The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-07-12
The Electric Light All Right Except
The Burners.

from an interview In the New York SUM-
,Mr, Edison then turned his attention to
the unseentitc reporter OF the Sun. lie
was about to call his attention to some or
his new inventions and discoveries When
the reporter entered protest
s.Tell me-" said he, 1.-THE exact condition
OF your electric light. DO you still use your
platinum burner, and are you dead sure that
YOUR light is a complete success, and that 1t
will take the place Of gas?"
"Yes."
"Wbat have YOU accomplished since those
patents were issued?" asked the unsclen-
tifc reporter.
First" responded the cheyalier, "1
have perfected a standard meter for mca-
suring the electricity fed to the burners, the
same as gas-metcr. 1t is all right. Second,
] have perfected q method OF insulating and
conveying the wires from the generating
stations to the houses Of the consumers.
Third. have perfected an electric genera
tor. ! am satisfied that it cannot be i'm.
proved. Ninety-four per cent OF the horse
power used to run this generator is set free
in the form OF an electric current. The best
machine thus far constructed only frees 90
per cent. To be sure this shows a dif-
ference OF per cent. only ill our
favor: but our machine. unlike all
other machines, delivers 81 per cent.
Of the total power in the wire outside
Of the machine. 1t has what Is called twice
the electro-motor force, or gas pressure, OF
any machine yet made, with the same resis-
tance OF wire and speed. This is why we
get nearly double the power out OF this gem
orator over any known. / Will illustrate
more clearly what l mean. We will say
there is hundred feet Of wire wound on my
, machine, and eight hundred feet outside Of
it. We distribute eight-horse-power in an
electric current. Eight niuths Of this cur
rent reaches the wire outside OF the genera
tor, and is used for light, and one ninth is
lost In the machine The other machines
NAV turn the same horsepower, within
four or five per cent, into an cleo
tric current, but three OF the eight
power is lost in the generator, and not
more than fye.horse-power reaches the
light in the form OF electricity. / am sup
posinr that both machines carry hundred
feet of wire inside and eight hundred feet
outside. TO obtain the result. shown by
nv generator, their machine could carry
no more than two hundred feet outside. Ii
there was greater length of wire, they
could not transfer the horsepower. The
consequence is that one third OF the horse
mower is lost in the machine, and only two
thirds is used The successful generator
is the one that delivers the most current
outside OF the machine, ana not the
one that transfers the most horse
power into current. The SUBDIVISION
OF the light is perfect, but l am I'M
proving the lamp every day." The cheVa'
lier continued: "The latest experiments
give me nearly seven gus.lets per morse
| power, aud there are indications that can
increase the number to ten. just so long
as we can see our way to getting more gas
lybt per horse power we shall give nc eX.
hibitions. The platinum burner IS setIleu
thing. In all carbon lights not more than
forty-four per cent. OF the horse-powereo goes
into the lamp. Weget eightv-tWo per cent.
in our lamps. 7 recognize the impatience
of the public over the delay in bringing the
light before them, but we must start with
a perfect lamp Platinum burners hay
ing been definitely settled upon, MI. Edl.
son is looking for an unlimited supply OF
the ore. He saws he is satisfied that there
is any quantity Of the metal in the
United States, and he can afford to spend
500, 900 in finding it, The metal was flrst
! discovered in 1741, by Wood, an assayer OF
the Isle OF Jamaica. The ore carries palia-
| dium, rbodium, iridium, osmium, ruthenl-
nm. and iron. 1t is found in scales OF
fatteped grains. Sometimes it appear IN
Jumps alloyed with gold, silver, copper,
iron, and lead. 1t appears in alluvlal DIS
tricts in the debris Of the earliest volcanic
rocks, and permeates the black SAND found
in aurferous- countries. The cheValiei
saws he has discovered a sure way OF eX'
tracing the metal from this black sand. lie
declares that the ore will yet be found crop
ping to the surface in q ledge, the same as
other metals. and believes that it Will soon
| be rs cheap. as silver.