The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-01
THE LIGHT OF THE FUTURE.
An ELECrRICAL CANDLE THAT WILL
DANISH GAS METERS.
rrsi,c Bu,idinss. Rooms and squares In Paris
go Brilliantly Lighted with tho New In
ventton that Even Sunshine IL Hlvailed.

PARIS June 3.-That n good and steady
light can be obtained from an electric current
has long been known. Ae u lecture experiment
tbs familiar to- the stud ious public, and in some
engineering works IT has been practically APP
whore number OF men must be employed in
the night. This has been tho sum q its value
the difficulty and danger attending their use
and tho diliculty Of controlling the ight, placed
colleges. and the general public regarded II
mersiy as a CURIOSITY. awondetful and shining
neans more mysterious than the strange white
light itself Or coqrse the public asked i Il
answer was that ii was too costly to be OF any
practical value for streets. shops. or ships.
The srSdSsI inSsption Of number Of
Of electricity could be obtained from powor lin
other words. the discovery Of means OF turn
position Il was found that the dynamo e dsw
trie machine gave comparatively cheap sup
and inconyenence OF batteries. Now ali that
was needed was power and that the steam en-
CINE or any other form Of motor could supply.
this had been ALL the electric light would
have been at once placed on commercial basis.
i was easy to obtai n current. but II might
now forever through wire, and. to all appear
snS s the wire would be cold and dun. There
some means OF dammna II up, so that when il
finally surmounted the obstruction II would
the obstacle II was found tina sticks or pencils
OF gas carbon were excellent conductors of cleo
trieity. and that. II pencil WINS broken and then
pulled few centmetrcs apart, tho electricity
would leap through the cir over this gap. Tho
EFFORT required 70 pass THIS obstruction deve-
oped heat and light. precisely as the dam de-
veiope power In the stream and makes 1t avail
able in the waterfall
namo- electric machine the current sprnng up,
and following the pencils. lcRpod over the gap
ing rlsre that rivalird the face Of the sun. The
electric light was now on n commercial basis. II
Nothing il at first Wholly successful and rca.
sonably cheap at tue same time:
Tho lamp IN which the silent current burned
with such brilliHncy was not reliable. The two
pencils were consumed: IA they burned away
could not pass. anl rcmeined dormant behind
me lnsuImountnult dam. Push the pen
senioas eoeswork Was , ia"n dsyysS1 Whereby
The two carhons could Ice adjusted to each other
nthey burned away, One Peneli it was t99nh
caused still further trouble; the force Of tho
current sometimes varied. and added to the
complicated cipckwork must be regulating
apparatus controlled. by means OF an electro
magnet 10y the current itself Ia time the dyna
proved, but this complicated and costly lanl
was stu bar 10 the popular use Of the light
that seemed 70 he the end Of the whole matter.
Then appearcdth electric candle that at once
placed electric lighting on new basis. The
sockwork aud regulating apparatus wore re-
placed ~ two sticks OF gas carbon hedded in
kaoin. like a can lie with two wicks. Tho
current passed up one pencil 10 the top, leaped
tcross. IN its luminous arch. To the other. and
Insulated the two p n lis eyerywhcre except At
the top and a. they burned away the kaoin
was also consumed. and thus the lamp was it,
orally an electric candle.
Tho stranger in Paris naturally desires 70 see
.auare In from, Of the buiiline hs may ofsarye
IN the roadway groups Of gas lamps. Al the
t3P Of each group is Gne lamp larger than the
the opaque white glass used Tor lamp shades;
Nor careful insPee'ion shows number ,S OF
the 9psra aoa.
Nv Of Ian md ~
The balconies extend heavy telegraph cables TO
zach OF the lampposts Farther down ne
and thirty feet apsr, along the way among ihe
gas lamps. Let the, visitor wait until about
iaii. white lamps glow with strange fires. The
dusky stree, flashes into sudden glare white.
Rops b saS @ saS doE vas 1E%PT y in sS
on passing om nm or on re ,, 6ub dn
every feature Of the place. stands out IN start.
ling colors. The flowers are real and the trees
sear sharp t true c c9or H"' as s" BY day
light. The painted beauty Of the boulevards
dare not leave the gloom Of the pale yellow gas
and hoT shSms would 6s liyid IN the bright;
ness ness Fresh English girls with roses and
surprise under the strange white lamps for II
issunlight. and their charms can survive the
laurants and read their papers Ii is like day
light aud Il is not necessary 10 60 10 the lamp to
Should the visitor walk on toward the Hotel
de Louvre, he would see one Of the squares an
large building, brilliantly lighted by electric
candies within porcelain globes At Tie
nearly fiity electric lanterns rus shine among the
trees and light up the concert han and rcstsu-
Ike great moons. round and clear white. The
concert garden sign is visible precisely as by
green against the darkness. The trees T. the
left. beyond the gate, make simply blaek
Ike small Iu Yellow low stars Wthn tie garden the
effect Is most singular. The trees and now rs
re Tery IN s sSefy ST e 81 rrs eS
the moses on the walls every stain and marx
On. on the stat9es are yisisle az by dsy' Within
The room 10 about 100 by 81. ana quite
lofty. aud yet four candles placed on posts
room lighter than Il is by day That Is, here IS
more light than comes in by the windows IN the
being placed in the orchestra but IN the adIoin-
ing hall. room OF the same size, four are suiti-
nils The stage. and large audience occupas
the floor. People are reading tho iinely lrihted
lance Of ifty feet from lamp. and tho band
read their music with security. The wide doors
are open. and moro electric candles under the
seated al the Little coffee tables make it almost
equally l,g6t t9sre Here aT9n IAe Hcttn!
dresses appear in their real e1lCrs the tllrs
and greens holding their true shades as by day.
from the white globes that shine So silently 1t
Is not al nll unpleasant 9 watch the lights for,
though bright, they arc not painfully in
tense. They burn wiilfremRGkabe steadlness.
the only changes being n occas loAa lessening
OF the brilliancy and a strange alteration In the
color. the globes sometimes assuming pale
shades OF blue and red. This may DO In part
An optical illusion. resulting from fatigue in
the eye. but il is certain that unless the lamp is
steadily watched. there seems - be absolutely
no change in the quantity or color OF the light
IN the room. Once. while looking at tho lights,
four Of Thorn went out. leaving only two In the
room. This WAS still sufficient 70 enable any
K
man at once came In, and opening wooden
box at the base OF each lamp post, corrected the
difficulty. and the lights sprang up again in
mysterious silence.
On following the wires, hung from lamp to
lamp among the trees in the garden, We can
trace the light TO It's source-three steam en-.
gines behind the building. These are small
portable engines. each turning one or more
electrical machines by means OF belts. The
machines are turning silently and swiftly. but
there Ia neither light nor heat. The light only
appears at the breaks In the circuits where the
candlea ara placed Thla ls tho snm az this