The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1878-11-07
THE NEW LIGHT.
Edison Says Electricity is Soon
to Take the Place of Gas for
Lighting Cities-SOme of the
Points About His Invention,

Points About His Invention,
New YORK, Oct. 22.-" Positivel
No Admittance" was the discouragin,
greeting at the door of Edison's labor
atory at Menlo Park when the report
CT entered and encountered the pleas
ant faces of Mr.. Bachelor, Edison
indispensable assistant. and Mr.. Grif
fin, secretary and correspondents
NOW. what is that inhospitahl
sign for ? they were asked.
you see,' Bachelor. said, 'Edisol
is altogether more amiable than it i
wise to be. He doesn't want to ba
anybody out, so ne let's all sorts of in
quisitive people come here and occupy
his time, when they are moved by nj
motive higher than idle curiosity. Bu
at important seasons like this we car
induce him to keep some OF the people
out"
" He is particularly busy, now, i:
he z" asked the Graphic.
Yes" responded Bachelor; "tbe
fact is, for several weeks now he has
been at work night and day on thi:
electric light. He has driven it into 8
pretty small corner at last Here he
comes and can speak for himself"
at this point Mr.. Edison came clat.
,tering down the stairs, glowing with a
pleasant excitement and evidently just
emerged from his wizards cave
Hello, is it you?'' he said rapidly.
" In a week or two I'll have my elec-
trio light ready for you to illustrate,
if you care to do So"
'You seem TO be making a panic
among the gas companies said the
reporter.
well, yes; those old fellows know
what they are about. I've got 'em,
certain, and they are finding 1t OUT
is there any good cause for this
sudden tumble of gas stocks p
It's little precipitate, perhaps, but
it was bound to come. The electric
light is the light of the future-and it
is my light-unless,' he added, with a
cOnciliated twinkle, some other fellow
gets up better one. Still, the gas
stocks need not decline. The compa-
nies can just adopt electricity instead
of gas, aud run our wires instead of
their pipes.'
'The American Gaslight Association
doesn't believe in you,' suggested a
scientific gentleman who was present.
tThose gentlemen are right from
their point of view,' said Edison, but
they talked in the dark. They didn't
know what / had got hold of, Batche-
lor was at their meeting. and was
greatly amused.'
However, seeing is believing con.
tinued he, 'and will show you the
electric light and my methods of feed.
ing and regulating it, only stipulatips
that you shall give no description of i,
which shall vitiste my patents in Ger
many, applied for, but not yet grant
ed
He led the way up stairs again, to
the second floor of the labratory, anG
paused before the bench where he frs
hit upon the phonegraph. and where
be figured his telephone. Three small
brass standards were there six or eigh
inches high, each with small glasi
globe or cylinder at the top. enclosing
q curious nest of wires. From eacf
standard wire descended through
the floor.
sThese are the lamps said the in
ventor, relighting the pipe which had
gone out, and laying it on the bencl
where it Immediately perished again
He touched lever on the bench. Now
the current is on this lamp he ex
piaincd, touching the smallest; it i.
lighted, but you do not yet see it..
Presently the nest of wire at the tor
assumed dull crimson glow. In an.
other minute it was scarlet; then il
turned to fierce white heat.
OF course there is no flame,' he
said; the light is wholly from incan.
descenee. That light is Just about
equal to one gas jet. / can increase O,
diminish it to any extent. can regu-
late it with mathematical accuracy
What is that wire that glows?'
'That is platina.'
How long will it last p
Forever, almost. 1t Will not burn
1t never oxydizes.'
Then he turned it down through all
shades of red, till the light vanished
You do not see it now,' he said, sbut
it is lighted. 1t is invisible, and the
electricity required is almost infinitely
small, but it is there, only touch will
recall it-see!' and he tapped the lever
and the illumination returned. .How's
that for sick room?' he asked with
a broad smile Of pleasure.
He connected the circuit with the
two other lamps and showed their diff
ferent patterns and capacities. Then
he explained the popularity which
rendered this electric light practicable
and valuable, and said, 'if q statement
of that were published it might inval.
idate my foreign patents He didn',
ask an 'aflidavy' of secrecy, but seem
ed satisfied with the negative affirma
ton of silence.
This is exactly what you want it to
be, is it?' asked one of the party.
mot exactly said Mr.. Edison
there are three points to be perfected
| am working on them now. One i:
an electricity meter. You see thi:
thing has to be invented from The very
beginning.
where does this electricity come
from p he was asked.
'Down stairs. 1t is furnished b,
our engine. We use Wallace's ma
chine-William Wallace, Of Ansonia