The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1881-05-06
AN ELECTRIC LANTERN:

An ingenious macllnlSt OF COmSCOck
who is too modest to allow
his name to be mentioned, appears to
have left Edison far behind and out in
the cold, as regards the use of electri.
city for Illuminating purposes. While
Mr.. Edison has been laboring for grand
wholesale results, to find a means OF
inum mating all the cities of Anierica
and of the world at Il stroke, our mod
est friend started to do but little
thing, and, in accomplishing this, we
arc inclined to believe that he has, at
the same time, succeeded in doing that
which the other has thus far failed to
satisfactorily perform.
Our inventor set himself to work to
make light on small scale and at a
small cost, and has succeeded beyond
his most sanguine expectations. We
have had the pleasure of seeing in
operation lantern in which his cleo |
trio light was burning. An electric |
lantern was, indeed, just what he start |
ed to make, and he has made lantern
far ahead of anything ever before seen
in that line.
The lantern is Of about tho same size
and shape of an ordinary miners Ian
tern, and may as readily be carried
in the hand or on tho arm. At a little
distance it presents much the same
appearance us Nuo lauAoIb5 CdI-
ried by railroad conductors, except that
the bottom part is somewhat deeper.
In this bottom is the apparatus which
produces the electricity that makes the
light. All that is necessary to be done
is to insert Il key (like large clock
key) at the side, and wind the ap-
paratus up when light is wanted. The
light appears as soon as the machine
starts, and disappears very soon after it
has stopped. When fully wound up,
the clockwork will run for six hours;
but it can at any time be instantly
stopped by turning Il small button. The
amount of electricity required is so
small that it could hardly be measured,
as we arc informed. There are neither
platinum nor charcoal burners: indeed
no burners, at ALL The light is neither
from flame nor from substance heat
cd to incandescence.
| Just how the light is produced is
still the inventors secret. He says
that Mr.. Edison has all along been
| wandering from the true road with
| metal, charcoal and other burners.
What is seen inside of the lanterns is
simply that which appears to he
Florence flask, about two inches in
diameter ut the largest part OF the bulb,
the neck descending into and connect
ing with the apparatus in the bottom
part of the lantern. This reversed
flask is completely filed with a liquid
of a greenish yellow color. Two small
wires are seen coming up through the
neck of the flask to about the center of
the bulb, where they are bent toward
each other like the handles of IL pair of
small forceps.
This is the appearance until the
clock work is started. Then n change
is instantly seen. The liquid within
the bulb begins to glow and in a few
seconds it presents the appearance of
molten metal at a white heat, yet there
is no heat. When the door OF the Ian
tern is opened and the hand placed
upon the bulb there is a barely percep
tible warmth.
The light given out is very white
and pure. We do not know much
about the candle-power of any light,
but as this lantern made a room 14x2O
appear as light as day, the light must
have had the power of fifteen or twenty
candles-the inventor says thirty. At
all events it is enough for all ordinary
uses, and would be better than any
thing over before seen for use in the
lower levels of mines.
The secret of the whole thing is evil
IDENTIFY in the fluid with which the bulb
is filed. What this is the inventor re-
fuses to say, as it is FOR it ne expects to
obtain the patent he is taking steps to
procure.
The inventor says but three articles,
and those very cheap, are used. These
cost but IL tritie to begin with, are never
consumed and never det"rior,te. At a
very small cost table lamps and all
k inds of lights, both movable and
stationary, may be made. Where they
are atatiOnary--suspend from the
ceiling Ola room or fixed against walls,
a stationary clock-worl< would be put
up, with wires RAINING to all the lights
in Il building.
The detective camera is Il new photo
graphic feat. 1t enables photographs
to be taken in the street, or anywhere
else, without the person or persons
photographed being aware of the fact:
and is calculated to inspire lively
terror among that class of celebrities
who object to having their portraits
taken. Externally it liz made to look
like :, hook or small box Several cX