The New York herald., 1878-11-19
ELECTRIC LIGHTS.

t>sESiOk SUDDEN DEATd-WHAT HAd
BEEN ACCOMPLISHED AND WHAT is PROMISED.
WAsnIsaToS. Nov. Iii. 1878.
The subject OF artificial illumination by means of tho
electric light has become topic OF such magnitude
and Importance that al matters in reference to i'm
provcnents in this branch OF science looked upon
with great anxiety both by the people OF the United
States and Europe Tho divisibility of the electric
light Tor Illuminating purposes is not new at all.
The first patent granted for it granted in Eng
land in 1875, to Edward A. King. communication
from him. though one J. W. Starr. young genius.
native OF Cincinnati, Ohio. the inventor. There
was crveat filed in the United States Patent Offce by
j. W. Starr in lS.j wordod almost exactly like Kings
English patent. and subsequently, the case was com.
peted and examined aud rejected. The claim of J.
W. Starr for patent was In these words
CLAIM.
cain the application continuous metallic carbon
coneaetors Intensely heated BY The of
the method oi ;s,ins by ssetrsy which is we'll
g. sa, Ss sassd as Highest
Of Obtaining an intermtng light for the Of light
the mode submarine lighting BY enclosing the
in suitable glass vessel hereticay sealed and also the
compounds materials. A. set forth.
This rejected December s. 1sl6 as will appear
from the annexed copy of official letter.
LETTER OF REGISTER.
slRYoar application for letters patent the use Of
and found y prssen. novelty of paenaIc char
s 4 ss Il % S's's s F1 to
produce The ntenisson q the ignition all well known
without nysnon discovery cannot be pat
has been by the courts AZ moe the subject OF
patent There II asrsossr but slight novelty ia your
produced there must have been corresponding luina-
@ 's has o es .,
made variety Of trials have been made and in all cases
s.S S q p0ysa p to ate s
be obviate they would legitimate subjects pat
ss s ss s S ss 70
ysnon or discovery shead you desire .e present any
considered otherwise you can withdraw your application
Such letter of "slittering generalities would not
be tolerated under the present practice Of the Patent
Oficc but the inventor. Starr died between the
time Of the date Of the English patent and the
ination of his American application the agent King,
withdrew the case from the Office and received the
$40 fee returned
INvEsroR's UNTIMELY DEATH
There are some romantic and tragic incidents con,
nectcd with this first invention that win briefly
summarize. This young man Starr was philosophi.
cal instrument maker in Ohio and had he lived would
doubtlesss have proved to be as great genius a.
Edison any other electrician. He experimental
plete 1t. Mr. King going his agent. and two
gentlemen Judge J. W. McCorke. late member Of
Congress from California. and Mr.. p p Love. of Day.
ton Ohio. furnished the money, about s30Oo Each
was have fourth interest in the invention Letters
Of introduction given to King and Starr to
the American banker ip London, George Peabody.
who, when the subject fully explained to
him. agreed to furnish all the capital that would be
required to promote the project to a sue
cessful and practical use. provided that the
san. same . va, rost ana the
Professor Faraday was chosen. In the meantime
Starr AMI King returned to Manchester, where Starr
built what he termed tree. called The United
States" He had on it twentysix branches or limbs.
which he called by the names of the then twentysi1
an electric light. covered by glass globe each Of
which was painted inscribed the of each
State. Having thus completed his invention he aud
to the electricians at the Electrical So-
cicty. Professor Varsday being present. So
nourced it perfect success. After the exhibition
was King and starr went homo perfectly elated
meal they retired to bed. The next morning starr.
not making his appearance at the morning meal.
allowed to remain in bed, but the day ad-
vanced and he did not make his appearance King and
the landlord went to his room. and not being able
awaken him. they burst open the door and there
found poor Starr dead in his bed. Tho excitement
and ovcrwork os the brain supposed to have
caused his death. From that day to this nothing
further has been done with this Starr invention
OTHER INVENTIONS.
The next public demons tration of the illuminating
powers Of the electric light l find in work pub
iished at Lyons, in France. in 1857 II n called
System of Lighting by Electricity" by Meesrs Lo
capaync and Theirs They. made several successf,l
experiments Mt Toulon and Paris but from all accounts
they did not have good generator Of electricity
though the light was good. They only claimed thai
streets lighthouses and the like l And. also. that
in 1s75and 1876 there were English patents granted
to Brewer. in q communication Of Kolod to
one Clark. and also to johnson.
The next patent nnd is that granted by the United
States Patent Office to P. JabockhoG Of Paris who.
by the way. is Russian oihcer This is the patent
under which the Avenue de IOpera and other public
plnccs and large stores at the Louvre In Paris.
now being lighted. This patent is dated May Is.
1877. No. l00.s64. 1t may be interesting to know the
claim Of the inventor. which is a. follows
cairacdrhc described electric candles composed Of
ased from each o.hor and from tho ly solsns
sas sspSs con stSr Il the psr Of Sdusas ~ M
ranged with non conducting base. described.
There arr great many objections to the Jablock-
hon patent 1t IL liable to go out and the American
electricians think but little OF it. The writer. who
has just returned from Paris has these failures
which q rule is brilliant yet subdued by the large
frosted glass globes with which the lamps covered,
will at times become very obscure and look just 10
were going 1t is also very noticeable fact that
when there Is heavy fog the electric light u almost
sslpssd - evidenced @ One morning in Paris sSSu.
fog and the only light that could bediscerned the
din gsslight in the Maazin du Louvre. the electric
light being almost invisible. This would seem to
demonstrate the fact thai artificial illumination by
means of electric light in fog is failure.
OPINIONS ELEcTnlcIaxs
Tho opinions Of eminent electricians this sub.
jcct will doubtless be read with interest. Professor
dc In Rive OF Geneva in his work entitled "A Treatise
OIL Electricity In Theory and Practice" translated
into English and published in 1865 in speaking VI n-
Illumination by electricity says:
The clectric light although superior to all other artificial
lights BY its briiacy and its radiation which
appearance of star light, has a blush effect very
which may rendered rosy. Il a
B, employing .he eoasirae.ion Of points
hic the electric forth carbons
However this light be daxsling and
too little favorable 10 the objects illuminated be
pcycd with ndyantsgo FOR ordinary illnmin alton even
should the cost "a obtaining Il u 10 be rejected
In the work find Mr.. Gore gave the exact
idca of cxpenfe, and introduced votaineer into the
circuit, and hnds by experiment that the expense
would bc very inconsiderable compared with any
other known means of artificial Illumination
INVENTIONS.
These then, appear be all the best authorities on
tho subcct till We come down 20 the present time.
Your correspondent this morning sought out Mr.. J.
b. Fuller another very eminent electrician who II
now in Waalngton. parfectiul of bis clams