New-York tribune., 1880-01-02

bon introduced INTO all electro circuit, ana
made ncandcscert in vacuum, Is the Who'c
principle The secret of Mr.. Edison'S appa-
rent success is that he has been able to
obtain an almost perfect vacuum, the best ever
known, and to seal up his Lamp III II way
which positively and absolutely foibds the
reGntrance of the air. The defects OF the
lamp are not vet fully understood. but 1t Is
being subjected to rigorous test, ana It's
weak pouts will soon be known. II 1t has any
The steps which led up TO the present invcii-
ton are interesting, and Will explain the
principle on which the lamp is founded better
than any formal description.
TIE EVOLUTION OF THE NEW LIGHT.
THE LABoEs OF KING KONN. SAWYER AND EDISON
HE pfAlINUM LAMP THROWN ASI'I-A
LUCKY SUGGESTION, OBTAINED By ACCIbf\i,
FOLLOWED Ur WITH ENrEGY AND INiEL-
LIGrNCr.
The main idea of the new Edison lamp was
thought of about forty years ago. An American
electrician bv the name Of k.ng a'iemltf" l"
utiliz, II in 1915. He invented "A lamp wherein
glass vnnc was employed from which the ar hal
been exhausted with an air pump. Inside "t u was
placed a piece of carbon or platinum. introduced
into an electric circuit, and made ncande'ccnt by
means O: a strong current. Mr.. King gave tie gas
COMPANIES in America great shock. Ills invention
was regarded as "an unfIitunatc discovery" lie
took il to England and created sensation there
also ;ur "A short time. He might have
reyolution;z.d the lighting of dwelling: with 1t
could H. have maintained GOOD Vacuiin' Wheh
q carbon burner cd. or could lie nave retu-
lated his current when platinum was emplove'
He could do neither and his hight passed ont "i
existence in the course of a very few yeaIs
DE ChaHCy, a FrcnchiEan, took up the ldea III
81. Md ,aVnsp pntlN "A
public manner the success OF his eli 'rs. but"c
made a failure of it after all, aud accomplished
notbinp Ill, had the same trouble aS King.
Lattcrly two men named Lndygnlnc and k"nn.
have taken up the idea in Hns'a. They have
produced a laulp In winch ctr'on Is used IN
vacuum, aud have sucCcedcd WITHIN TWO
or three years. in INTRODUCING IL INTO several Euro
peap warehouses and shops. The carbons burn out
in dav or two and the lamps have to he replaced,
but the hight pure, strong ana steady ana IL
ia so absolutely tlce from fu,aes or products of
combustion :ha, it is preferred I" gas in certain
establishments Ii Is co,tiy, however, and Las
never come INTO gcncral U.s."
Two OF three wears ago Mr. W. +. Sawyer. OF this
city took uy the idea, and last year lie began To
exhibit at his little shop on Wa!ker-St.'
lamp very lnuch superior to anything ever before
produced. Mr. Sawyer employed straight e'a>S
tnbe. about foot long and two inches III diameter
q brass hase AZ first a slender pencil "' car"oh IN
inch lonr bent into the f. OF horseshoe and held
betwern Two stcut pieces "f car'on. WAS used, TINS
mart If the lamp being Supported on heavy COTS o.
coprrr which conducted III" current. Alter
ward a straight pencil of carbon, haii
An incn long held between two lar"
piece, OF carbon. was cA.P"yrh. Inc tu''
was flied with nitrogen GA, and s"IcI Dy means
of q switch %: Mr. Sawyer's own iav"nton, the cur
f. n 4 T.,
and the ,ht could he turned ~ and down exact ly
Gke cas-. The heht was cgnl to four or
five gas lets and was pHIc mellow ana
brilliant a the sunshine. which Ii rcsenbItu ire
light produced by this lamp was it for any dwell
ing and it excited such great interest that Mr. isii
McCulloch and other gentlemen of high standing
formed a company to supply Mr. Sawyer with tha
means required to go with his experiments Inc
drawbacks of tic lamp were fist, that it was large
md clumsy AID not a desirable ad,itlOn to the fur
niture of tasteful apartment, and. secondly, that
the carbons could not always be depended upon.
The lams would grow warm. and IN
cooling the scaling material would frequently
crack, admitting the air. ana promptly
burning the carbon tho next time 1t was
lighted 1t was found very difficult to get rid OF
every trace of oxygen. So long ms any remained
mixed with the nitrogen, it was impossible to pre-
vent the combustion Of the carbon. Frequently il
carbon to destroy it in short time 1t may be said
that Mr.. SAWYER has continued his experiments
diligently and is still going on with them at the
uresent time. He has new lamp now, which M
~uarantees to buru 500 hours, bnt he has not beer
Able to produce perfect vacuum in his glass glob'
vet, or to exclude the oxygen completely from h
nitrogen. ..,,rs -, .,,vrv
Mr.. Edison took up the problem of the electric
loh, little over year ago. Like Sawyer, h'
rnsde use from the beginning OF the we'll known Law
Of Ohm for the subdivision OF the electric current
In pessiug o current from heavy main wire to
number Of equal branches. the current Is exactl!
undivided according to the member OF branches
Mr.. Edison saw that be could divide the power o
hia current sufScieutly to maintain any number o
anal uehts II 200 or any other number on one cir
emit provided shat good lamp could bs made u
sfvo ont the light.
Hs tr;ed tho experiment hrst Of rsing wire o
hardened platinum. The startling announcement
r..Ae in his behalf, in September. gear ago. tina
hs hsd solved the wboe proslem with his platinum
lamp. II w,n remembered. In spite OF that an
nounesmsat Mr.. Edison has never been able +
vtil,ss tho idea OF . platinum burner, either in
yAouum or any other way. He tried tho expert
msnt Of epclosinR tho platinum In
daass Globe in . vacuum. snd found IL econ
ora,csl. Tho radistion Of heat from tho In
eandsscent wire Wa lee In . vacuum thai
N Tie open Or, and tho energy Of th
carrsxt vas therefore saved for the purposes o
Nabs Bat tAaI diA not etviess the fatal deiseas 9
Nh slf ~ esefSv 4 strong nature fof over yeas