National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-01-28
ELECTRIC LIGHTS.
Interesting ConVcrsntion with Repre-
sentative tho Fuller Company.

"I see the Hcisler Electric Light Company has
achieved victory in the science of electric light
ing" said u reporter of THE REPUBLICAN to n rep
rcsentative Of the Fuller Electric Light Company
last night
Yes" with quiet smile; but do they do all
that they claim
The reporter confessed his ignorance ON the sub
jGct and asked for more light
"Now," said the gentleman. " there was an article
in to. days Posi- describing the Heslcr lightwhich
rather puzzles me- 1t says Both carbons in
burning are pointed alike How, in the name of
goodness that can be can't understand. You
doubtless know that the light Is obtained by the
combustion of carbon in an arc of electricity As
the carbon burns minute PARTICLES from the posi-
tive point become detached and adhere to the
negative point, forming sort of button on its top
and causing the upper or positive peucil to be-
come cup-shaped at its extremity. When the
cGrbons nre new they are both pointed alike but
in burning they become as have stated, and it Is
this change in their form that causes electric
lights to flicker As both currents must be used in
the lamp, confess don't see how it is possible to
keep the points alike. The mechanism of the
Hcsler lamp is the same as ours or the Brush"
"Iu the same article SEQ II stated that the Heis-
| Ter light can be controlled"
81 will very easily show you how the light can
be cut off and tempered to ssit circumstances. In
| the Fuller light we use one wire on the whole
| circuit, no matter how many lamps may be on
| that circuit The wire starts from the positive
| pole of the machine and Is led back to the neg
| ative pole. At every point on the circuit where
! 1t is desired to have a lamp the wire is cou.
| nected with set-sCrews on the lamps, then joined
! TO the circuit again, and so on 10 as many lamps
| as you want. on the top of every lamp Is a switch
and when 1t Is desired to cut out lamp the switch
Is brought into play The effect of this switch is &c
form what is called short circuit, which cause.
the electricity to jump past the lamp switched
and go TO the next one OF course by these
means lamps can bo as easily cut OH you cal
turn the gus out Now will explain to you the
Heisler system. Each lamp has its separate wire
running from the electric machine. OF course
the cost of wire, quite heavy one, is much
greater in their system than in ours. Now, thu
ends of these wires pass into a switch board
! similar to the boards used in tho tele
phone exchanges. If O lamp IL to bt
cut out by inserting plug in III,
| board the circuit is cut, and of coursC
| the lamp ceases TO burn. The current ira
versing the wires establish q certain amoun
| of resistance, which is overcome or drawn
| oifby the action OF the Carbons burning. Wher
the Hcisler lamps are disconnected this resist
0nce in their system is neutrali2ed by the cur
rent passing through a resistance COLL But thi
Is an actual waste of power and does not benefi
the light. SO you see that in our system, whcI
running six-light circuit aud 1t is desired to re
duco 1t to four the lamps derive the benefit Of al
increase Of power, and of course the light become
more intense. The Heisler light loses all thi
extra power and simply wastes H. DO you se
anything gained by the new system? | dom
Now We come to the other point-the adjustmcn
of the light. That Is n very simple arrangement
The wider apart the carbons are the brighter be
comes the light By simply adjusting the carbon
holder we get brighter or DINNER light BIZ
this is Of no practical use. 1t is impossible I
regulate the carbons with such nicely as to h
able to secure the desired result, and 1t can onl
be done by experimenting. There are some othC
points about the machine itself which do not com
mend themselves TO me-"
1t may be stated in this connection that CON
pany is now being formed in this city to light put
lie and private buildings with the Fuller system
. and that the gentlemen composing the cOmpan
represent some of Washington's most solid al
energetic business men. Their names alone wi
be sufficient guarantee Of the merits of the schem
and prove concusIvely that the light is all that
claimed for II. As the company Is II home entG
prise, and as The light will be the finest that HI
yet been invented, there Is no doubt that the con
/, pRny will receive steady encouragement from Il
live merchants Of the city and be welcomed L
all those who rejoice in seeing Washington in
proved in every possible manner