The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-27
VOL. XLVI.--N0. l49.
LAUGHING AT MR.. EDISON.
GAS COMPINY OIFICERs DIsTRUSTFUL
or THE NEU ELECTRIC LIGHT


FrIahtenrd nt Any rIme-rhe scheme Fro
nouuced approximations share. Rising.
Tho delay I'm Edison's application Of tho
electric light to general uses Of Illumination af-
fords no small consolation to officers OF gus
companies and holders of gas stocks Their
property has again appreciated In value. al
though not 90 much rs it deprecated under the
influence OF Eiison's first announcement
Mr. Burr Wakcman. tho venerable President
OF the Harlem Gasght Company. said to n re-
portor on Saturday: "Of course we think gas
stocks will 10 up again. All tho reports we re-
covo from the highest scientific authorities
concerning their experiments with the electric
light 40 to demonstrate the soundness OF tho
conclusions We arrived at some time since. that
that light. for domestic use and in general illu
mnation OF stores and dwellings, IL not prac-
ticable. For great spaces in the open air and
for vast interiors. it Is. OF course. very service
able. but there its usefulness must stop The
great difficulty In the way Of its general appli
cability Ia the seeming impossblity OF trans
hitting to any considerable distance and di-
Viding the current necessary for It, MIR. Edi-
son has not yet overcome that. so far rs we have
any knowledge. nor has anybody else. The
most powerful protection OF gas industry is in
the natural law Of the transmission OF an cleo
tric current. that the weight and cost OF the con-
ductor-say copper wire. which Is tho best-do
not increase in single ratio. but In that OF the
square VI the distance between the generator
and tho point Of utilization. 1t was shown by
scientific experts at the last meeting of tho DER
man Continental Gas Association that IT, for
Instance, for n distance OF 100 metres q wire OF
30 kios in weight is sufficient. distance OF
1000 metres would not require 10 timos. but 100
times the weight. viz. 5000 kilos Of copper.
Taking that as basis. they figured upon what
would be necessary in the way Of conducting
wires. to light Berlin by electricity. In that
CITY there are six gas works. and the average
distance OF works from lights il estimated at
1900 metres Primarily. each Of the six. sup
posing them adapted to supply the electric light
instead OF gas. would have to have an engine oi
5000 to 6.O0O horsepower. But, no matter
about that; that ~ practicable. Their report
however. sets forth that:
According formula OF Breguet the constructor of
the 0rammt machine (Which assumes thinner wire taan
siemen.s SINGLE electric sht .,spin serrnl Shieh Is
e1i.es e1lEsr MR. & o. sven ven miam,tIss dismeTt a
propouon TO the distance OF 800 metres each single
slcctue l,sht would require double mlrs Of ~ MILL
S7SS kiio- aud costing 2s'5 mark. labgut ~ 1911 A.
Isn avcrare which experience has taught 10 be too high
Would S aH a,S to he pseS sh II SnS ]
eSfTn, Valued a, n maTss SAY ss S6 G5 '
Il do not know that have anything more to
cay than is known to everybody who reads the
newspapers have no confidence In the elec-
tric light. have seen II in operation under IA
yorAble conditions. and in my arrangements
hnd my tenure oi ss Ms, WI WHEN l n, noip o
OF course when tho excitement about II snrang
up there was sort Of panic among stockhod-
are again in demand for permanent invest
ments;"
erbocker GAslight Company. said: A few
weeks ago. when this subject OF electric light
gas stocks greatly. We looked into il as well as
we could. thinking it was not wise TO disregard
Am OF The opinion that there has been
nothing developed that sst the nn1S gas e9%Psnlgs
something which does not concern us as we
have not any TO sell. We are Just ready TO be-
% aSh 81 1She Ss aH n s are eI maEhs
Gaa. Whether any at all OF our stock Will enter
the market is matter for future consideration
Consequently, all my Information to the
effect upon gas stocks is derived from trust
worthy broker He says they have improved.
In the Inst few weeks, from twelve TO niteen per
cent and gas manufacturers nre far less dis
lnrbOd than they We're over the electric light
They recognize the fact that Il may be- useful for
Bpocinl purposes. but there is nothing yet that
anybody knows oi that is really going to inter
fere with gas. thing. however. the excitement
about it will have good effect. in that II will
stimulate the gas COMPANIES TO make and lur;
nish TO consumers better and cheaper gas, and
70 nnd Increased uses for gas The gas bust
moss has always been more or less a monopoly.
companies to keep alive TO new methods and to
meet the requirements OF their customers that
pow exists. thanFs to progress and competi-
Mr. o. p ZollcoIer secretary Of the Metro
politan GasRht Company said: Some stock;
when there is such fright abroad as the news
papers made over the electric light. and our
stocks suffered with thos" OF the rest OF tho
companies. but II is not going 10 do us any
harm. have not paid any partcular atten-
ton TO how gas stocks are moving. but have a
general understanding that they are returning
to their proper value. Th"T are not much on
lho market however pgGp,r oGy them rs IN In,
stock fell from 1875 down io 100. but what II
would sell for now ] cannot say, AS to the
effect Of the electric light upon our business. we
have no anxiety. We h.Vc watched Edison =
experiments. and we do not lind that he has
yet done anything more than We expected and
knew was practicable long ago, not anything
that causes us to fear. do not think that the
excitement will cause the gas companies to
furnish better and cheaper gas simply because
wenOw supply the best gas In the world and as
chcapy as it can be made with reasonable
Gen. Charles Roome. President % the Man
haitian GaslRht Company. said; Our stock
has since returned to 1856 But those quotations
were simply nominal Hardly any shares
know their solid value too well to sell them
lightly. even II they are a little frightened. But
70 be-; not because the electric light has affected
thor value but for the reason that there If now
too much competition. There are three com
panes where there should be one. with the con
sequent sinking oi three times the necessary
mately that prQportion-and necessarlly both
the gas companies and the public suffer in con
sequence. They cannot all get ialr returns Iof
thor Investments II they have much more
capital invested than the business requ res
and that unnecessary invested capital Is u bur
den upon chrapcning manufacture il too plain
aproposition 10 need elaboration,
As for tho electric light. do honestly be-
lieve that IL will never affect the business OF gas
making to any npprrcable extent / do not be-
liovo that Mr.. Edison hns lnade any discovery
that will disturb the mind OF my gas maker. In
fact | do not believe that he has made any dis
cOyery at all. Persons who went before MN
and who Rro experimenting with the electric
Light. know more about the SUBJECT than ever ht
dreamed OF or will be able to comprehend. lie
is an Ingenious mechanic but he does not com
prohen1 the renl philosophy Of electricity, Inn
j. bold assertion. ! know. but II is my opinion
do think that the electric light il very beauti
ful as a means Of display, the same as the cal
rium light and it may be useful In lighting
large plhces but question very much whether
they will ever mHks II 80 steady ~ TO be trust
worthy as "a constant source OF light And al
Tor dividing 1t ~ an extent that will make i con
vonient In apartments ! doubt whether i vii
ever DO done. Ii Is very costly light, igurt
upon II rs they may, by comparl son with gas
During the Exposition In Paris, from May u
Nov. !. tho JablOchkon Company supplied IN,