Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1880-01-22

11e 6alE61 kkec&Etc 1lahts
Mr.. Edison has on exhibition AZ bis
residence the electric lights, which are
kept constantly burning. The New
York Ssza thus describes the scene on
New Years Day:
So many people visited Menlo Park
on New Years Day that fears were Il
one time entertained that their weight
would break down the second floor OF
the frame building. which is Edison
laboratory and workshop. where they
all congregased. And some Of them be-
haved very badly. Eight electric lamps
were stolen. One clumsy fellow got
Els feet entangled IN the rubber hose
constituting part Of the delicate appa-
ratus for obtaining q vacuum in the
bulbs, aud. in Numbering his way out,
tore down and destroyed the apbaratus.
A malicious rascal was caught trying
to destroy the current and put out the
lights by putting piece Of metal across
the exposed connecting wires. When
ne was bounced out. be or other fellows
OF has kind tore down some OF the con-
meeting wires outside and stole the
lamps. Even kind, patient, aud good
natured Edison was angry before the
day ended. and perhaps his Ill humor
was slightly helped By the knowledge
that an inebriated pseudo scientist las
IN the crowd viliiying him and BELT
ting the result achieved. Yesterday
Edison's good humor had returned, bul
there was much greater care and pru.
dence in admittingvisitors to the laborato-
~. The lights yetglowed steadily all day
and night. Some OF them. have now
been burning 2l8 hours, and are as
bright as when first lighted. Il is not
'sn - y gtee tsslEs as 6eEn pub
iicly said. that some Of the lamps
are burning less brilliantly than when
first set up. Some are less brilliant
than others, but what they are at the
beginning they continue until the end.
The explanation of the variance is very
simple. Thus far the processes OF car
bombing The little paper horseshoes has
been necessarily inexact, and, conse-
quently, imperfect. They are made by
hand, aud practically carbonized by
guess. II IS intended that each shall
have resistance of 100 ohms. but they
may be 50 or los ohms without making
any material difference. When, how
ever, the resistance rises 10 120. or 1870
ohms, as it easily may because Of i'm
perfect carbonizafion, more powerful
current is required to produce the de-
sired incandescence than that regulated
for the lamps having the lesser Qnanii-
ties OF resistance. Out of ten carbon
horseshoes made by present processes,
SIX only are good. An this will be re-
remedied in a few days, as soon as some
machinery, now being made, is got to
work.
After Mr.. Edison had given the fore
going explanation. he was asked about
further affirmation that, inasmuch as
one-millionth part Of atmospheric air
remained in the glass bulbs, the des-
truction of the carbon horseshoes was
inevitable. He laughed at II aad said :
"Mr. Crooks, the London scientist. the
discoverer Of the radiometer, is the
father Of high vacuo, and II is from read
ing his experiments and adapting 10 our
uses the valuable knowledge he gained,
that We have been enabled 10 get this
result. Our air pump is combination
OF the Geister aud Sprengel appsratu-
ses. All the difference is that we have
made changes which reduce the time
down from forty hours to one hour and
a-halfto obtain vacuum so nearly per-
feet that only one-miIIionth Of stmos-
pheric air is left. II we kept on we
could get IL down TO one-haif that, but
Il is not necessary. II is ridiculous 10
say that 10 that proportion OF air there
IS enough oxygen to cause the destruc-
ton Of the carbon.
The process of making The lamps Is
very interesting. Each Is blown in two
parts, one small bulb and tube, the
other large bulb aud tube. In the
FIRST. two platinum wires, each with q
minute wise on the end, are hermetical-
~ sealed by means Of the blowpipe
Then TIE large one Is, in like manner,
sealed over The small one. after the car
bon horseshoe has been cIamped "a the
vIses. Two are connected BY tubes
about three inches long which Join in .
single tube, through which the air Is
extracted from both. Then each i
sealed OF while il is yet attached 10 The
sir-pump and is afterward finished On
in the glass house. Notwithstanding
the great amount OF skilled hand labor
now required on these little lamps. Mr..
Edison says that 50 much about them
can be made By machinery that he con-
iidently expects to produce them At 8
cost Of not more than % cents apiece.
The conducting wires are copper q
little smaller than ordinary iron fele-
graph wire, and one pair Of such wires
now run one-fourth OF mile from The
generators, support eighteen lamps. and
would supply number more, If desir-
ed. Coppsr is used because i Is cheap
e. for che p0rpOss lkIsn iron; but should