Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-11-06
luafehnar d yunrraL.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1878
Electric Light In London.


Letters from London describe the electric
light as the al-absorbing topic Just now.
For months past the subject has been recev-
n; much notice, and they have even had the
new light in actual use in several places but
when the report came that Mr.. Edison had
succeeded in dividing the new light and
making it more available for ordinary street
lighting purposes, public interest started
into genuine blaze, and gas shares tum-
bled. The newspapers are full of the new
subject, and every one of the leading Lon.
don papers gives it an editorial. Among
the new companies registered last week were
three which propose to devote themselves to
electric lighting. One has a share capital of
100000. Another has also a share capital
of 100000, and third, $4,000 Every.
thing seems to point to the probability of
success, and the Times intimates that the
numbered, and that they are about to have
better aud purer light. Gas shares have
long been among those securities which
1uctuate very little, If at all, but in three
days, recently, they fell on an average fully
twelve per cent. About half dozen com
panies supply London with gas, and their
aggregate capital is some S60,000,000. The
average charge per one thousand feet is
eighty-seven cents. It is estimated that in
the entire kingdom not far from S500,000,000
is invested in gas shares This shows how
great an amount OF wealth stands in danger
of depreciation by the success of the electric
light. Its complete success would be a great
calamity to the holders of such stocks.
The electric light is now in successful use in
several places in London. The lessee of the
Gayety Theatre was the pioneer For some
months the new light has beamed upon the
Strand from the front of the theatre, and
the two rows of gas lamps give but sickly
yellow light in comparison The two cleo
trio lights there CLEAN like two comets, and
attract crowds of people to see the new won
der. 1t is also used within the theatre The
London Stereoscopic Company also uses it,
and has given the public some of the results
and comparisons with the cost of gas. They
state that the light produced costs but seven
pence an hour, inclusive of all charges, and
the light is equal to that of four thousand
sperm candles The standard gas burner,
giving a light of sixteen Candles consumes
gas at the rate of five cubic feet per hour
To produce light equal to four Thousand
candles would require two hundred and
fifty gas burners consuming twelve hundred
and fifty cubic feet per hour, and costing
IS. Cd. at the minimum rate charged in Lon
don-three shillings for one thousand. At
that rate, light for light the gas is over six
times the cost of the electric light. Some
thirty per cent. must be deducted for loss in
transmission through some semi-transparent
medium, but if even fifty per cent. be de-
Quoted, gas would still be three times rs
high. Mr.. Harrison, the manager of that
company, states that any number of electric
lights, each equal to twelve hundred sperm
candles, may be produced at cost of four
pence per light per hour. A further division
is, of course, needed, that the number of
lights may be multiplied without so greatly
multiplying the cost. But, whether Mr..
Edison can do this or not, the electric light
even under present difficulties, will probably
soon be a general fact in London.