Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-10-17
GREAT ELECTRICAL EXHIBITION.
That now In Progress in Philadelphia-A
Display of Surpassing Interest

Display of Surprising Interest
pHILADELPHIA, oct 4. 1854.
To the Editor of the Free Press and Times.
The great Electrical Exhibition now be
ing held, in this city, the fourth in the
wOrld-Nienna, Paris and Munich having
already held similar shOwS-is not great
popular display to attract the masses. In
deed, with the exception of the evening
hours, the spectacle is very tame. In the
evening, however when the hundreds of
the great arc lights and the thousands of
incandesccnt lamps are glowing with their
wonderful brightness in every part of the
building, the scene is brilliant in the eN-
IRENE. The result is that the evening cN-
hibtions are crowded while during the
day the numbers are very moderate. The
crowds go to see the spectacle while the
small number in the day represent the
comparatively few inquiring ones who are
looking for an insight into the great work
ing and lighting force of the future. The
day exhibition presents but few features
that would interest a careless observer,
but much that interests those who look be
low the surface.
To the superficial observer the cXhib-
ton seems given over to the electric light,
and the telephone While these cN
hibits prcdOminate yet there are
very many other electrical appliances
of the utmost importance. In the bencHI
likely to he derived from electricity, how
ever, and the far reaching importance of
the inventions. the dNmanO-cleCtric ma
chine and the telephone Overshadow all
else.
The electric light takes up more space
and makes Il bigger show than any other
department of the exhibition. The show
made 10y the Edison Light Co., is perhaps
the largest individual exhibit They show
II large number Of dynamos from The small
iitty-light machine, up to the great l5Oo
light ".JumbO,' and lamps and appliances
innumcrable. The United States Electric
Light Co.. with their great system of arc
and incandcsccnt lights, the patents of
Edward Weston. come next. The Brush
Company of Cleveland make Il large dis
play of both the are CBruSlU and incandcs-
cent (SWan) lights, and have two rooms
elegantly furnished rs parlOr and bedroom
and lighted with the electric light, to show
its application to domestic lighting. The
ThOmson-llOustOn Company of Boston
make IL large and fine display
while something like Il dozen
other companies make smaller exhibits of
both arc and inCandesCCnt lights There
is great rivalry between the electric light
companies and each claims some advan-
tage over all its rivals The Edison and
Brush SyStemS-the former for indoor and
the latter forUutdoOr purpuses-have prob
ably accomplished more practically than
all the others combined. The Edison com
pany has more indoor plants in successful
operation and the Brush more Guido II
stations successfully lighting large terri
tories, than all other systems.
The telephone exhibits take up consid-
cradle space, but do not receive much pop
lllar attention. The Bell company makes
Il fine exhibit of instruments, both the
latest patents and some very old ones that
have historic value. The telephone has
business life that it is no long
er Il subject of wonder and Wis
itors pay but little attention 20 it,
Other companies besides the Bell have eX-
hibits and some of them show new and
very fine instruments. The Globe Tele
phone COMPANY, company organized to
buy the interests of Antonio Meucci, the
Cuban inventor, makes an interesting eN
hibit. Among the curious things shown
is the caVeat filed by Meucci in the patent
Office in 1856. 1t seems to me that this
easily proves Meucci to have been the or
iginal inventor Of the Telephone 1t is also
stated that MeucCi tried to interest Il com
pany of gentlemen in his invention years
ago, of whom Prof. Bell was the cleo
tricinn, and that he gave these gentlemen
Il model of his invention But they never
. gave nm any assistance ana he never re
covered his model.
n good power Tor driving the dNnamos
IS one OF the essential things III electro
lighting, consequently much space il
gwen To steam power ana many very fin,
engines are shown. Every engine III The
building used Tor That purpose governs
AUTOMATICALLY. Most OF III" iu>et engine
IN me market are ON cNhlbilun. Electric
lighting calls Tor hlgh speed, quick-gov
erning engines and 1t is a matter of sur
prise now many manufacturers are de
voting their energies To that class of ma
chine. some Of the engines show re
markablc degree of efficiency and econ
omy with very high speed. The Westlng
house attracts attention from Its compac
form ana It's line qualities.
small electrical appliances for various
uses are numerous, and electrical meaSur
ing instruments are innumerable. TIN
: United states government shows SOM
very delicate measuring instruments on
for measuring the personal equation Is
remarknble little machine. 1t seems tina
; some astronomers do not see so quickly Il