New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-26
EDISON'S WORK.

on THY MAXIM LAMP.
"I don't believe you will find Mr.. Edison up
at his laboratory now said the proprietor OF the Menlo
Park Hotel Wednesday morning 10 n reporter OF THE
TRIBUNE; he sent down here for some crackers Mt
o'clock this morning and that means that he was at
work all night" At the office connected with the labor
atory tho reporter was told that Mr.. Edison
was asleep; that he bad worked al the
night before and several preceding nights, aud
that his employees had been working day ana
night for lime Mr.. Ed son did not appear until
afternoon, when he accom- aned the reporter through
his labor atory. machine shops and draftlngr0om ana
conversed freely about his labors achievements and
claims In the field OF electric lighting and about lis
hopes and plans for the future
In the laboratory burning brightly. aud with al
most perfect steadiness. dozen incandescent lamps
furnished with the bamboo carbons shaped Ike bair
PIN. In the machine shops a OF mon were
hard Of at work preparing the material for an expert
ment Of considerable magnitude and importance that
Mr.. Edison expects to make in little more
than fortnight. Several OF these men were
putting in place tue parts of an immense
dynamo n achine OF 1850 horse power, with
which the attempt will soon be made to operate great
number OF lamps through eight miles of wire. Ii was
tho original intention OF Mr. Edison 10 test the practlca
billy operating this extensive scale Ia August, but
he was disappointed by the Phaielpha machnIsts TO
whom gave the to furnish tie seamengipe
for the dynamo machine. This differs fro the
machines heretofore used at Men0 Park aud designed
do the work OF large number OF them and TO pro-
duce better results at half the cost in plant
In the draughting-room several were found put
ting the finishing touches TO plans and specifications Tor
an elaborate system OF electric lighting, including
the plans for number of central stations
to be built in the City of New-York. In
this system the city has been divided mo di'trct and
calculations have made of the electricity that Will
have to be gencaed for each district. The plans Tor
the central stations have been drawn IN accordance
with these calculations.
Mr. Edison has also built factory for lamp makirg
and has Taught a number of boys how to blow glass
At the factory his expectation TO have lamps made
for Use IN New-York when Preparations TO enter the
field against gas have been finally and satisfactorily
made Vacuum pumps have also been Perfected TO pre-
pare the lamps for USE
AN ATTACK ON THE MAXIM LAMP
Public attention IN New-YOrk," said the reporter,
has recently been directed to the incandescent lamp
OF the Maxim patent. Great claims have been made for
hs lamp, aud several scientific men have gwen IL
slrong ENDORSEMENT. WHAT do you think OF the Maxim
ampf -. .,.
- have road what has been published about that
lamp" said III. Ellison The Gains made for 1t are
uatrne. Take, for instance the clam that II Is the rs
lamp to utilize portions of IA dvided electric current
Every rcr.ou familiar with the history OF the arr OF
electric lighting knows that was lie hTst person TO
divide and the portions. That was done
by the r'mps exhibited Lere last %lat't ESa,9lhe
the Maxim iaup and what DO yOi hudf A Sliss
globe ~ taken, n carbon hlRnent Is Dcht auu placed
seaien up. That Is precisely ms idn. no one SLonld
be caIvcj oy he peculiar gwen To the hament
M toe Maxim lamp it only done TO sead IhcTc 1,
aothug in tae coa;n- of carbon II Is 3D.aI"c" by &c
CON Us.ng nydrU-carbOn-l priDcpie OH IA chemistry
wnch Ony nave been pAt ned tdrOugI ignorance
tue Pr mi Ohce There nothng new III tht piIhci
pie g1tlng ny ncaadeSccucs; amps on mat
piiucipic maze thirty years ago le Ftity 10 III
subdvliing ,he current ahd Utilizing the divided puI
uOns, nu4 producing many hghts OF less pilliiHcl
| could ave done SIX months wuat
NJ kim ha- dom. had desired 10 make Snow. did
pa NJ CUTS In The steamer Columbia III May as, ana
they naVe Juen III Use ever since
an enure ii in my laboratory ana shUps lie was Der
