Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-02-21
THE ELECTRIC LIGHT NPARlS.
Experiments Which Show that Gas.
Light Is Much Cheaper for the Same
Amount of Illumination...T Report
of NJ. CernesSou.

The lighting Of large spaces by the
electric light, especially i'll the expert
ments made in Paris, mas revealed
some curious facts as regards the cheap
ness of this mode Of illumination when
compared with gas. The Courier dcs
Flats UniS published on Saturday an IN
teresting article on this sahject. The
author of the article, NJ. Henri de Par
vile, takes as = basis the full and able
report of NJ. Cernesson, which had been
adopted by the municipal council OF
of Paris, and which contains a very
careful comparison of the expense Of
the electric light and gaslight. While
il is very certain, says the report, that
the electric light furnishes the best iilu-
minstion for large thoroughfares and
public squares, it is not demonstrated
that an equally brilliant illumination
may not be obtained by using an in
creased quantity of gas, without incur
ling the amount of expense involved
in lighting by electricity. It has not
yet been proved that an economical
light can be furnished by electricity.
view of this fact, the municipal council
of Paris decided upon series Of COM
parative experiments by lighting
the Avenue de rOpera, Place de
pOpera Place du Theatre Francois and
one large public interior, with electric
ity for limited period. The Paris gas
company at the same time used Il num-
Der of gas burners of larger calibre than
usual in certain thoroughfares and publ
lie places, and the results have been
carefully registered and compared, both
as to the cost and the degree of illumi-
nation. Until Nj. Cernesson reported
upon the question, the cost Of tie Jab-
lochkoff light was 4 matter Of conject-
ure, ard it is of no little interest in set
Ting the issue that the figures which
have been obtained in Paris are accept
ed as correct, not only by the corps of
city engineers and by the engineers of
the gas company, but by the engineers
of the Paris electric light company,
They are, therefore, incontestible. The
Introduction of the electric light in
wolves three sources Of expenditure.
First u motive force to drive rotary
generator furnishing the currents; sec
ondly, the electro magnetic battery
itself; and. thirdly, the elecTo-lamp or
candle of Jablochkoff. The engines
employed were each of Ntwenty-horse
power, driving Gramme generators,
Each engine was found capable of run
ming sixteen Jablochoff candies, or in
other words, each candle required of
its successful operation force equiva-
ientto 1.25 horse power Four engines
and Gramme generators were necessary
TO the illumination Of the Avenue de
rOpera. The unit of Illuminating DOW,
er adopted was the light Produced by a
Carcel lamp consuming AZ grammes of
pure oil per hour. 1t was first ascer5
tanned that ten burners, each using
140 litres of gas per lilour, are equivalent
to IL Carcel lamps, while II single Jab-
lochkoh candle is equal to 80 Carcels.
But, as it was found Necessary to the
diffusion OF the latter to shade IT with an
opaline globe, its Illuminating power
waspracticall VI onsiaerable,- belor ths
standard, being equal to only IS 81, 20
Carcels when tie horizontal rays we've
tested, and to only 10 or ~ wien the
oblique were under examinatiop-ra
very meagre result, indeed, when com
pared with the actual light generated.
The ultimate comparative result arrived
at was that one Jablochkoif candle is
practically equal to II gas-jets of the
ordinary calibre used for street illumi-
nation. But a comparison of the figures
of cost show that the amount Of gas used
might be so increased <as, to give an
equivalent light without incurring n
fully equivalent expense. When a
burner consuming 200 litres of gas per
hour was used, it required only seven
to equal one electric candle. Electr-
clans hope to diminish the waste CON
sequent upon the use of opaline globes,
and Nj. Clemandot's invention-that of
using two globes, the one fitting loosely
into the other, and filling the space be-
tween the surfaces with powdered glass
has favorably impressed the scientific
men Of Paris. The particles Of the thin
layer of powdered glass appear to ex-
ercise wonderfully diffusive influence
without materially reducing the illu-
minating power. The cost per hour of
running the sixty-two candles used upon
the Avenue de lOpera is thus stated by
Levy, u competent engineer:
Francs
Motive force, ,.....,... ............... 3 -
Nnhl v u
Oil for fabrication. .................. .. %
Cost 81 snperintendenee.. .....+.....,. 20
SiAty'two candles .......,....... \. ......3l 90
lutal 20 -
A calculation upon this basis shows
the cost pc hour OF running one Jab-
lochkoIf candle to be 20 centimes (about
l43 cents) The electricians count up
on a considerable reduction in the
amount Of motive force and the cost of
candies enough, at least, to bring the
cost per hour down to 60 centimes,
(about IL As centsl. But even upon
this basis, the economical advantage
rests manifestly with gas. In effect,
then, while Jablochkof candle is
equivalent to II gas-burners of the Par
is standard, these II gas-burners cost
only little over % centimes per hour
something less than 5 cents. At the
present figures, therefore, the relative
expense of electric light to that of gas,
illuminating powers being equal, is as
70 to %, and were the cost reduced to
the limit urged by electric engineers as
possible under existing circumstances,
the proportion would still stand as 60 to
-. 4. L.