The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-05-03
Is THIs TmE loom OF GAS.
The Electric Light for General Use
improvements by which IL Can be
Ised I'm Streets ind Houses,

Used I'm streets and Houses,
The New York Tribune says: The
use of the electric light for Illuminating
streets and large buildings has been made
practicable, it is claimed, through some
recent inventions by the electrician, j.
b Fuller, of Brooklyn. Heretofore the
use of the electric light for ordinary lllu-
minating purposes has been attended
with seemingly unsurmountable Difficult
ties. The cost of electricity supplied by
batteries was too great to allow the light
to be used in competitor with gas, ana the
batteries were found to be untrus.worthy
on account of their Inconsistency and ten
denCy TO become weak.
Much additional expense was made
necessary IN the construction of the
electric lamp Intricate mechanism,
moved by clockwork, kept the carbon
points in position as they were beir g
consumed by the electric current. THIS
mechanism was liable TO get out OF order
and required the attention of persons
well acquainted with its construction.
Another difficulty was encountered in
the attempt to divide the electric current
so that number of lights could be sup
piled with one wire. Where several
lights were placed in a series, the failure
of any one of them broke the current
and put out all the others. The
use of the electric light was limited there
lore, to light houses and places where
one large light Of unusual brillisncy
was desired.
Mr.. Fuller overcame one difficulty in
the use o. the electric light, several
years ago, by lnVenting 81 msgneto-elec-
trio machine. which produced constant
currents of electricity ut trihing cost.
The machine has been much improved
since, 50 that il can produce currents OF
any desired power, and can also produce
several distinct currents at the same
time. 1t generates electricity by induC-
ton, by means of armatures surrounded
by coils of wire, which are made to move
rapidly past powerful magnets. The
currents produced are steady and con-
slant, and the machine has been used
successfully with the telegraph. Its EN-.
ployment by the large telegraph com
pani0s has been prevented by difficulty
IN the purchase of the patent, which is
now owned by Mr.. Fuller.
An electric amp Of very simple con-
struction AS also been patented by Mr..
Fuller, which costs less than three dollars
when completed. No c!ock-work ma
chnery is employed to keep the carbon
points in position, and the lamp will
burn for hours without being touched.
The strips of carbon, of UNEQUAL size, are
placed parallel with each other at such
distance apart that the current of cleo
tricity will pass between the polrts and
give the best light. They are also placed
at an angle with the perpendicular.
Against their upper sides rests strip
OF glass, which prevents the eec.
triclty from flowing between
the csrbons, except at their points.
electric current, the glass near the point
becomes heated snd gradually melts
away. While melting, the glass allows
the passage through it of some part Of
the electric current, and increases the IA.
diating surface OF the light. Tue effect
of this is to lessen somewhat the intensi-
ty of the light, and to increase its volume.
The ordinary electric light is so dazzling
that it pains the eye. The light pro-
duced by one of Mr.. Fuller's lamps is
softer, but not less brilliant and power
full
Mr. Fuller has ready to be patented 81
invention by which the electric current
carrie. over single wire can be divided
into "a large number Of independent
branches, each capable of supplying
lamps of different power. The invention
is exceedin gly simple, but description Of
it is withheld for the present by the
inventor. About the middle of December
last Mr.. Fuller set up one of his
electric machines at the machine works
of the Brady Manufacturing Compa-
ny, in Brooklyn, and lighted the building
with his electric lamps for several
months. Several lights were used, sll
supplied by a current passing through q
single WIRE. The same machine and
electric lamps were in uss recently st the
branch store of Msltby & Co. at No. IL
Greenwich avenue, and sttrsced much
attention. Mr.. Fuller estimates that one
of his machines, capable of producing
one hundred lights of one hundred
candle power each, which may be placed
in circle Of mile from the machine,
can be operated at an expense of thirty
pounds of coal an hourito maintain steam
power.