The New York herald., 1879-12-30


minatons we're general. and We read how mob of
the Jingoes Of the period assembled before the
French Minister'S house. aud not finding the blazing
device quite to their taste made him change it, The
Word Concord it appears. offended them. as
that was the way the majority of them
spelled conquered" the obliging Ambassador
changed it to .amiy" Then, seeing the letters &c.
R." without crown. they thought it a republi-
can sur upon His Majesty King George Ill OF in
sane memory. so the French Minister. willing
to oblige amis Pe'nemi. got out a blazing crown.
But all those iluminations In oil and candles
save in one place. and that the exterior of the
Soho Works in Birmingham.
l602-lS79.
When We see the people walking about at Menlo
Park adniring the electric light Of Edison we may
well recall in 1870 the scene at Birmingham the
night OF the 2sth of January. 1902 Says Matthews.
describing it--"The illumination one Of extra
ordinary splendor. The whole front of that cx-
tensive range Of buildings was ornamented
with Q great variety of devices that admir-
ably displayed many Of the varied forms
OF which gasight is susceptible. This luminous
spectacle novel 1t was astonishing. ana
Birmingham poured forth its numerous population
to gaze at and admire this wonderful display of the
combined effects Of science and art. The writer
was one among those who had the qualification OF
witnessing this first splendid public exhibition Of
gas illumination and retains vivid recollection OF
the admiration 1t produced"
BATTLE WITH IGNORANCE.
stu gas had not then its decisive victory. al
though the demonstration was perfect. We trace 1.
along through tho succeeding years struggling with
ignorant prejudice. perverted humor and cheap
satire. In 1905 it introduced into
cotton mill at Manchester. Nearly one thou
sand burners OF different forms wero employed.
and informed by Mr.. Murdoch that "the
peculiar softness and clearness Of the light with its
almost unvarying intensity. brought 1t into great
favor with the workpeoplo and Its being free from
the inconvenience OF sparks and tho frequent neces
sity Of shutting are circumstances Of material i'm
portance. tending to diminish the hazard from
FIRE, 70 which cotton mills are SO much exposed"
But although it reached London speedily. and
found in Mr.. winsor an enthusiastic promoter. 1t
had to fight its way at every step. The explosive
nature Of gas mixed with common air became known
and frghtened many. Then the great train oil interest
that supplied street lamps-just look at Hogarths
pictures for ilustration-the great tallow inter-
est. the great cande-mskng interest. the great
destick interest the great interest. the
great snuffer- making interest. all combined to
denounce gas illumination "wild. absurd
and extravagaut In its conception and fraught
with the greatest danger in its execu-
tion." The popular writer's In tho papers
made light Of the ''preposterous Innovation"
''Tinsors gaseous proposals for enlightenng the
inhabitants of London" his 'smoke hghts'' and his
'hre of wind" to their hearts content. Oddly
enough nowadays 1t Is from socalled scientists that
the loudest opposition comes to the equally demon
strable incandescsnt electric light. But winsor
fought seventy odd years ago with q
wonderful enthusiasm. He attracted the at
NJ
Of wealth ANXIOUS to promote science-snd make .
little more money. On the 18th January. 1907. the
first public street lighting took place in Pail Mall.
London. near Mr.. winsor's laboratory. which stood
on the present site Of the Carlton Club. Subse-
quently. In 1S13 old Westminster Bridge was
lighted with gas. Yct 1t adopted generally by
very allow degrees.
SLOW SPREAD THE MAINS.
In 1921 o Thames fisherman. arrested for using an
illegal net, complained that the discharge Of gas
water into the Thames from the works near the
Temple destroyed the Ash. and the Lord Mayor SYM
pathized with the poor man and made his hne
merely nominal Still that gas was far from being
in general use may be judged by the strenuousness
with which we And the advantages Of gas over
oil and candles insisted on in the Lon
don Encyclopedia OF 1871. "Many persons" It
says. "obtect to introduce the gas directly into
their spartments and it has accordingly been pro-
posed to bring tho gas to the windows to allow it to
burn on tho outside and thus to illuminate tho
room without any Of tho snnoysnces which arise
both from the smell Of the gas and from the heat
generated during its combustion" Then It gives d.
rections how such alight should be made. 1.-The light
might be rendered uniform by means Of orna-
mental blind OF tho finest muslin (varnished not
as may be found most advantageous. and If the
blind has landscape upon It the most luminous
portion. that nearest the gas flame, might be
made to have the appearance Of the sun In the
heavens"
THE COMING BATTLE.
All this comes back with renewed force to us when
another revolution in domestic illumination is i'm
pending. II it is better. purer. moro manageable
cleanler. and. above all. cheaper light than gas
then gas is doomed. or revolution like
this take place in day year. but the gas
men crowded the oil men and candle mon into
q little corner. giving them only tho refuse
of the lighting Of tho streots and houses. coal
oil pushed the poor candle men still closer to tho
WALL the electric light begins to push all three of
them That is inevitable. though the of gas for
purposes in which 1t Is but sparingly used will
be studied out with persistence and ingenuity.
When wo think Of tho enormous amount Of capital
invested In gasmaking wo can easily guess how
mighty the struggle will be.
KDIsoH's BRAIN MOTOR.
Up there st the laboratory there Is particle Of
doubt in any ones mind that the electric light Is
success and permanent one I spoke yesterday of
the enthusiasm of young glassblower; but IL is
curious instance OF Edisons brain force that this
enthusiasm is common to all about tho place.
It IL not unusual in such establishments
for the inquirer to find hore and there
captious understrappor who with very little
encouragement will proceed to bettlo their master.
have found nothing of tho kind here. Edison ami
mates the men and boys-there is scarcely gray
head In tho cstsblishment-wth his own indomit-
able. persistent spirit 1t Is not merely in talking to
q stranger. but In working that this is seen. Edi-
sous chief assistant. Mr.. Bachelor. will glow like
q carbon lamp when ho is asked question. secrc-
tary Grifhn. who sits up in the Office, generates