The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1878-12-06

Mr.. Edison's Latest Experimental fth M
Electric Light.

-""~~%F $3.50 "Nftftff AttAAA- I4urDu IH>
: terday descended from his Menlo Par
laboratory. All his time and emery
are now bent toward the development
OF the electric light. His eyes are brigh
and restless, and his motions quick an.
impulsive. II is easy 10 see that hi
thoughts are with his experiments wher
talking on the most common place sub
jects. "The thing is opening up be
fore me-" he says, ssand | am dali,
making new and most important dis
I coveries." He seems like a man walk.
ing in another world.
When asked concerning the report
that an examiner in the Patent flee
had rejected his application for patent
upon divisible electric light On The
ground that it Is an infringement upon
an invention made by John w. Starr, Of
Cincinnati, in 1s45, he said that il could
not be true. Prof. Morton, in an ar
ticle printed in the Sun last week, spoke
OF that invention" he saws. "The
patent was taken out in England by a
Mr.. King, who was Starts patent
solicitor. Il was for an electric lamp.
The light came from incandescent car
bon, and was identical with the LIGHT
now on exhibition in New York by Saw
yer Il Manu.
Here Mr.. Edison referred to Prof.
Morton's article, which described the
Starr light as consisting of an alright
glass vessel, within which a small rod
o. platinum or carbon was so placed
That it could be heated intensely bv the
passage Of an electric current. The air
was removed from within the vessel. in
case carbon rod was used, to prevent
its combustion.
Mr.. Edison says his invention is diff
ferent. 81 can't patent the divisibility
OF the electric light" he adds "but /
can patent the means that allows II. In
other words, can patent lamp, or
any device that will make this division.
My application for patent for lamp
IS already before the Commissioner. and
Is taking its regular course. According
TO the rules of the Patent office nothing
concerning i can be divulged. have
heard that i IS progressing favorably,
and that is all have heard. One thing
$ certain. My application does not
conflict with with Stars invention. [
have already received seven patents
bearing on the electric light, and have
lied three caveats. Five more similar
are now under way. III
nave had man in the Aston Library
'earch the French and English patent
'ecords and scientific journals from the
earliest dates down to the past fortnight.
md nothing like my arrangements has
'cen revealed
Scientific journals says Mr.. Edi-
on, Frequently pick me up on mis-
tatements by reporters. For instance,
me OF your attaches some time ago rep
esented me as saying that could pro-
luce 10000 lights with one electric ma
hine. He misunderstood me. l meant \
hat could produce 10000 lights from
ne station, and there might be from 80
% machines in each station. II Won |
emember, propose to light cities from
lectric stations, the wires covering 50 I
iany blocks. There is a vast difference /
! the two statements.
Now" continued Mr.. Edison. al I
nd the scientific journals going for me h
q the idea OF the supplying power. Ilr
lily understand and know that there i 4
enormous loss in transforming steam v
over into electric power, but ii can 3
I'll the latter power for three times I,
lore than the original cost Of the steam |,
over, there is a good profit notwith- s.
andiDg this loss. To illustrate: With I,
Ie same wires used for the electric b
yht could put electric power into q h
1vate house that would run a sewing "
achine. Now, the loss in furnishing Ii
Is power might be rs per cent, but Il L
could get 10 cents day for supplying b
Q power to run each machine should "a
Axe an enormous profit" al
" DO you mean TO tell me that vou
n supply this power with the same q
gines, the same electric machines, pl
q the same wires that you would use W
produce the electric lightpn l asked. al
- mean just that" answered the al
ofessor, smiling, "and il am not 81
staken in the purport of my expert til
'nts, mean TO say that | can light sit
q heat private houses and supply cleo W
power for sewing or other ma m
ines with the same telegraphic circuit. on
nave made discovery by which I III
nix | can concentrate and use the co
ctric heat which has heretofore been de
sted. My discovery is substance ali
ich, placed between two metal plates, tn
DIS the heat, and gives enough of
to cook beefsteak or make
!. soup, or coffee. I am not vet Pc
'itive about it. 1t may prove fail V,
(, but the result of my experiments ~
titles me in saying that il bids fair TO en-
q success. We know that we can co
nsform electricity into heat, light rel
motive power. There Is less loss in ne
ming Il into light and heat than in pr
king II motive power. The loss in Uni
motive power is considerable, and ye'
robably due to defects in the electric inc
shine. The loss in transforming rel
tricity into light and heat is incon- Iro