The New York herald., 1879-12-30
History Repeating Itself at
MenlO Park.
THE NEW INVENTION AND THE OLD.
How Gas Had to Fight Its Way-Electic
Street Lamps Tonight
"SCEPTICs DIE RD."

MxNLo PARK Dec. %. 1879.
It was quiet out here this morning and through
the day tar visitors were concerned. The ma
chine shops running full blast. and the lsbora-
tory endued with its mysterious activity to
the full. You would get the idea at frst that
in this place work only taken up
spasmodically. because you might see man
In broad daylight asleep on bench. but
shortly you discover that they only leave of work
Tor short spells Hence a peculiar Bohemian air
about the place and a who in it that might be
ugn of Generalization in any other establishment In
the world. or this more anon.
VISITORS COMING.
Tho afternoon trains brought some VISITORS but
in the evening every train set down . couple
Of scoro ut least All immediately started
for the scene Of the laboratory. and q good
many OF those simple people who hold
that Rome was built in day and those modest peo-
pie who believe that the hinges Of the universe
should turn upon the pivot of their desires ex-
pressed disappointment that they did not step out
Of the train upon scene from fairyland. The moon
was obscured by clouds. the way was dark up the
little plank road, and the new white lamp
posts seemed to be stretching mp their long
fingers to clutch little Light from the
heavens since Edison would not give them
any Of his little horseshoes In fact. rs the invent
or said to me to-day he is only waiting for another
electric generator to be finished to light up all these
long white fellows In what is out Of courtesy called
street. It will. he expects. be ready to-day. and
tonight he hopes to have fifteen street lamps and
several Of the houses lighted up.
.s.a THE TEST OF T1xE AND POWER.
''It Is mistake to suppose" said Edison. ~that
few lamps here there over Menlo Park is all
want. I intend to make actual test of my eighty
horsepower engine and to put every lamp it will
rum I hope to have 800 OF them. shall put dozen
of them over there q mile away and turn thehn on
and of from this window. don't know where I'll
put them all. unless along the fence. So everybody
will have plenty Of tme TO see them. It will take
weeks to get them all out. though We are working
night and day. s.
THE ELKcTRIC REGISTER.
The stream Of visitors passed through the shops.
admired and wondered at the steady electric lights
and called things by all sorts of audatory epithets
Now and again . we'll informed visitor would catch
Mr.. Bachelor or Mr.. Upton and ply him
with questions upon candle power. gss-iet
power and kindred intricate matters that are
''caviare to the general" particular OBJ
ect of interest the register for regulating the
strength OF the current Young Francis Jehl stood
by 1t with all the soemnity of a patriarch. and
planned 1t lucidly to all who desired. pass
ing through q galvanometer defects o small mir
ror at the back Of which is tiny magnet
Opposite this mirror at couple of feet distance. Is
. board along which, horizontally laid. is . scale.
Through slit In this board ray Of light passes
from lamp. The ray falls upon the small mirror
which. tho current Is stronger or weaker, casts
the reflection to the right left upon the scale op
posite. As more lights are put more electricity
is needed and Francis turns indicator which
Is electric light. just as they do In gas house
when less pressure IL called for by tho con-
sumption.
..It may be done automatically" said Mr.. Batche-
lor IN answer to q gentleman's inquiry; "but It
hasn't been thought out yet"
AN AGED scErr1c.
The visitors seemed never tired Of lighting the
lamps upon the main table. by simply laying
one between the two long wires. Most were
content to calculate 'WonderfulP' But no
amount Of explanation would persuade one old
gentleman that it not an iron wire that in
side the glass globe 1t could not be the carbon Ala
ment Of piece OF paper. for. said he 81 have seen
red hot. white hot iron wire, only it not quite
SO bright. but 1t looked just like that. That's no
alignment"
This bad time for sceptics." said to Edison
than q cat or q snake"
/ turned away rejecting how snakes will bite in
dying. and thought tho inventor had described tho
persistent scientific doubter OF demonstrated facts
pretty accurately
THE STRUGGLE or GAS.
It reminded Of the sceptics at the time coal gas
was first applied to Illuminating purposes
There is. Of course. . great change in
the attitude OF tho masses to inventions
nowadays. So much has modern science
accomplished that people in general are rather Inc
clined to be creuious than sceptical in matters Of
invention. At the beginning of this century was
he lcl~ov
the philosophers stone that was transnuts brass
to gold-were regarded ss having boen vain dream
ers or impostors. ana those searching amid tho
products of nature for fresh knowledge
were looked their direct success
sors- II is close TO two hundred years
since the Rev. DR.. John Clayton. Dean OF Kildare
wrote to his friend, Edward Boyle, q letter which
was not published. however. until 1889, giving an
account Of his strange discovery. He was an OK.
perimenter. and hs tells how distilling coal in
retort open hre eat frst there came over only
phlegm. afterward black oil and then likewise
spirit arose which could no ways condonse; but 1t
forced my Lutte or broke my glasses. Once when Il
had forced my Lutte. coming close thorcto, in
order to try to repair it, observed that the spirit
which issued from it caught nre at the flame OF tho
candle. and continued burning with violence as IL
issuod out in stream, which blew out and lighted
again alternately for several tmos." Then he filed
bladders void of air" with this spirit" He en-
dcavorcd to condenso 1t several ways. but In vain
"And when had mind TO divert strangers or
friends l have frequently taken ono OF these
biadders and. pricking hole therein with
pin. and compressins gently tho bladder near the
flame Of candle till It took hro. and IL would
then continue flaming till all tho spirit was com
pressed out Of the bladder. which. ho nafvely adds
was more surprising because ono could discern
any difference in the appearance between these blad
ders and those which arc nllcd with common air."
xuRDocH's ILLUMINATION.
Yet close to century elapsed from tho Dean of
Kildaro's writing and over htty yosrs from tho pub
iication OF his experiments before any practical
steps taken In using coal gas for illumination
In i792 Mr. Murdoch. scotchman, first tried 1t iu
Cornwall and aftorward in 1893 established an sp