Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-12-29
The Edison Light,

Mr.. Edison maintains, with the utmost con-
fidence, that his electric light is a complete sue
cess, and OF late he is described as ''enthusi-
asticr over the result of his labors. He insists
that he has solved every problem that has
hitherto puzzled scientists in their Efforts to
make electricity take the place of gas. and that
his light Is 9 at last perfect one" Mr.. Edison
attributes his success to his discovery OF the
use to which carbonized paper could be put.
His light is emitted from lamp which is very
simple in construction. The carboniZed paper
is about two and a-half inches long and the
thickness OF a thread; 1t is shaped like a
horseshoe and put into a glass globe, from
which the air has been exhausted. Platinum
clamps are attached to the ends of this car
BOMBED paper, and from these are run platinum
wires, which are met by copper wires connect
ing with the conductors of electricity. A
current of electricity, Mr. Edison claims
makes the carbonhed paper incandes-
cent, and this current passes over it
without fusing the paper. "AS there is no
oxygen to burn,r said Mr.. Edison, speaking OF
this carbonized paper, this piece Of carbon will
last an ordinary lifetime" The cost of one of
these carbon horse-shoes is estimated at one
cent, and the entire lamp is put down at %
cents.
Prof Henry Morton, president OF the
Stevens Institute of Technology. New York.
conspicuous failure" He readily admits that
Mr.. Edison has produced a light that llumln-
ates his workshop and the streets of the village
in which it is located, but he maintains that the
light is not and cannot be made permanent.
Prof Morton says that lamps in all essential
respects Identical with those now employed by
Edison have been In experimental use for sew
eral years with Zone invariable result, namely.
that While the carbon would operate success
fully for periods varying from few hours to
several days, 1t has been found utterly imDoS-
sible to render them reliably permanent" He
refers to Edson'S experiment of q year or 50
ago. and says that he (Morton} was then taken
to task by friends for pronouncing 1t failure,
but soon afterwards Edison himself aban-
doned 1t as such. Mr.. Calvin God
dard of New York city, secretary Of the
Edison Electric Light Company, does not seem
to express himself with any great degree of con-
fdence, in an interview with a Times reporter
He said the company had no doubt of Mr.. Edi
son having perfected his light to such an extent
that it lean be supplied equal to gas, be as
easily managed as gas, and be furnished at a
cost not greater than that of gaS.' This Ian
guage falls very far short Of the claims of Mr.
Edison. Ii the new light is not to be an i'm
provement and cannot offer inducements in the
way of cheapness, then it can hardly be expect
ed that the people will take hold of it. Gas
pipes and fixtures will not be cast aside for other
pipes and fixtures, unless they can supply q
better light or a cheaper light. 1t is now an
nounced, too, by Mr.. Edison and Mr.. Goddard
that the much-talked of Illumination Of the vii
lage of Menlo Park will not take place New
Years Eve for the reason that there are not
lamps enough to make the Illumination as ex-
tensive as the inventor desires. Mr.. Edison
says, however, that the promised illumination
shall take place soon, perhaps within ten
days, and that he will light every house
in the village and all the streets, and he Will
keep the lights burning for at least two weeks
There is an almost universal desire that the
Edison light shall prove the success he claims it
is. This sentiment does not grow out of any
particular fondness for Edison, but it is one of
self-interest. Gas bills have caused more COM
plant and as much profanity as anything that
ever irritated the human family. Every man.
and every woman too, thinks the gas bill Is too
large for the amount of benefit conferred, and
the public will gladly take hold of a new and
better light. But, it will not do to put entire
confidence in Mr. EdiSon'S claims of success yet.
Ee 10 doubt believes he has accomplished all
that bis hopes depict, but, as Prof Morton says
the stumbling-blocks that have overthrown ali
inventors OF electric light heretofore have been
durability, and divisibility without too much
loss Of power. These are the tests that the
Edison light must vet stand.