The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1880-02-14
EDISON,S ELECTRIC LIGHT.

He Declares 1t to be Practically Perfected
His Plans for the Future.
"When Sir Humphrey Dayy, the IA
nous English chemist, was apprised of
the project of forcing carburetted hy-
drogen gas through a system of pipes
for purposes of illumination, he laughed
in derision. Nevertheless, continued
Mr.. Edison, +" illumination by coal gas
proved to be a great success. My prof.
ect for the subdivision of the electric
light is treated in like manner by all
those persons who are profoundly igno-
rant of the system which | am day by
day perfecting. 1t is a singular fact.
that persons conversant with the sub
ject, after inspecting my laboratory, are
ready to allow that am all right as far
as have gone. / ask no more -
Mr.. Edison insists that the only ques-
ton now is of the perfect formation of
the glass globes of his lamps. This, he
says, will soon be brought about. Not
withstanding the occasional unfavora-
BILE reports of Mr.. Edison's experiments,
as published, the company of capitalists
who are backing him seem not to lose
confidence in the inventors ability to do
all that he has promised.
The proprietor of one of the private
dwellings in Menlo Park, that are illu-
minated by the Edison lights, said last
evening: "The lights seem almost per-
feet. They give us absolutely no trouble.
When we retire we turn the little screws
attached to each and the glow instantly
ceases. Often during the day turn the
lights up. So far, nearly three weeks,
they have not failed. The so-called
scientific persons in New York and 9th
ers who are continually condemning
this plan for lighting as impracticable
have great surprise in store for them.
They are sure to see their entire city
lighted by these same jets"
A number of new lamps were set up
Yesterday in the Mcnlo Park laboratory.
TO the ordinary observer their intensity
does not differ from that of those that
have been burning for weeks. Exam
latter, made by the photometer and
galvanometer show their resistance to
be unimpaired. That is to say, the
amount Of combustion that has taken
place can not be measured.
1t is thought in Menlo Park that some
of the lights that were stolen during
the first week of the public exhibition
have fallen into the hands of Western
electricians. Should similar lamps be
manufactured and used, even without
the improved dynamo machines, their
introducers will be prosecuted by the
managers of Mr.. Edison's Electric
Light Company.
A means of preventing the glass tubes
containing the incandescent lights from
cracking Mr.. Edison says he has dis
covered, and will at once put in practice.
At the point where the platinum wires
pierce the tubes, a compound is applied
having a fixed aikali for the base, and
a conchoidal fracture. Several of these,
he says, have been burning for eighty
hours without the sign of a crack.
The following are the number of hours
that each of the lights now set up at
Menlo Park had been glowing up to last
evening. 1t was made by Mr.. Edison
himself from the book kept by one of
his assistants: ft
597 465, 4s5, SIS, $685. $685. SOB, 5l7, 4s7 4s7, $50
$780, 200, 200 49, 800, 400, 367 $40. 30 s73, 3s2,
3, 3d. 33 Az 326, 49, 2s3, 2S6, 294 29f, 800 800,
$50 25, 3O 367, 2l5, $751; 2ss, 1884, 1885, 19f, 1884, 1885,
This includes not only the lights in
the laboratory, but also those glowing
publicly in the streets and in the private
houses.
Mr.. Edison exhibited last evening a
series of elaborate drawings which CON-
prise the entire plans for the station that
he says he will shortly establish in this
city. The machinery is to be placed in
a building 25x100 feet. In the cellar is
to be five engines of 250-horse power
each. The dynamo machines are to be
the small horseshoes instead of those
now in use, with the same resistance
100 ohms-Mr. Edison says he finds
that he can obtain eleven and
one-half instead of eight lights
to the horse power. In this manner
he believes he can generate -, $50 lights,
each having a power of Is candles. He
saws, further, that in the day time, when
his lights are not used, he can hire out
the power of his engines at great adj
vantage. By means of copper insulated
wires he can transmit the power gen.
Grated, and distribute it among the
manufactures within a radius of half a
mile, although never more than 50-horse
power to any one building. An agent
whom he has employed to inquire among
the manufacturers in the vicinity of his
proposed station has just, he says, re-
ported even more fayorably than he an
| ticipated. Mr.. Edison went on to say
that, although he could only deliver at
the end of half mile IS per cent. of his
1,250-horse power, nevertheless, the
profit would be enormous. 1t stands to
reason, he argues, that you can run five
250-horse power engines cheaper than
you can run forty-eight 25-horse power
engines.
Mr.. Edison added that he is now
placing his light in large steamship in
course of construction by John Roach
at Chester, Pennsylvania. The ship be-
longs to the Oregon Steam Navigation