The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-12-10
THE ELECTRIC LIGHT.

DISCOURSE DY PROFESSOR sEELEY--NoT NEW
Discoveries PERMANENT SUCCESS GUAR
ANTEEp.
A we'll attended meeting Of the New York Academy
of Sciences held last evening in the rooms of
the New York Academy of Medicine. No. u
West Thirty first street. Dr. Ncwberry occu-
pied tho chair. Professor Charles A. Sceley
delivered an interesting discourse on Tho
electric light" He aid-Thc electric light Is sup
posed by many to be among tho most recent Of elcc
trical inventions; but this is not SO, for Sir Hum
phrey Davy exhibited il in tho year 1910,
employing for the purpose a galvanc bat
terry OF 5000 cells. Since that time it has
been familiar to professors Of chemistry and their
students at all the large colleges But II regarded
only o curious fact a brilliant illustration OF
science. At first the great cost and the
aunoyanccs in its management did not
give a resting place for a suggestion that
it would ever become o useful light Probably. also,
Davy tho first to exhibit the electric light Of the
incandcscence of platinum and carbon; perhaps his
ncandcsccnt light is insignificant in the light OF the
arc.
THE MARCH OF IMPROVEMENT
In the year 1870 commenced TO have greatly
improved generators of electricity, that electricity
came to be cheaper and more manageable. In 1874
American. From that year there has been
stream Of patents constantly increasing
in volume. Inc cl1trfCAl generators nave
been steadily improved and the conditions of pro-
ducing the light better understood Electricity
is now cheap and we know how to ii. To-day
the solid and permanent OF the electric light
IL achieved and guaranteed Experience in its constant
practical light house beacon extends TO
fifteen years. consider II established also that all
the desirable qualities and properties of gas
light are found in tho electric light and
that the electric light has desirable qualities
in addition. The relative cost of equal
quantities OF gaslight and electric light will generally
determine which should be used, but there will be
many cases which the advantages of electric light
will be so conspicuous that gaslight will not be
thought of. 1 do not want to be understood
as saying that the electric light is going
20 take the place of gas for all purposes, but tor
beacon lights. lighting Streets theatres public and
private picture galleries and libraries there Is
doubt il will supcrsetc gas II you could got tho
same quantity of light out of gas, the heat would be
sitting; and again. the electric light is much better
for the eye. Some people suppose that light depends
on heat but IL has been demonstrated by Dr. Draper
that there is relation at all between light and heat
believe there mechanical equivalents Of light
and heat.
POPULARITY ELECTRIC LIGHT.
You sec am very favorable 10 electric light. IL
used fifteen years ago in England and France. and
to-day 10 is used by all civilized nations, in light
houses and steamships. We here have the best
improvements in the electric light. and there
Is good why should not
have utilized IL ten years ago. The electric light
subdividcd and used for illuminating purposes in
private residence at SALEM Mass thirteen years ago.
In pir youth mona Of uAsaY an illumination gyeotex