The New York herald., 1878-10-14
FIAT LUX"
low The Gas Companies Feel Concerning
Edison's Reported Invention.
IS GASLIGHT WANING /?
Some Very Decided Opinions that the Electric
Light Will Not Be Successful.

Ar Edison's invention Tor The utilization OF the cleo
trio light has excited interest among all classes
Of people. Nest o. tho officers Of the gasight compa-
MES especially seem eager to obtain fuller informa-
ton, and would gladly satisfy themselves personally
that u Is not practicable Some OF them express great
increduity. not with an appearance OF quiet conn-
dsnce, but with a nervous vehemencs that docs not
add iorco their words Many persons In this coun
Try besides Mr.. Edison havo been trying 70 solve the
problem OF dividing controlling tho electric light
The easight companies have frequently received
Offers OF the .sdiscoveres" made by these persons,
but have invariably found them, on investigation, 20
be utterly worthless for their purposes. There Is no
doubt that II they had proved available they would
have been eagerly purchased. The presidents and
directors have constantly watched the progress OF
electric experiments In Europe and eacn Of tho com.
panes evidently desires TO oresal tho others II pos
sibo in getting possession OF sucn lamp as Edison
believes his 70 DO.
To reporter OF the HERALD OF the minor
officers Of tho Brooklyn Gaslght Company yesterday
said:-
"This certainly seems like a wonderful thing. II
Edison is not what he claims for his last
creation IL will be utterly impossible for the gas
panies 70 compete with It. II he has overcome tho
costliness the electric light II must supersede all
other OF illumination"
"what is tho actual cost OF your gas per thousand
pubic fec,s"
"If you refer to the materials alone the cost Is
about fity cents"
Well in the event OF great competition rising up
against you. that It would be question OF 'rule
ruin what is tho lowest price at whion you could
cell gas'' t..'t.
sOne dollar and half or 81 thousand in the dis
tricts whore the competition might exist But we
should be obliged to keep up our price elsewhere It
Is now 81 So"
And n thaeo Ga whnro n
patton would be gomez"
"Exactly."
The president Of the Brooklyn Gaslight Company,
Mr.. A. W. Benson, professcd to be very ignorant in
regard 20 the merits Of tho electric light He had
constantly kept himself fat concerning the prog
ress Of scientific discovery artificial mean OF u
u,nation, but he was not able 10 give any definite
opinion on the subject as yet W.
slt Edison's method OF employing clectricity to
produce light" said ths reporter, should prove TO
be practicable would your company endeavor to Sc
sure tho right TO use II in Brookynf"
81 do not know what we should do.'
"You have had this contingency In view, have yeu
lotP"
"Yes; but We have not come to any determine
Non.n
"In case OF this threatened competition how low
could you sell gas?"
'Nos cent lower than We sell now"
AN ExrERr's OPINION.
The reporter next called upon Major G. Warren
Dresser the editor OF the American Gdsght Journal
VINO went 70 Europe few months ago Tor the express
purpose Of investigating the development cleo
trio light tho laboratories OF French ana English
chemists He remarked that he had found nothing
In hts observations TO indicate that electricity would
superssds gas Tor common and domestic use. IL
produced Hight Of great intensity but OF little vol
ume. In othor words II Is, hc said, not dHasve
m ordinary aame OF tho samo size. In transmitting
h intensity proves great for short lit
Tie for long distancsa sIn Paris" said no, at IL
slammed tnat the current sent ave or six
hundred yards and still give q good light,
but l observed that all the experiments wero
made At Two hundred yards. They la too. IN At
degree OF Brightness It flares up and subsidies
rs does the calcium lamps. The Jab.ochkofl candle
gives very brilliant ligh but II Is subject to all the
oDjections winch l have mentioned. Jabiochkon
claims that he can feed four lamps with wire
his exhibitions he used separate wire Tor each amp
HIS device differs from the otncrs In this way In
stead o tho two pieces Of carbon being Opposite eacn
regulator In Tho old lamps the regulator 10 the at
tscnmsnt which preserves the proper distance bc
tee positive and The negative poles, their
points recede from each other. by Of oonsump
tion by the electricity. Tho adjustment and working
OF THIS has been problem OF great nicety, ana many
uiTersnt inventions have been applied. He obviatss
them sli in this way. AS have SAID, ne
has two carbon polss side by side. They
eighth OF an inon In diameter each and about
ten inches long, aud are insulated from saon other
wiin plaster of Paris. They fastened IN metal
sockets, TO which the wires attached. Tue cur.
rent passes through one over TO the other; then s
reversed in its movement and passes from the ono
back tho other, thus causing the consumption OF
ihe carbon TO be uniform IN each piece very high
nate OF velocity - required in the generating ma
bhinc.h He then auded:-
"From all the observations which made In Europe
did not iortn notion that gas was eoing ou. OF uso
right away. Even supposing that Edison has effected
all that he says ho has u VIII take long time isr his
tnvsntion 10 bo perfected aud Introduced into general
n lurA urR nnn mil taa euAt
have to be smoothod over. Notwithstanding
!he progress mado in European experiments
! think that tho electric light which is
psed IN G4lmore's Garden is as good as
those which l saw IN France. OF course the
eves 10 the rays more surface and tones their brill
iancy. The cost Of the Jabochkof candle IS about
special purposes The electric light will no doubt be
useful Or engineering works, tor instance, or in
ploy cd In Liverpool wnero repairs wore being maae
on the wharves, which had ~ be completed at night
His out wagons supplied with The complete apparatus
aud Intended 10 DO sent with the army wherever It
may co."
NOT WORTH rHs CANDLE.
"By recalling your visits ~ Jabocnkofs laboratory
can you form any eonjseturs as 70 mo method when
"es .sS INA. yon nav, enumsrased"
All the invention all that iison believes It to be-
And u tho objection OF extreme ccstIinsss be obv
A'ed, WI u be ii.ely 10 saxs the place Of gas,"
agreeable as that winch proceeds IRON burning
gas rhe Parsian iaiios do not like It.
They object to u because II does not display
them 10 their true cciors Ali objects are made to
look ghastly and even ghosty. noticed that all the
men who expsrimented with u--JaDiochkon ana
oihers-went around with eyes ana Cog
g,ss."
HAS the announcement OF Edisons Invention, as
mentioned ny cable from London, affected tho price
of gas stocks hersY"
III ne not ses nov It could be otherwise They are
sure 10 20 down less II only small num-
ber OF shares to be offered Tor sale Wall
street u might create panic among the holders,
unusual would such . proceeding pe.
U.t oAsLiunr IVREvgR
Mr.. Charles Rovms, president Of tho Manhattan
6asght Company, VINO WAS formerly the engineer oi
tLs company over which ne now presdes was visited
last evening. He had been out town and had not
read the article IN the HKRALD Mr. Edison's atsst
Invention. He declined 10 look at II, laying that
lhsrs was 10 possibility OF electricity evsr being de-
volopsd Into ol illumination for common use.