River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-01-30
ELECTRIC LIGHT UNDER GROUND.
Experimental Illumination Of the RotJOrA
EfadHcf.
[I.ondon News. nee. IN

London News, Dec. 10.
On Saturday night a trial of electric light
on the Jablochkoff system took place on the
Holborn viaduct, at the request of the COM
missioners of sewers for the city of London.
The experiment was made in the presence of
Mr.. William Bassingham, chairman of the
streets commission Mr.. Richard Cox, chair
man of the sewers commission Col. Hay
wood, city engineer; Messrs. Shutter, Wal
lace, Blanch, Rudkin and many other mem
bers of the sewers commission and the street
and market committees. For some time
past Mr.. j. A. Berry, the engineer OF the
Societe Generate d'Electricite, has
been making preparations for apply
ing the Jablechkoff system of
electric illumination to the Holborn viaduct.
His efforts were much facilitated by the Pc
culiar construction of the viaduct itself,
erected in 1869 from the designs OF Col
Haywood. The majority of those who roll
over it, and forget that there was once a
place called Holborn Hill, have no idea OF
the complex nature of its substructure, con-
sisting of several series of large vaults, sew
ers and subways, and the various shafts nee
essary for their efficient ventilation. Through
the subways run gas, water and telegraph
pipes, the effect of this arrangement being
that alterations in the gas and water supply
can be made al any time without disturbing
the roadway, the ground having been thus
wisely prepared for any further alteration OF
| Improvement Mr.. Berry had no great diff
! ficulty in conducting the connecting wires
from the hut under the yiaduct to
| the lamp posts above. From the
Gramme duplex machine, driven by a twenty
horse power Robey's engine, the wires are
carried along the subways and upward
through the shafts leading to tue lamp
columns, and thus TO the candles" CON
tanned in the now we'll known globes. As
the Jablochkoff candle burns no longer than
an hour and q half, it is necessary, as has
already been explained in the DdGty NetoS
| to renew the fuel of the lamp within that IN
terval by means of the so-called commute
| tor" which defects the current from the
extinct candle to fresh one already set uE
within the opalescent globe, which contains
in the present state of the invention, four oi
such candles. These "commutators" are
| judiciously placed in the base Of
the lamp-posts on Holborn viaduct
| The trial on Saturday night was 6
very good one. Sixteen lamps, placed OF
each alternate lamp post between Holborr
circus and Newgate street, were lighted =
about $50 o'clock, to the great enjoyment
1 VI bDo ppcCbatOlS an OoSh H1SSCo
sive circuit of four lamps shone out of the
surrounding gloom. So far as could be
| judged, the gas burning IN the alternate
| lamps on the viaduct was entireless useless
its yellow rays being completely outshone by
its brilliant rival. On no previous occasion
in this country, save that of the preceding
night on the Thames enkankment, has the
Jablochzoff candle burned so steadily as al
Saturday. There was some little Pickering
and unsteadiness for the first quarter of al
hour, but afterward the light was almost as
steady as it was intense. The quality Of
| light thrown down into harrington stree
! from the electric lamps, one OF
each side of the bridge, EXCITED
some establishment among those who
| had not witnessed the effect of the lamp a
Billingsgate and on the embankment IL
| Illuminating the river. The quality of thC
light, as well as its quantity, appears to b'
establishing it firmly in public favor Hnt
the objections as to the ghastlines7 of II
hue and the weird effect of the deep 81 adowi
urged against The light as utilized in Paris
| have found no echo in London. Last Friday
and Saturday being intensely bitter nights
it was hardly possible for the delicious cool
ness of the white electric light as opposed
to the hot yellow glare of gas to meet with
due appreciation; nor Is the general e1fec
of alternate gas and electric lights pleasing
to every eye, albeit it might serve Mr.
Whistler RS the motive of an interesting
''nocturne.'