The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1878-10-10
EDISON'S NEWEST MARVEL.

Electric Machine.
Mr.. Edison says that he has discov-
cred how to make electricity cheap
and practicable substitute for illum-
mating gas. Many scientific men
have worked assiduously in that di-
rection, but with little success. A
powerful electric light was the result
of these experiments, but the problem
of it's division into many small lights
was puzzler. Gramme, Siemens,
Brush, Wallace, and others produced
at most ten lights from single ma
chine, but a single one of them was
found to be impracticable for lighting
augft save large foundries, mills and
workshops. 1t has been reserved for
Mr.. Edison to solve the difficult prob
lem desired. This, he says, he has
done within few days. His expert
ence with the telephone, however,
has taught him to be cautious, and he
is exerting himself to protect the new
scientific marvel, which, he says, will
make the use Of gas for illumination a
thing of the past.
Mr.. Edison, besides his power of
origination, has the faculty for devel-
OpIuS lut lOCdo dlllt llCOudulCd1 COIl-
structions of others. He visited the
Roosevelt pianoforte factory in this
city, and. while examining the COM
ponent parts of the instruments, made
four suggestions SO valuable that they
have been patented. While in the
mining district of the West, recently,
he devised means Of determining
the presence OF gold below the sur
face without resorting to costly and
laborious boring and blasting. While
on visit to William Wallace, the
electrical machine manufacturer, in
Ansonia Conn.,, he was shown the
lately perfected dynamo electric ma
chine for transmitting power by cleo
tricjty. When power is applied to
this machine, it will not only repro
though said by Edison to be more
powerful than any other machine Of
the kind known, it will divide the
light of the electricity produced into
but ten seperate lights. These being
equal in power to 1900 candles, their
impracticability for general purposes
is apparent. Each of these lights is
in substantial metal frame, capable
of holding I'M horizontal position two
carbon plates. each twelve inches
long. two and half wide, and one
half thick. The upper and lower
parts of the frame are insulated from
each other, and one of the conducting
wires IS connected with each carbon.
In the centre. and above the upper
carbon, is an electro magnet In the
circuit. with an armature, by means
of which the upper carbon is separat-
ed from the lower as far as desired.
Wires from the source of electricity
are placed in the binding posts. The
carbons being together, the circuit
is closed, the electro magnet acts,
raising and lowering the upper carbon
enough to give bright light. The
light moves toward the opposite end
from which it starts, then changes
and goes back, always moving toward
the place where the carbonS are near
est together. If from any cause the
light goes out, the circuit is broken,
Instantly the upper magnet falls. the
circuit is closed, it relights, and sep
arates the carbon again.
Edison on returning home after his
visit to Ansonia, studied and expert.
mented with electric lights. On Fri.
day last his efforts were crowned with
success. and the project that has fill
ed the minds of many scientific men
for years was developed.
Il have it nowI' he said. on Satur.
day. while vigorously turning the
handle of Richie inductive coil in
his laboratory in Menlo Park, land
singularly enough have obtained il
through an entirely different process
than that from which scientific mer
have ever sought to secure it. They
have all been working in the SAINT
groove, ard when it is known how
have accomplished my object, every
body will wonder why they have new
err thought of it. it is SO simple. Wher
ten lights have been produced by {
single electric machine, it has beer
thought to be a great triumph of sci
entitic skill. With the process hav.
just discovered, l can produce thous
and-aye, ten thousand-from on,
machine. Indeed. the number ma,
be said to be infinite. When the bril-
liancy and cheapness of the lights ar,
made known to the puhlic-whicl
will be in few weeks. or just as sool
as l can thoroughly protect the pro
cess-illumination by carbureted by
drogen gas will be discarded. Will
fifteen or twenty of the dynamo-elec
trio machines recently perfected b,
Mr.. Wallace, | can light the entir,
lower part of New York city. using
500 horse power engine. l propose t
establish one of these light centres il
Nassau street. whence wires can b
run up town AS far rs the Cooper In
stitute. down to the Battery. an
across to both rivers. These wire
must be insulated. and laid in tn
ground III the same manner as ga
pipes. l also propose TO utilize tn
gas burners and chandeliers now i
use. In each house | can place 7.
light meter, whence these wires wi
pass through the house. tapping sma
metallic contrivances that may b
placed over each burner. The
housekeepers may turn off their GA
and send the meters back To the con
panieS whence they came. Wheneve
it is desired To light jet. it will onl
be necessary to touch a little sprin
V,a,, NJ, $ab rannsraI