The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-07-20

Electric Ifeht.
IRIS About no BE USED IN rms eoEsTR THE
TIMES OFFICE, new YeRg, TaY n.
tNcw York possts isth..31
i The irst application Of eIcctricit to every
day, or rather every uses has as yet 10
be made in this country. What is known
MS The q calcium light = Is the most bril-
liant artificial light which has been
used, but it Is not suited for ordinary
nurpoBes for many reasons, It's cost and In
tensity being among the chief ores.
Z In England and France the use OF cleo
trio tight has been Of late years the subject
Of n vast amount OF study and innumefa-
Bile experiments. M. Jablochkof has sue.
ceeded by means OF what is known as the
/. Jablochkoff caDdle" in getting a light OF
immense power and briiliancY, and at but
little cost. The drawbacks TO the Jabloch.
kofi light are its unsteadiness, O constant
flicker being perceptibie, and a certain in
tensity which causes very black shadows
and tires the eyes. Intensely black shad-
ows have long been the bane OF electric
lights. When the work on the Paris Exhi-
bition Of 1867 got behindhand and it became
necessary to work all night, using electric
lights, it was found that the dark shadows
cast were great inconvenience. III WORK
man happened to drop tool or nail IN
the shadow OF any objectit was necessary
20 light match to find 1t again. Since then
the experiments haSc been going on con-
tinually with more or less success.
In this city the first attempt at using cleo.
- 80 MI
in the composing-room OF the Times.
Messrs. ArnouX & Hocbhausen, manafa
turers OF dynamo-electric machines. nave
engaged to light the room by means OF cleo
tricfty at first cost OF less than $1,000 Tor
fine electric machine, and after that OF about
twenty cents au hour, which covers Tue
cost OF the steain-power used and the car
bon POINTS burned. The gas used in the
Times composing-room costs now about
$500 month. II the new machine works
successfully it will effect saving OF nearly
S40O month.
:. A reporter OF the Evening Post saw one
OF these electric-light machines lew Gays
ago. Apparently it is an ordinary dynamo
electric machine OF not very large dimen-
sions. The whole affair is not larger than
sewing-machine. Steam-poWer is usea 10
SET il in motion. and the instant it begins TO
reyolye the electric current is generated
and becomes ready for the lamp. This lamp
is the usual French device ior holding the
two carbon points, between which the vol
taic arc passes, in position. The only new
features in Arnoux 81 Hochhausen's ma
chine is novel shape of the armature coil,
whereby it is asserted that only one bali as
much power is necessary to work with as
was formerly required. From their IN.
uuiries in Europe they determined
not TO use the Jablochkod candle,
but to rely upon tue French me-
tbods. The carbon points used are OF
about the shape and length OF lead-penclls.
One point is attached to the wire coming
from one pole of the machine, and the other
point to the wire from the other pole.
when these cartoons are held at the proper
distance from each other flame OF marvel
lous briiliancy is produced. In tue ma
chine-shop where the trials were made the
daylight was excellent. Nevertheless, the
electric light was so brilliant as to cause all
the objects near Dy-posts, belts, &c.-to
cast dark shadows. The power necessary
to produce this light was about three-and-a-
.haif-horse power. The light was, as nearly
as could be ascertained, equal to S,00o can
dies, or about G75 gas-llghts. When in place
it is expected that the lamp will need no
touching, the two carbons lasting about
twelve hours.
ON the 25th Of June last patent was
granted to Mr.. Sawyer in this city Tor
system of dividing current OF electricity
in such manner that light could be dis
tributed to the different rooms of private
house or other building. II a current OF
electricity is made to pass through very
small piece OF carbon, the size OF the lead
of a pencil, an intense light is given forth
for q few seconds. Then the oxygen OF the
air enables the heat to burn up and destroy
the carbon. The only way known to pre-
vent this so.calIed combustion from taking
place is to place the carbon in a vacuum, or
in perfectly pure nitrogen. For expert
ments it was a very pretty playthlng, but
no practical use could be made or 1t.
It was impossible to make any reser-
yoir OF transparent or any other substance
that was impermeable to air, and there were
impurities in the purest kind Of nitrogen
attainable, which after time spoiled the
carbon. The patents issued to Mr.. Sawyer
are for methods OF Theoretically closing the
elass-jar in which the carbon is placed, and
for means Of chemically purifying the nj
trogen. Both these ends have been success
fully attained, it is asserted, and at NO.
Howard street, in this city. one OF these
lights may be seen in operation, The glass
lar is about the size and shape OF IN ordi-
nary lamp-chimney. The wires from the
electric machine, which Is similar to the one
used by Messrs. ArnouX 81 Hochhauscn, en-
ter at the bottom and connect with the inch
long bit OF carbon. The jar is hermetically
sealed and Is filed with nitrogen. absolutely
nure. as soon as the current is sent
through the wires the carbon becomes
brilliant and intense. The light given
is pure white, not trying to the
ewes, and with not the slightest
flicker. 1t is said that the electricity pro-
duced by one-horse power will be sufficient
to light, by this system, any room or house
requiring about forty gas-burners. 70 FUR
nish this electric current to private houses
it is proposed to have reservoirs OF electrI-
city in different parts OF the town. Just as We
now have gas reservoirs. The cost OF put
ting the wires into house is trifling, COM
pared to the cost of gas-pipes, and the cleo
trio lamps will not cost more than 81 apiece.
When once in place they need never be
touched. No cleaning will be necessary;
no matches will be used; and finally, there
will be no danger OF fire. Unlike the more
powerful lamp for the Times building,
there will be no necessity for ever changing
the carbons. In factories OF buildings
where steanl-poWer is used the electricity
can be generated on the spot. The cost Of
electricity 10 private houses will scarcely be
worth mentioning.
EXAGGERATED REPORTS OF BUSINESS De-
PREssIoN.-Some Of the newspapers are be-
ginning to question the exaggerated reports
NJ .bnSineSS 1IeprnscjnD apl ~ mon 0f