New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-01-02
THE EDISON LIMP.

The new electro lamp, ON tXhlDltlon al
Mrnlo Park this week, is not unworthy OF the
attention which ii is exciting The principle
on which il il constructed Is not new, Tor m
vrntora have been striving to M 'lntaln STEM
der pcncil or flamcnt of carbon in a state of
incandcsrcncc in vacuum for more than thirty
wears. but the lamp itself is az far ahead OF
the cilris of the earlier inventors as the
MODERN railway ear Is Of the ancient lumber
wagon. Mr. Edison has improved the Spirn-
rcl air-pump. and the vacuum III his niue
cL,-- Globes il almost perfect. Only one
miion'h part Of TIE air remains. lie Is mus
far III advance of competitors In regard to
tie im;nrtant point Of IN almost perfect
Vacuum. on which the durability OF the in
candc.,, nj carbon depends. He has also been
fortunate III adjoining the plan of sealing up his
::la,, globes with the blow-ppc, while yet
attached to the air-pump, thus making the
exclusion of the outside air cImpctc HIS
paucr carhons. too. almost ms slender as hairs,
po,.c>, sprcid merits. They offer hish re-
,i~,ancr to the passage Of the electric current,
and their ability to withstand II sudden shock
Of ,l.rirlr;.y il greater than that of carbon>
whu,h have no iurc. Tnc light OF the lamps,
y l.i. pu,c and brilliant, is moderate, being
,pull to that OF single G'>-j Is, fact
. i,,rh render. them suitable for use in dwell
iag.. Last, hu not least, the lamps N"
mali AID ,"nrly in appearance. 1hrsc are all
GOOD points.
The first step in the utilization of the electric
l. ,ht for dwellings, is the construction of a
lamp After n suitable lamp has been OBJ
tuncd, the next points to be- considered are
bow durblc IL the lamp likely to be-. and
SOW costly will be It's usr. Unless the
Lamps Az durable and cheap they will
Ice little more than ingenious toys.
CA neither OF thcsc points, however. can
m,rh hr said AT present respecting Mr. Edlsoh's
lambs. They have not been tested long
enough One fact, however, should not be
ovcIlookcd Among the 10 lamps now placed
on exhibition 4: Mrno Park several are already
huinlng little dull. What do, that mean
II Is stated by Mr.. ". +. Sawyer, another in
vrltor in the same field, that il n mlliOnth
part Of the air remains in the sealed glass
Globe. the incandc>ccnt carbon must be con-
su,ncd III time, and of course very
delicate carbon like the paper horscshocs OF
Mr. Edison must burn away sooner than larger
ours II Mr.. Sawyer Is right, some of the
iorty-hve Edison lamps ought to begin to
grow dull COON. a. some of them are actually
duil Already Is this fatal weakness in the
new lamp1 Time is required before a positive
answer can be given, but the probabilities
seem to be against the great durability of the
hnrsc,hoc cai bons. Ii tn" lamps do not prove
duriblr, then Mr. Edison has only partially
succeeded.
\ l., cost. nothing drfutr can be said until
alter the whole soy lights which Mr.. Edison is
making have been put into actual opera
ton in Mcnlo Park and Railway. Until
that is done all estimates must be so purely
concctural az to have no practical value.
vast amount Of the energy of the electric cur
rent is wasted by distribution over Il WIDE
area, and tho exact amount OF this loss and
the cost of the plant must be asccrtaincd e1-
perimentally before any estimate OF c1-
penscs will be useful. OF course, If the Edi-
son light should not be economical, the gas
companies will not have much TO fear from 1t.
Mr.. Edison himself is working hard and Is
hopeful Of ultimate and complete success.
Meantime he has undoubtedly made
great stride in the solution of the complex
problem of electric lighting, and is to be con-
graduated upon his success.