The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-12-21
Edison's Eureka-The Electric Light
at Last.

has nAeQ the ulttntiOH VI SCltntinC ihSh ahNi
inventors in our time-the perfection of the
electric light. How shall cities, their
streets, public places, churches, theatres
and public halls be lighted effectively
agreeably, safely and cheaply? That is an
inquiry of dominant importance in munich
pal administration the world over. And
how houses shall be lighted; how the
people in their homes shall weather the dlfh-
cult point Of gas, astral oil. gasoline ana
similar commodities, is one OF the grave
issues of domestic economy. For time
for many months together-the people had
their hopes excited on this point, and were
led to contemplate the practical application
OF the electric light to ordinary needs as
boon almost within reach, as Il conquest OF
science not merely possible but so nearly
made that it might almost be counted as in
the number of the wonderful additions
that the progress Of discovery has made to
the physical comforts of life. And then
there was silence about the wonderful in
vention, and the chronicle bid fair to end
like the history of shooting star.
Everybody was disappointed. Every
body who watches with interest that ma
terial progress in the unessential advan-
tages of life upon which depends great
part of what we call civilization, counted
the lapse and temporary disappearance OF
the electric light as an actual loss. 1t had
promised the greatest single advance ever
made in the continuance of artificial
methods Of illumination, and the failure OF
the promise left US with q grievous disap-
pointment. In virtue of the glimpses
shown in electrical experiments of how
near we might be to having in
every house these little white stars
of the "ethereal essence uncreate, :"
'sheaven's first born" of the phenomena
of nature, we had come to class
all lower artificial lights with the tallow
dip and to regard them with the disgust APP,
propriate to unsatisfactory agencies that we
had been compelled to cast aside. In fact,
all the progress ever made in the improve
ment OF artificial lights before the electric
light was extremely little, and to merge the
yellow and white gaslight with the white
and yellow flame of the tallow dip was not
an extravagant hyperbole of disappoint-
ment The dip itself was q noble advance
ment of human invention; but the use Of
gaslight was taught to man by nature in
volcanic countries where, through crevices
in the rocky ribs of the earth, the escaping
vapors caught fire. Perhaps there were ex-
ceptions to the number of those disappointed
by the apparent failure Of efforts to utilize
electricity in illumination. All persons
deeply interested in the welfare of gas
companies stood this failure with great
fortitude Papic had seized upon them at
the first reports, and the shares OF gas COM
panies had shown the common opinion of
what were likely to be the financial con-
sequences of success with electricity. But
now they were able to contemplate what
seemed the futile labors of Edison with
seli-satisfied complacency. His lamp was
even classed already as philosophical
toy" Philosophical toy" is the name
that has been given in turn to a number of
great inventions before the element of cost
in them was brought to bear a satisfactory
relation to their practical value.
But the story told in our columns to-day
will reassure the public whose faith in the
Wizard of Menlo Park" had grown feeble;
will revive the general confidence in the
future of electricity as the common agent
of domestic and public illumination, and
may possibly provoke anew the concern of
gasmakers. BY this story it will be seen
that Mr.. Edison has finally elaborated q
Al - IL -.
pier than any lamp in common use in the
houses of the people; as simple as the
gas burner itself and more manage
able; lamp that cannot leak and
fill the house with vile doors or CON-
bustible vapors, that cannot explode
trimmed. Once more, therefore, the pub
lie may reasonably anticipate time when
they will be free from nearly all the annoy
ances and grievances of ordinary lighting
apparatuses and in the full enjoyment, be-
sides, of "a light compared to which every
other, save daylight itself, is mere glim-
mering and gloaming; compared to which,
indeed, even the daylight of about one-third
the year is a deteriorated and adulterated
article. People generally knew the soft
glory Of the light electricity would make,
but they never dreamed of the possibility
that it could be applied without an appa-
ratus so complicated that it would need a
special education to enable them to take
care OF it,
Perhaps, therefore, this may be regarded
as the supreme point of Mr.. Edison S
achievement in this field that his last in
vented lamp is one of such unexpected and
remarkable simplicity. His lamp may be
screwed on at the end of any ordinary gas
burner and the wires from the electric bat
terry may be conveyed to it in the tube that
served to convey the gas to the same
burner. Whether the wires thus connected
come from battery in another part OF
the house, or from some larger common