The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1888-02-08
THE ELECTRIC LIGHT.

lamps, the following points from the pen
of Mr.. w 0. Faulkner, who has charge
of the system in this city, will be OF
much interest. He says: There are
two systems of electric lighting, the arc
and incandescent The arc is light of
great intensity, concentrated in one spot,
slightly changing in color, and made to
give the light of from 1000 to 5000 or
even 10000 candle power. The standard
light being of 1000 candle power. 1t is
used generally to light streets, public
buildings and large stores. The dynamos
to be run by water power in Nuuanu
valley are so constructed that if one or
more lights are thrown off in any part
of the circuit the automatic regulator in
the machine controls the current, with
out the introduction of assistance, and
with a corresponding reduction of power
To illustrate if forty-five lights were in
use on a circuit and forty of them should
be turned off simultaneously, the dyn-
amo would be perfectly controlled by the
automatic regulator without any atten-
ton on the part of the engineer in
charge, SO that the remaining lamps
would receive only their proportion of
electric current, and the power reduced
to that sufficient to run them. This
feature is possessed by no other company
or machines in the world. The energy
or horse power required to run lamp OF
1000 candle power is estimated at 40
horse power per lamp.
The incandescent is a small, SOFT.
steady light, of the brightness of an
ordinary gas jet of the best quality, and
is specially adapted for domestic and in
dustrial purposes. These two systems
of lighting are radically distinct, fact
which must e horne in mind when
comparing the ircandescent system with
the arc light. The lamp consists of a
pear-shaped glass globe about AZ inches
in height, exhausted OF air, into which
is sealed a flament of carbonized bam-
boo slightly thicker than a horse hair
This flament, becoming incandescent
by the passage OF the current of electric
ity through it, emits beautiful, soft,
white light, absolutely steady and con-
slant, and equalling in intensity, or ex-
ceeding if desired, the Illuminating
power of gas jet of the best quality
The lamp, once screwed into a socket,
which has key whereby the light in
lamp may be turned on or off at will,
and no further attention is required until
the carbon breaks, when the old lamp is
unscrewed and a new one screwed in,
the work of 4 few seconds. The lamps
vary in the number of hours that they
burn, but their average life, at rated
candle-pOwer, exceeds 800 hours of
actual burning. Many of the lamps in
Iolani Palace have lasted over LOCO
hours. Each light is entirely indie
pendent of the Others, and may be ar
ranged and controlled singly, in pairs or
in groups of any desired number, and
may be placed in any position whatever,
inverted or otherwise. The lamps are
made to give the light of 10, Is, 80, so
and 100 candles, respectively.
The incandescent lamp gives little or
no heat Qess than 1-15 as much as gas,
may be grasped by the naked hand with
out Inconvenience, is absolutely free
from odor and poisonous or noxious
gases, neither heats nor vitiates the sur
rounding atmosphere. The most deli
cate of fabrics are not scorched or in
jured by being wrapped around the
lamp when burning at its normal in
tensity.
The lamp does not explode, and even
if the glass should break by any accident
the carbon is instantly consumed and
the light goes out Immediately and
harmlessly. The light, although bright
and clear, is not injurious to the eyes,
even if used close to them. Indeed it is
found that in practice weak eyes, prev
iously injured by gas, may use the light
with impunity.
The dynamo which supplies the cur
rent for the lamp, consists of a powerful |
electric magnet, between the poles of |
which an immature or inducing coil re- !
wolves. The motive power can be either |
steam or water power. There is no dan
ger to life, health or person in the cur
rent OF incandescent low tension dyna-
mos. The electric current is so feeble |
that the wires at any part of the system, |
and even the poles at the generator itself |
may be grasped by the naked hand with
out the slightest effect. In fact, the |
current is scarcely perceptible to the
tonch.
Another feature in the incandescent
system is the freedom from the danger
of fire. This is secured by means of a |
small automatic device called a cutout ar |
safety catch, and may be compared to an
overflow pipe in a water system, or to a |
safety-valve on steam engine This !