The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1888-11-29
THE ELECTRIC LIGHT paosLsM.
How Edison wrestlcd with Its- Dsncultaea.
Knotty Point.

How Edison Wrestlcd with Its- Dimcult1es.
Knotty Point.
remember going to see Edisen SOON
after 1t was announced th6t h had
boasted of having solved the electric Nrht
problem. All electricians.k know that thio
same problem is one Of the oadue M tho :
field of electricity. Fifty yesrs sxo sell
entists in England and Protessu< Juseph
Henry in this country had made hean,
descent lamps, which were to a,l appsar-
ance very similar to what We have today.
There was little glass gtolye from which
the air had been exhausted; inside ySu q
strip Of carbon or platinum, which, when
heated by strong current Of electricity.
glowed with white heat
In Professor Henry's dny TN. electrip
current was an expensive affsh. how
ever, the dynamos being unknewn, and
the zinc battery alone being IN use.
When the dynamo offered an unlimited
current at moderate price inventors be-
gan to work at the glow lamp again.
Its defects had neve- been sufficiently
overcome to mako 1t moro than labora-
tory toy; 1t would give light for few mo-
ments and would then 60 out, the oxygen
remaining In the bulb burning up the
carbon loop. In order to make tho lamp
OF practical use 1t was necessary to do
wise means fer making the bulb really
empty Of air and for making the carbon
loop last reasonable time. Edison went
At this work with his customary ardoR
For months he tsated air pumps, until-hs
e &c Sssssz wssIss & e. sI s2 2; esf ss4sa' sa't
friends feared hc would creak down
under the strain. The preparation Of .
new form of carbon loop might require
weeks of steady labor. tho results Of
which would be decided in perhaps fvo
minutes.
In his search for better material than
platinum for the loop which gives out tho
light in glow lamp, Edison tried 8, 200
different materials, arriving finally at .
kind Of South American bamboo Of re-
markabiy close fiber. This wood, when
carbonized, gives loop Of great tonaoity
and durability. For two years the in
ventor worked at the glow lamp before
he dared to say that it was commercial
success. In the winter Of 1S7G-S0 he an
nounced that his lamp would last long
enough to make competition with gas pos
sible. 1t may be remembered that the
announcement caused storm Of ridicule.
One SO called expert, connected with O
well known college, declared that Edi-
sons lamp Gould never enter into COM
petition with gas, but would remain q
curiosity and possibly luxury for rich
| men. This was at time when Edison
was inviting people from all over the
country to SEQ the lamp work at his
I lak
him that ho declared he would some day
erect statue to his critic, light it up
with Edison lamps and make thdinscrip-
ton read: "This is the man who said tho
Edison lamp was failure"
| There were many dark days that win
tor. After making one batch Of lamps
that burned splendidly and lasted for
weeks, burning night and day, Edison
found to his dismay that the second
batch, made in exactly the samc way, so
far as he could find out, and of the same
materials, failed completely. Instead Of
burning for weeks, tho lamps went out
in less than an hour. For three days
Edison worked night and day trying In
vain to find the trouble. Then he took
to his bed, seriously i'll, while his ex-
hausted assistant took rest.
| Edison has had the good fortune to at
tract and retain number of devoted
men, who for the last ten years have
shared in his trials and successes. When
the inventor believes that he is on the
track of something important bo COM
pletely forSets his meals ard his sleep.
He has been known to work for forty eight
hours at stretch, without leavipg his
laboratory, and with 10 food except
crackers and cheese which ho cto as he
pondercd over a lsnotty point He can
not understand that other men need rest.
and is indignant that any one should
think of meals or sleep while the result
of some interesting experiment is in
doubt. The Edison lamp was not per-
fected without many such Incidents
New York Star.