the
bench "Now the current is on this lamp" he
explained, touching the smallest; sit is lighted,
but you do not yet see it," Presently the nest
of wire at the top assumed a dull crimson glow.
In another minute it YVES scarlet; then it tarned
to fierce white heat.
"Of course, there is no flame," he said; ''the
light IS wholly from incandescence That light
cree se or diminish it y any ex'1nt. can reg
ulste it with mathematical accuracy"
"What is that wire that glows?"
"That is platina.
"How long will 1t last?"
Forever, almost 1t will not burn. 1t nev-
er oxydizes."
Then he turned it down through all shades Of
red, till the light vanished. "You do not see it
now," be said; 'but it is lighted. 1t is invisi.
BILE. and the electricity ,quired is almost in
un1tely small, Dut IL Is tnere, anu tOucn Will
recall it-seeE and he tapped the lever and
the illumination returned. FLOWS that for a
sick room?" he asked with broad smile of
pleasure.
He connected the circuit with the two other
lamps and showed their different patti ,rns and
capacities. Then he explained the popularity
which rendered this electric light practicable
and valuable, and said, ''if statement of tha
were published it might invalidate my foreign
patents" He didn't fsk an "afidavy'' of
secrecy, but seemed satisfied with the negative
affirmation of silence.
This is exactly what you want it to be, then,
is it?' asked one of the party.
"Not exactly" said Mr. Edison, "there are
three points to be perfected 1 am working on
them now. One is an electricity meter. You
see. this thing has to be invented from the very
beginning"
"Where does this electricity come from?' he
IVES asked.
Down stairs. 1t is furnished by our engine
We use Wallace's machine-William Wallace,
of Ansonia; wonderfully ingenious man.
into gas. In actual operation, one large engine
would supply whole town with light"
"How much will your lights cost, Mr. Edi-
son2"
"They'l cost good deal less than gas. How
much less is not now certain, nor is it prudent
to estimate it. But, confdentially, will tell
you that
(Mr Edison here told in whisper how cheap
he thought the electric light could be fur
nished; but the Graphic ambassador did not
take notes, and is uncertain whether he said it
would cost four cents an hour for 100 feet, or a
cent for four hours for 100 burners)
We returned to the electric lamps. "You
light one of these" said Edison, "by just turn
ing thumb screw. No lighting of matches,
no fumes, no danger of suffocation or damage
if you leave 1t turned on full. Aud the beauty
of it is. said he taking up his pipe and lighting
it, ''that no electricity is wasted. What you
don't use, the other lamps in the circuit do"
'Now," he added, laying down the pipe,
where it presently went out, ~ wish L could
give to the public the whole secret, but cam t
run any risk. 1t is impossible to tell the pub
lie at present just what have patented. But
you may assure the readers of the Graphic that
this thing is within sight" We followed him
to the back window, where he called our at
t3ntion to groups of workmen digging and said
81 am putting up new building there to per-
feet this electric light. 1t will be 135 by IS feet
and will be equipped with two eighty-horse
power engines, an immense hydraulic press,
and much other machinery. We are going to
put electric lights all over Menlo park and see
how many one. horse power will feed. We
want to know exactly all aboutit."
The return train whistled unexpectedly, and
the visitors rushed down across the field, fol-
lowed by the warning voice of the Wizard, who
shouted from the porch, Don't give me away