The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-03-27
rdlsnn,s hlcetrlc Light.

Idtson's Electric Ltgbt.
LECTURE by PROFESSOR BARKER BEFORE THE
FRANKLIN SCIENTIFIC s0CIETY-AS UsQU&I-
IfIEp ENpoEssagNr OF THE EDISON LIGHT
y CHEAPER THAN GAS AT SIXTY CENTS THOU
SAND FEgT--A TRIBUTE TO The GREAT IN
vENTOR.
fly teit graph 20 the New York lie aid
PHILADELPHIA, March "a, 1SS0.-Pro-
iessor George +. Barker, NJ. d., Professor
Of Physics Of the University Of Pennsylva-
MIA. lectured before the Franklin Scientific
Society tonight on The electric light. Great
| importance attached TO the lecturer because
Of bis recent returu from Menlo Park,
where he had been engaged with Professors
Young, Bracket, and Rowland, in making
an exhaustive series of experiments with
the Edison electric light. He had repeated
ly declined 10 state the result Of his visit,
declaring that not until he bad thorough hly
| tabulatcd all the data in his possession
would he make the results OF his visit pup
lie.
After introducing the general subject Of
| electric lighting. Professor Barker directed
his remarks solely TO Edison's light In its
latest form. First. as 10 the new generator,
which he pronounced perfect success.
al know all other generators" said the
lecturer, ''snd Edison's is best OF all. With
q resistance of only oGe ohm he gets l64
units OF energy. The theory upon which
il is built is exactly the reverse Of previous
inventors OF electrical generators. Edison
aims at low resistance, but high motive
force" The lecturer then took up the lamp
itself. "Careful experiments convince me-"
said he. "that the vacuum in the lamp
is now within one milontbs Of per-
feet exhaustion. The structures regarding
the exhaustion are merely absurd. long
series OF experiments with various kinds OF
fbres. SUCH as southern moss, bass wood,
palmetto, Mexican hemp, jute, cocOanut,
palm, and manila, demons rates that the
MANILA iibre is much tougher ana better
adapted for 'horseshoeS in the lamp than
lany other material" The Professor illus
trated his remarks at this point by taking a
bundle of the cbarre manila g horseshoes,"
Strengthening them, and actually tying a
knot in them.
| The greater part OF the discourse was de-
liyercd in the light furnished by the seven
incandesccnt lamps distributed about the
ball. TE.s decision, after ell the tests in
favor Of manila fibre, forever settled, in
Professor Barker's opinion, the practica'
bilty OF the light. 1t disposed OF the
( platinum problem, and left only the one
question OF economy 10 be considered. 81
, energy (ior there is nothing that is bought
or sold in all this world that does not repre-.
sent energv) cheaper through electricity
than gas. To calculate with eXactness the
comparative merits Of electricity oyei
, oas we must reduce it to heat. This IL
dOre by burning one OF these lamps i'm
mersed in water. This is called the
test by the calorimeier. To this end, wber
at MeBlo Park a few days ago, chose on,
pair OF lamps Of low resistance, one pair
hioh resistance, one pair with the smalles
horseshoes yet used, all these OF paper, enc
one lamp (No. SD with The MANILA fibre
connection" The lecturer here read thi
tabular results of his inv esigation. "Now,'
e said he, resuming, Z" shall prove the cheap
ness Of this light by demonstration on tn
blackboard. The gas-engine that drives th'
Gramme generator below requires twenty
cubic feet OF gas per hour to produce one
horse power. Ten lights Of sixteen. oh
o mower are produced for each horsepower
= therefore we get 100 candles from twenty
c cubic feet OF gas. On the other hand i've
foot burner equals sixteen. candle power
giving us only sixiy-four candles from III,
= consumption OF twenty cubic feet OF gas al
light. 1t is cheaper, therefore, TO run al
- engine for an electrical generator with th'
} gas than to consume it for light. In othel
words, it contains far more heat. energy
than light. To state this proposition mor'
scientifically, one pound. Of coal-gas will
give us ligat equal TO seventy y-fve candles
& This pound, il burned in the caorimeter-
that is, under wattr-will equal 10000 hea
units. caual TO 10000, 000-foot pounds
d equal TO 250,000.foot pounds per minute
One candle, therefore, requires more THAI
u 3.300-foot power per second. Again, me
cbanically the cost OF running an engine
NAV be very literally set down at three cent
Der horse power per hour. This apphed u
, driving Edison's generator gives us Tel
lights Of sixteen candles each-that Is, lei
!. lights per three cents, or three ten 'bs OF on
: cent for each light of sixteen candle power
Now look at the contrast. Gas, we VIII say
is s. per thousand. Five cubic ieet OF ga
costs at that rate one cent-that Is TO say, W
, get three electric lamps, such as you see De
= fore Won. for the same cost as one five-foo
$ gas-burner light. In language still NOR
= simple, | can positively say, alter IN
e most careful computation, into wblcl
/ cannot 90 on this occasion, tina
h until gas can be furnished for sixty cent
: per 1000 cubic feet the electric light !
= cbeapero The lecturer closed with tri
buIe OF respect and admiration for Mr.. Ed
: ison. A few days ago, when he assured
The Wizard that calculation convinced hin
= that nineiy-eight per cent. OF the energ'
y was secured by his new generator, Edisol
: exclaimed: al that be so, man is abso
= Lutte master OF nature. Ninety-eight pc
5 cent. of energy means the control OF th
: forces OF the world. Electricity Is ligh
and heat. We have only to place our en-
eines at the coal-mines and transmit th
heat and light wherever il is messed"
The lecture was listened to by yer.
large audience.
An engineer on the Lehigh.Valley roa'
A broke the valve OF his steam-plpe on Mon
I; day, and TO save bis life couldn't STOP 10
i L "a Ill