United examine eycyth NJ, 1nd no doubt he pichtd
up p5.i8 thaJ cost and labor to reach but that
were not II such "a tufe Tat they could be patented
H.. rnuced away from ne OOy OF seventeen, whJm
was paying % Gay, aud has ann employed now theie
must nave Oh jcct III that. L nave never had
ans thiug 10 conceal ana l make nOtnlnS secret
now. 1 rely for protection upon the patent
Laws. Tnis Is the ume 10 pursue the methods OF
eirIer aEewnen maGuiacurs locked up heI! secfts
and tner Uorhmru II the laws do GOt project invent
os tncy viii to rcrn to thc netIods ot tne Middle
Do YOU claim that the Maxim lamp infringes your
N kim has iufrngrd three of my patents and thir
teen sp.cIfcations one OF the meI peounary inter-
sod ~ m, lamp has admitted tn4t II nothing
tnan NY lamp slightly modified No dJub tue Ill 5p.y
M. he Dy Ma I'M nas distinct OOjce. ia view. have
be n irzet To operate my lamp IN NcW-IOIk
ana have declined, because t4e,e Is no OH CT 10
Po sn si noi ~ the ,| snow ius ness me-
Ii mas been gwen out mat you have lately been
pegnCn ing wan OdnDj0 cIGDJhs ana yOu are expected
TO announce Great resuitsP
e. / nave been testing a great variety OF carbons.
There 10 nothing Ia u en'Ie IL to superior
considerations except that IT Is very uiOrm IL texture
aud hi, fowcr iInpclfertions than any matenai yet
tried. lhe carbon ~ bamboo ltSeI mas no especial
property t. recomnIeud It,"
CAUSES OF THE DELAY.
Have you any objection To stating tie object OF your
recent and present laboTs"
81 have nothing to conceal. / have been working AID
am now working VITA ta sole object OF placing the art
Of electric lighting on safe basis Of commercial sue.
tn. pfa with Now in
the CITY o NewYOrk there $2 600 900 Invested in
the manufacture OF gas. Int 10 be supposed that
can go over there, AM Win mere announcement of
ouT iutenuns. wipe The OpposuOh represented BY
tiut .um Of money There are many things TO be
considered, after satisfactory light has been
90 AIMED, the cost or PAM the depreciation q"
paut ana the interest plant Every tnuR must be got
down to the penny For instance IN ta matter Of
lamps, heretofore there las buel no wdj OF making
lump tuch require exc pt BY hand IL TOOK more
than hours to make 'ipslo lamp. Il was There,
lore necessary To build factory t. make glass aud
now teaching boys how to blow glass"
You regard your lamp as satisfactory IN It's pres
ont 81 ~ of development T.
have nothing to complain OF in that respect. ]
have b-en ANXIOUS to make the OF operating
hnudeds lamps through eight miles OF wire Tor some
| August Is, but disappointed III not getting the
straiuengne ordered from frn IN Philadelphia aud
promised before that date have not yet received The
engine but 1t positively promised Inc In little
more than weeks. A. soon as It com Will make
been working with view Of obtaining steady hight Of
| anou; I6.cande power The pubic may he taken at
soon become rIed Of such a light In their
| n uses: It would pam the eye and make II
| weary In fact people would gat sick OF such a
light and have il removed. moderately bright light
| of perfect steadiuess IL what ~ wanted"
Ia word. then, your object reach the point OF
successful competition win gas and you are hopeful OF
| reaching that point e.
Nv Object Is to devise the means OF establishing
electric CITING commercial basis to dissr butte the
current from central station and measure 1t,
now Is and TO bring down to point mere the
enormous mOneyrd influence OF gus can be successfully
| encountered / have doubt Whatever OF success.
| the mans and splcl ;ltOns for central stations
for the CITY OF NewYurk been made and proposals
have been received There mIns nothing except for
the eompauy to oJtam the permission from the aithor
hes Of New YORK. III that Is done expect to lay wires
| III Jdnuafy".
MIR Edison also said that several persons in Geneva
had become interested In his light and that capitalists
! of that city had formed company and sent men tn
Memo Park TO learn the business. These men now
working daily the laboratory and shops OF Mr. Edison
Tic Swiss greatly attracted By the brahey OF tnS