Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1893-08-04
FRANKLIN's ELECTRIC LIGHT.

The dep lrtment of state has just re-
ceived from Mr.. b. f. Stevens of the
United States dispatch agency at Lon
don an account of AN historical electric
apparatus once owned by Franklin,
which he has recently unearthed in that
ely. Among other things, Mr.. Stevens
says, he has found that Franklin, dur
ing his last soiourn in England, made
an electric light, and that he could pro-
duce from 1t with his primitive appli-
ances sufficient electric light to read by.
This antedates the achievement of Eli
son by more than 100 years.
The lamp is in good state of preserva-
ton and has recently been tested by the
owner, a gentleman residing near Lon
don, who finds that it works as salts
fact0rily now as when franklin himself
experimental with it. Ii is curiosity
of great value and importance in illus
trating the history Of electric lighting.
There are several other pieces of APP
paratus, formerly the property of Frank
lin. in the collection with the old lamp,
including large and powerful electric
machine. A detailed description and
list of the rare old relics is contained in
Mr. Stevens letter to the department of
state, which announces also that he has
the permission. of the owner to offer
them to our government, properly
packed and delivered on board the
steamer at Liverpool or southampton,
for $1,000
The official list of the articles is as
follows: One large electrical glass
cylinder with collars and handle; silk
cover and leather rubbers; frame Tor
supporting cylinder of strong wooden
pillars; base for supporting frame,
portion of which has been renewed two
glass pillars for supporting prime and
negative conductors (the pillar for the
negative being fractured); prime and
negative conductors covered with foil {:
few I.eyden jars; a luminous cylin-
der" with inside ball at one end and
metallic point at the other. Franklin's
ingenious cOntrivance for producing
the electric light; an old eectrometer :;
one or two vacuum globes, and some
miscellaneous items.
The old electric lamp. which tor the
student of electrical inventions, at least,
is the most interesting feature of the
collection. is by no means the arc light
or the incandescent lamp of modern
times. Its principle, however, is that of
the arc light without carbon points,
this deVice-which was invented by
Sir Humphrey Davy in lSl3-tirst dem
onstrating the practicability of electric
lighting. The total length Of the cylin-
der, within which the light is produced,
is about twelve inches and The diameter
/ three inches. Each end in provided
with attachments for connecting it with
the positive and negative poles of the
machine, which, it should be remem-
bered, was the only means of generating
electricity, with which men were then
familiar.
The electric light in this rude but
ingenious device was produced by the
leaping of the intercepted current from
the ball to the metallic point. which were
mentioned above. The ends of the tube
are partly closed, undoubtedly for the
same reason that the globes of the are
light are closed at present, and the
light given off it is brilliant and steady.
The machine with which Franklin
generated the electricity for this novel
experiment is turned by Il crank, grind
stonelike, and was the most powerful
and complete in construction of any
electrical machine of that day. This
crank turns ponderous cylinder of
glass, which is rubbed by brushes with
silk covers. These brushes convey the
electricity collected from the cylinder to
the positive and negative conductors,
supported on large glass pillars, where
it can be used for purposes Of expert
ment. The machine is stanchlv built
and is capable of producing spark
twelve or fifteen inches long. While
simple in its construction, 1t could hard
ly be improved upon by our wisest
electricians. 1t is especially adapted
for the advanced experiments of va
rous kinds which Franklin was engag-
ed with at that period of his life Bos-
ton Herald.
SOME REMARKABLE SHOTS.