San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-09-28
ELECrRICITY AND GAS.
:. y,sb.bls Future OF Eaeh-Gas as q heating
Agent.
,,n The Address OF DR.. Q. W. sIemens.

he AGENT.
r,om the Address of DR.. O. W. siemens.
The largest and most extensive applic-
.;or Of electric energy at the present
Ina il to lighting, but, considering
~ much has of late been said and
's,;tten for and against this new illu-
minsnt, shall here confine myself to a
80 general remarks. Joule has shown
,ho. II an electric current is passed
.hrouph conductor the whole of the
energy lost by the current is converted
into heat, or, if the resistance be local.
;,ad. into radient energy comprising
heat, light, and actinic rays. Neither
tbe low heat rays nor tho ultra violet Of
highest refrangibility effect the retina,
and may be regarded as lost energy,
,he effective rays being those between
,be red and violet of. the spectrum,
which to their combination produce
The effect of white light. . The
principal argument in favor of the
electric light is furnished by its i'm
munity from products of combustion
which not only heat the lighted apart
ments, but substitute carbonic acid and
deleterious sulphur compounds for the
oxygen upon which respiration depends;
the electric light is white instead Of
yellow, and thus enables us to soc pic
tures, furniture, and flowers as we'll as
BY daylight; it supports growing plants
instead of poisoning them, and by its
means we can carry photography and
many other industries at night as well
as during the day. The objection fire.
quently urged against the electric light,
that it depends upon the continuous
motion of steam or gas engines, which
arc leable to accidental stoppage, has
been removed by the introduction into
practical use Of the secondary battery;
this, although not embodying new
conception, has lately been greatly i'm
proved in power and constancy by
Plante, Faure, Volckman, Sellon, and
others, and promises to accomplish for
electricity what the gas-holder has done
for the supply Of gas and the accumula-
ton of power, 1t can no longer be
matter of reasonable doubt, therefore,
that electric lighting will take it's place
asa public illuminant, and that even
though it's cost should be found greater
than that OF gas, it will be preferred for
the lighting Of drawing rooms thea
tiers and concert-rooms, museums,
churches, warehouses, show-rooms,
printing establishments, and factories,
and also the cabins and engine-rooms
and passenger steamers. In the cheaper
and more powerful form Of the arc
light it has proved itself superior to
any other illuminant for spreading
artificial daylight over the large areas
Of harbors, railway stations, and the
sites of public works. When placed
within holophote the electric lamp
has already become powerful auxiliary
in effecting military operations both by
sea and land. The electric light may
be worked by natural sources of power,
such as waterfalls, the tidal wave, or
the wind, and it is conceivable that these
may be utilized at considerable distan-
ces by means of metallic conductors.
Assuming the cost of electric light to
be practically the same as gas, the
preference for one or other will in each
application be decided upon grounds
OF relative convenience, but l venture |
to think gas lighting will hold its own
as the poor mans friend.
Gas is an institution of the utmost
value to the artisan; it riquires hardly
any attention, is supplied upon regu-
lated terms, and gives with what should
be a cheerful light genial warmth,
which often saves the Lighting of fire.
The time is, moreover, not far distant,
venture to think, when both rich and
poor will largely resort to gas as the
most convenient, the cleanest, and the
cheapest of heating agents, and when
raw coal will be seen only at the col
nery or the gas-works. In all cases
where the town to be supplied is within
thirty miles of the colliery, the gas.works
may with advantage be planted at the