, 1879-07-08
ED1SON'S ELECTRIC LIGHT.
Tic Invention Almost Cnmplctcd-1Iow the
Inysntnr I5Aa Overcome SnIne Of tho
ChiuF Dlflcultles-Tho question OF plntt-
null.

Tic Invention Almost Cnmplcteh-1Iow the
Invnntor 1iAs Overcome snme Of tho
Chiul Dlincultles-Tl,o question OF platt-
nuni.
Ntto 1ort Htraht. Jalv4.
Grndually the wurk of Mr.. Edison Oh his nyB-
tenn Of ccctric lighting is dsaw,ng TO Ii close,
anl nll iudleatlnus point. to the probability that
bcfose Innny weeks The long expected uvcn.
tlon Will be bciurc The public tu practical an1
slicccs st1l operation. Tint so long a tin,e llas
elapsed since hu began his undertaking Is not to
be wondered at when the manifold difficulties
null obstacles cOInluon 10 successful sytteIn Of
electric lisltIn; nrc takcu iuto consideration;
for It must De remembered that the plum in
wolves not onu, or even dozen inventions, but
scores 0f them, Ana mAuy. too, OF tl1L most pr2-
zltuE aud complex character. Mr. Edfso,'s
undertaking was to perfect system
OF illumination by electricity that would
glyo butter and cheaper light tlsn
ts1ut obtained now froin gas. This lnvol7el
necessarily nultit.llinous details, every oDu OF
which had to be met In turn asAt conquered.
As au illustration Of snch dctaIls IL The machine
for generating tho electricity. Mr.. Edison FORE
saw ut the outset Of his lahors tEat I'LL improved
generator WAS necessary u 1neet The Important
question OF cost. for. no matter how beautiful
nn,l clfulgcnt might l,o tlc electric light. uulrss
It could 10 PLACED tetoro tlle I;nbtlc ut lcsa
cost Liam gus 1t might M well. co fur nv cicaf
illumination WAS c4'rrrHed, nuvcT laya existed,
AZ the tttn0 Ar, Eaiisun trenn his researches
tt:re wrru many generators, both III Europe
anl 4Alnerlea hut while so'Isc gnyr ropd results
nonu were applicable u TO tic IIestln'l or tust
~ Asa proposed syste'n Of clcctfIe lighting.
lie, therefore, primarily started mt to III
vent II Eulcrasor tllat would como III tn
Ills standard. That he Succeeded Is now
well known. ~ for scvcra1 wccka pnss II las
beet, daily subjected to the aeYcrrst trats "l OF
wtsl.ll It lIRk tHct III tnanucr Gni.Icntjy Suits
fAetorY, not uRty 10 the Inventor. but 10 The
vnrtuua scientific fncu who llhYc examined u.
Tic acl,ltu collyrrts horsepower Into elccrIci-
ty at The uluost incredible ratio of % yer
cont, or, In other words, for every hundred
u.ttA Of energy nut into II 1t gives uut ID
from friction m all ot.,cr CAUSES only per cent.
Anotllcr Illustration as to the rari"tIs tccessi-
tics ot hi4 svsttm of lighting hv electricity Ii tr
dynaHlohlctcr ar apparatus Tor lneustlrIng The
o. the systcm. vat u !. issprsubla as i,,t!irat-
ig tiu cost of the lighting, W with llu Invent
or had, perhaps, grentcr difficulties than With
any other sIelo part ot bis unttrc plan. lin III
vented at lcast tluzun aynatnosleters bvtoro hu
ob,atnc4 tlls right one, md shcn, " last. thc
truu otle cae to light le w0lldGr was that he hat
not thought OF II before, Tor 1noro sint,!c
dcytca c.,uiu scarcely 1e c0ticciycu. Besides
to bo met The system Of running The wires. tlla
thcrluuatAitc regulator, II score ut least Of which
wcro tlerisel beiuru hu IoMtul tlia proper ONE
TIM method vi preHuriNE sle tneta for luca'ntcs.
cuneu, to prevent it, fussn., anu tho many
utI,rs Intending parta, Ill VI which took tlillc
| patience, md determination, not to speak Of
| the hjvllrst inventive skill.
Il,u taselt.Anl flnul part Of thu sYatenl Is the
standard Ia,nt,, Oh which thu great Inventor ta
uUw concentrating utl lls e1lerSY, anu tlu Msall
| difficulties III which llayo btcu successfully
| met, Hut In connection with thu ixnlp theru
ar.,su thu stcr, Inct that atluuH,, thn us4 Of
| which py tEu inventor II Indispensable. IL ex-
ceu.lIu.ty scarcc mud costly. Tliis w4s IN siu-
tncnt aardlY ln this linz or invention. tut, nosi,-
iNs .lAuntcd. tho sric4tiet attacked It With Iilu
same ctlerxy. that hu nai attasketl and c0lI.
9.lcrvl the Dther obstacles. 70 yet platinum 30
GicAply that lts cost would not impair the utll-
ity Vi tho electric light wAs tho problem u hu
| solyri.
Platinum, It might hero bo mentioned, Is onn
nj the Hublest u we'll Ha onD OF The scarccse ot
tnvtn!s 10 1t clIcllllsts have reca>ursu IN their
most delicate analyses. Its llurti,lusA md In
flisibfajty ara pFuyernaa. Ihu hottest FURNACES
caunut nutt II; even the v0ftatc Aru Itself,
which cat lncEt llse diamond, IL unable tu culsu
| with llls utmost intualbls platinum wheH SUBJ
jertrl to Att. Eispn'H prt.crss. NatiTe platinum
Ia tho natural state Is never pure, b9!lls al1uyct
| with several utilcr uirtuls. II IL Ut grajlsll
white c0!ur, and urcura s'tly under tho furm Vi!
gruns, Which nr8 usually Illttcueu aud scsclbe
III sll1t the guild papiIas. lllrlr size IL Erner-
ally lisa tllnlI I!nsoutl, although! III solnu ru1cs
| they equal hc,upaerd aud occasionally l,eas
! Tie plate wllcIe pluttuunl Is found III lhu
! Ereatest abundance u IN thu QTQl MQuutlll5