The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-01-07
THE LIGHT IN MEMO PARK.
Mischief Makers I'm EdisOn's Lab
Oratory on New Years.
The Inventors Temper Disturbed
Lamps that Might be Broken In
Gunpowder Without Peril
Some Misstatements
Corrected.
tNew york sun. January i. |

tEew York Bun, January ~
Eo many people visited Menlo Park on New
Years Day that fears we're at enc time enter
tainad that their weight would break down
che second floor of the frame building, which
III EdHon's laboratory and workshop where
@1hey all oongregated. And some Of them be-
havsd very badly. Eight electric lamps were
stolen. one clumsy fellow got his feet en-
tangled Ia the rubber hose constituting part
of the delicate apparatus FOR obtaining q
vacuum III the bulbs, and, In laundering his
way out, tore down and destroyed the arpa-
ratus. malicious rascal was caught trying
DO destroy the current and put out The lights
by putting piece or metal across the ex-
posed connecting wires. When he was
bounced out, he or other fellows Of his kind
Z bore down some Of the connecting wires out
side and stole the lamps, Even KIND, patient,
and good-nHtured Edison was angry before
the day ended, end perhaps bis III humor was
sliehtly helped by the knowledge that On In
ebfiated pseudo scientist was In the crowd
yilifying him and helittng the result
achieved. Yesterday Eiisons good humor
had returned, but there was much greater
care and prudence iii admitting visitors TO
The laboratory.
The lights yet glowed steadily all day and
night Some of them have now been burn
Ing 2is hours, and are IA bright rs when fret
been publicly said, that some OF the lamps
are burning less brilliantly than when first
act up. Some are less brilliant than others,
but what they are at the beginning they con-
tinue until the end. The explanation of the
variance Is very simple. Thus far the pro-
ceaa uf carbDnlzing the little paper horse
Hlleaa has been necessarily inexaet, and con-
seanently, imperfect. They are. made by
hand, and practically earhonzed by guess.
III s Intended that each shall have reeiet-
anee of 100 ohma. but they may be ID or 100
fu0hms without making any material differ
eneet4 When. however, the resistance rises 10
I20 or 100 ohms, az II easily may because Of
Imperfect carbonlsatiun, q more powerful
current is required TO produce the desired In
candeseence than that regulated for the
lamps having the lesser quantities OF reslat-
anee. Out of ten carbon horseshees made by
present processes, six only are good All this
will be rameded Ia few days, az soon as
some machinery, now being made, Ia got to
work.
After Mr. Edison had given the foregoing
explanation he was asked about further
affirmation that, insstnueh az oue-milionth
part Ut atmospheric air remained In the glass
hulbe, the destruction of the carbon horse
khupR was Inevitable. He laughed at tt and
aaids MIR. Crooks, the London scientist the
dlacoserer Or the radiometeF, ls the father Of
high yacuu, and 1t Ia from reading HE expert
ments aud adapting TO our uses the valuable
knowledge he gained that we have been EN-
abled to get this reeult. Our air pump s a
combination of the Gester and sprenGel APP
paratuses. All the difference is that we have
made changes which reduce the time down
from forty hours to one hour and a half TO
obtain a vacuum 30 nearly perfect that only
.milllunth OF atmospheric air 10 left. II
we kept on we could get IL down TO one half
that, but II Ivy not necessary. III ia ridiculous
30 say that In that proportion Of air there Ia
I enough oxygen to cause the destruction OF
IS The carbon.
E The process Of making the lamps II very
intateetins Each II blown IN two parts, one
Is..
and tube. In the first. two platinum wires,
each with minute Sise on the end, are her
metically sealed by means of the hlowpipe.
Then the large one Is, In like manner, sealed
over the small one, after the carbon horse
shoe has been clamped In the vises. Two are
connected by tubes about three inches long
which Join IN n single tube, through which
the air iR extracted from both Then each Ia
sealed on while y is yet attached to the air.
pump and L. afterward finished w In the
glass house, Notwithstanding the great
amount Of skilled hand labor now required
on these little lamps, Mr.. Edison says that SO
much about them can DO made by machinery
that he confidently expects to produce them
ut n cost of not more than 10 ceuta apiece.
The conducting wires are copper, n little
smaller than ordinary iron telegraph wire,
and one pair Of such wires now run one.
fourth OF n mile from the generators, sup
port eighteen lamps, and would supply n
number more, II desired. Copper II used be- |
cause II is cheaper for the purpose than iron |
but should its price go above thirty cents
per pound, iron viii be substituted.
A gentleman representing large cotton
mill corporation called upon MIR. Edison yea
terday To inquire what IL would cost to put In |
the machinery and furnish 1000 lights In the
mill he represented. The electrician said he
was not prepared to give any definite figures,
but the amount would not exceed $4,000.
And what will it cost TO operate 1t ?"
interest on Investment. per cent for de- |
probation; cost Of power TO run dynamo ma
chine. Water power may be said to cost
mills per hour per horse power; cay half |
cent per hour per horse power by steam. You |
will require i00-horse power. or perhaps 100 |
That IL something have not yet fully deter
mined to my own satisfaction. am making
lamps as fast as can and intend attaching |
them all until find the utmost capacity OF I
The s0-horse power engine have here. When /
that is done shall know more about Ii than
at present. AT present calculate eight or
eight and q half lamps, no more than a quar-
Ter OF a mile distant, for each horse power
AZ the same time shall have good chance
70 test the durability, OF the lamps. l keep
Them burning steadily day and night. In
that way practically get six days trial In
one for La ordinary use q lamp Ia only burned
on an average about four hours"
The cotton manufacturer devoted some
time 10 2 careful examination of the light,
and In subsequent conversation expressed
himself delighted with It, One great consid-
GRAFTON with him was that its employment
would effect great saving In insurance. for,
80 sAS C1Vvu ~ lanp IL is silhpty Impossible
90 set fire TO anything however much one
might desire to do So Crack one of those
glass bulbs In which light IL burning" saws
Mt. Edison, sand In less than an appreciate
space OF time the light would have vanished.
Ihe carbon would be consumed as quick as
the oxygen OF the air had reached 1t. You may
nreak IL IN powder or nitro-glycerine and Its
are will do no harm. | will give $500 to any
pony who will set fire to anythi az with It."
Eyen when the little horseshoe was glowing
nost brightly one could handle the bulb
around It without discomfort.
humors are IN circulation that Mr. Edison
mas sold out bis interest in the light to stock
company, That Is not true. He yet holds a
considerable quantity of shares in the COM
pany which supplied the $50. 600 or $40 900 for
nis experiments, and he has given d liberal I
interest to his assistants. DrexeI, Morgan Il |
70. are the principal owners, and control /
England as we'll as this country. Whether it 1
= true, IS rumored. that the Rothschilds I