New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-09-05
ELECTRICITY INSTEAD OF GAS.

Hany persons in the tbrong that pours down
Fulton. st. every evening OH the way to Brooklyn
had their attention attracted yesterday 10 tne
lights in several OF the stores on both sides OF the
street In the place Of the usual gas II Aturcs were
those of the Edison Electric Illuminating Com
pany, each lamp shedding Its lig"t from small
blazing horseshoe that glowed within pear
shaped globe pendent beneath proclaim shade.
The company at y. III. turned on tile electric
tins kind of illumination is to be distributed from
a common centre. The first district Is bounded by
Nassau-st. the East River, Wall-st and Spruce-st:,
Ferry-st. and Peck-sp. The central station which
supplies the electricity for the lamps in the differ
ent stores and Offices is at No Zo7 Pearl st, Just
below Fultonst. At this place last evening only
two OF the large engines OF the SIX that are IN the
second story were in use The services 0. me
Others will not be wholly needed even when the
enUre district is lighted up.
At this station Mr. Edison. his chief engineer, Ed
ward II. johnson. and the other employees were
found in high state of glee at the opening OF the
electric-lightlng system Mr. Edison said; " We
started our machinery this afternoon and are now
prepared to supply my light permanently to the
district. The buildings OF our customers nave been
inspected by the Board OF Fire Underwriters and
az fast as the inspections are completed the lights
are put in. For the last two or three weeks the
company has becn busy testing its system of I'M
derground conductors, making connections with the
buildings of it's subscribers, and putting-in Fix
lures and meters. Statements have been pub
shed recently from some electricians to the effect
that my system was utterly lmpraGticablc we
have proved to-day already that u Is IA success.
The lights IN the Offices of Drexcl, Morgan N Co.,
half mile away from the central stations are burn
ing as brightly as the lights here ,
Mr. Johnson said I'VE have the electric cur
rent flowing from Pearl-st to Nassau-st., and from
Wall st. to Spruce-st. But actually We have only
about one-third of the district lighted up to-
night. There are eighteen miles OF plpc LAID aud
between 5000 to 5000. lamps are supplied. We
have 10000 lamps wired. In this district there
are about 1,5OO gas company subscribers. Ont
of that number We have secured 100 as subscrib-
ers This station now is only half completed
When finished and if we secure the patronage of
all the present of gas the station Will supply
the power for 22,O00 lamps The principal con-
Germs that we have lighted up tonight are Drexel
Morgan d Co., who have 100 lamps; Winsl0v,
Lanier Il &C.. between fifty and sixty lamps the An
sonia Brass and Copper Company, 100 lamps !;
other smaller films and places IN Fulton, Pine,
Wall. Nassau, BeekInan aud Wllllam-sts. and
Maiden-lano. There are no lamps lighted in
Pearl-st. Where we have not run the connecting
wires into stores and Offices We have been pre-
vented by the eXcavating work of II steaIn-heatlng
company. Connections will be made as rapidly as
possible and IL will not be many days before tho
lights have been furnished TO the whole district.
On Saturday we united all the feeding pipes that
run from our station with our underground street
system. Each of our machines here has capacity
i've times greater tnan that OF any similar ma
chine ever before made. We Will mot eed all OF them
10 furnish the power for tins district, and II one
breaks down we stall be able 10 call in the power
of the others that will not generally be IN use, as
reserve. Consequently there Will be no Interrupt
ton in the supply of light to our customers"
Where the electric lights were In use last night
the subscribers OF the Edison Company expressed
themselves gratIGcd with their brief experience
with the new illuminating agent. The light was
soft and perfectly steady and appeared to distrib
ute Itself more evenly and uniformly than the
light from gas burners. The decrease In the heat
caused by 10. compared with gas, was gratefully
appreciated by the clerks who had TO work
beneath It,