The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-12-23
sEdf.nn IS, Trtur.nn.
Ar n,gcrr1c raGHr THAT NIIL BE CHEAPER
a rHagrHs CHEAPEST OIL.

[ - 81 +.
The New FORK Herald OF Sunday declares
that Edison has 81 last solvef the problem
OF utilizing the electric light for street iiih-
minations aud domestic purposes. ana de-
ynteg page OF Iefferspress and illustrations
In demonstrate parficuIars,of tue invention.
Edison, long ago decided Ia favor OF employ
.ing ineaudesce8s platinum fnstead Of carbon
points. ard the electric arc for light-giytDg
purposes, aud he devised half-dozen piatf-
mum lamps, none Of which were perfectly
satisfactory. The metal was found TO rup-
t,ire and crack or else melt under the hlgn.
temperature produced by the electric cur
rent. The nearest he got to success Wild p'a-
tiuum was BY placing the burser in vacuum
under glass, and be contemplated introdu-
cling such lamp to The public, although It
was intricate. costly, and required The use
of en- air-pump to produce the vacuum.
But one night, Sitting in bis laboratory, ne
happened to roll a piece Of lampblack mixed
with tar in bis hand, and 1t occurred TO blm
TO try It as a substitute for the platinum.
He did so, and from this experiment his
thoughts were led to spool OF cotton
thread. The satisfactory light obtained
from the tarred lampb!ack bad convinced
him that filamenis OF carbon OF texture
not previously used in electric ightlng
were the hidden agents TO make thorough
success of illumination BIZ incandescence,
and it was with this view be sought 10 test
The carbon remains OF cotton tnreau.
The thread was fixed between Two IRON
clamps aud placed in furnace. at
the end of an hour its dellcaie car
hon framework was taken out. This slen-
der fiiamept Prof. Edison placed 10 siooe'
and connected with tue wires leading 10
the machine for generating the electric cur
rent. Then be extracted the air from the
globe and turned on the electricity, and in
stantlv beautiful light greeted bis eyes,
growing brighter and brighter as the cur
rent was strengthened. BE kept up hls
experiments, and determined that the sub.
stance best adapted for catbonizatlon ana
the giving out Of iucandesceEt light was
paper, preferably thick, like cardboard,
but giving good results even when very
thin. He makes the paper carbon now by
cutting from piece OF Bristol cardboard
strip in the form Of horseshoe, about
two inches In length and one-eIghth OF an
inch in width A number OF these strips
are laid Hatwi<e in a wrought-iron mould.
and separated from each other by
strips Of tissue-paper. The whole
Is placed in an oven heated TO
600 degrees Fahrenheit, and on opening the
mould the charreu remains OF the card
board horseshoe are found. This Is placed
In globe. the air is exhausted, connection
with the generator is made, and the lamp IS
ready for use. AS completed, it is glass
globe resting on q stand, having exterior
connections that lead to platinum clamps
Within the globe, the carhonized paper be-
ing supported in the clamps. 1t is devoid
of Regulators, as Edison has discovered
that electricity can be regulated at the
central sutton, just as the supply OF
gas is now regulated. Only the form
OF the lamp needs to be modified to serve
for the table. or ia brackets or chande-
Tiers. The light can be produced cheaper
than the cheapest oil, and Is altogether
under the control OF persons in the mousse
where it is used. Edison has also Q
new style OF generating-machine, IN when
the pile OF force magnets are uprlght ana
stationary, and the armaturc is made to re-
yoye at their base. He is understood to claim
that with this machine 90 per cent. OF the
steam-powcr revolving the armnture Is con-
yerted into clec:ricity--a vast Improvement
on any other machine ever constructed.
From them the electric current may be
conducted by the ordinary gas-pipcs from
the centra! depot to consumers. Edison
has also constructed an thermometer to
measure the amount of electricity used by
each householder. The Herald states that
be will light up Menlo Park on New-Year'S
eve by theprocess described, and show all
the world that he has achieved success III
producing an economical and feasible cleo
trio light,