Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-11
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| RI~E time past. The fact
N4hS+- that Thomas A. Edi-
%ENl= son and Nikola Tesla
are two of the three
| referred to gives
strong assurance that we may look for a
revolution III our system Of illumination in
| the Lear future.
| L had occasion to pay a number of vis;ts
to the laboratory of Mr.. Edison near Lew
ellyn Park, N. j., within the past month.
in order to find out how he was progress
| ing In his experiments with the wonderful
| Roentgen rays, which seem to respect
| neither substance or shadow, but go
| through everything. 1t was on one of these
| TRIPS that learned from Mr.. Edson's own
| Ups how he had practically succeeded in
improving his incandescent lamp so that he
could run twenty Of them for each horse
| power used. This is a distinct gain of
50 ID per cent. as at present only fifteen
lamps can be run per horse power.
| started out with ten incandescent
lamps per horse power said the wizard,
and after while succeeded in bringing
| these up to such a state of perfection as
| 10 string fifteen of them on a line for each
| morse power employed. Now 1 have practi-
caHy succeeded in improving my incandes-
| cent lamp SO that l can put twenty lamps
| where could use only fifteen before"
Then you are not experimenting with
| etheric or rhosphorescent Lighting" / said
| NO, replied Mr.. Edison. Il believe that
| tne incandescent lamp can be improved SO
that 1t will give as good light at as small
cost as anything in the market. Besides,
| don't take any stock in these graveyard
nghts that some electricians are expert
! menting with. The incandescent lamp
sends out as soft and mellow a light as
could be expected; it is quite adequate for
all practical purposes
Experimenting With Rays.
Would you care to say just how you
nave improved your new lamp?''
Not just yet. 1 have still some finishing
touches tc make on it. You see, when
Prof. Roentgen made his wonderful dis
covery of the rays, dropped everything
IN order to repeat the experiments here
These rays open up wonderful possibilities
| In the electrical world, and may make it
necessary for us to completely reconstruct
| the Gndulatory theory of light. Just think
where we are now! Photographic through
wood and metal, talking by telephone
the ocean, despite of storms and tempest
| why, one Of these days We shall perhaps
see by electricity"
You will keep your carbon fllament in
the improved incandescent lamp, and not
dispense with it, as Tesla proposes to do?"
l asked.
''Oh. yes" he replied. mo need of
changing that now 1 had quite a time
| finding it; I searched all over creation.
They are using cellulose now, but it isn't
much cheaper than the Japanese bamboo
splintS that / first used
Then you think your latest improve
ments will cheaper electric lighting?" I
asked again.
Il don't see how it can help it," replied
Mr. Edison. IF / can run twenty lamps
where L now use only fifteen, don't you see
that there will be considerable saving?"
Have you taken out your patents YETI"
"No-nor shall l. l don't believe in get
irntr tttarC ofav1f tod Tk
protect you. The only safe way is to keep
| the secret yourself as far as possible
Mr.. Tcsla's Light.
I had a pleasant chat with Mr.. Niko.a
Tesla the ether day. and learned from him
| that he has about perfected his new phos-
phorescent light, which will come as near
| artificial daylight as anything yet attempt
| ed. There will be no filament in the glass
bulb; nevertheless, it will glow with all the
brilliancy of an arc light. The current en-
ployed will be of low voltage, but it will
| be changed into one of high potential by
induction coils. In this way three improve
| ments will be effected over the present in
oandescent lamps-brighter illumination no
deadly wires, and cheaper cost.
Mr. Tesla is not yet ready to give to the
public the details Of his wonderful inven-
| ton, but those who have seen the new light
say that 1t will work revolution in meth
DDS of illumination. Some remarkable pho
| tographs have already been obtained from
| it. 1t is stated that the cost will be scarce
ly one-half Of the rates that at present pre-
vail.
The third electrician who is graphing
with the problem of cheap illumination is
Mr.. D. McFarlan Moore, who claims to
have solved the secret of the FREELY. Fol-
lowing close upon the heels Of Roentgen's
| rays, the discovery promises to work a
revolution in electric illumination, and fore
shadows an era Of one unbroken day.
Mr.. Moore Is comparatively unknown to
fame. For several years past he has been
quietly at work in his Newark laboratory
which, curiously enough, Is within a stones
throw Of Edison's old place-and success
seems at last to have crowned his efforts.
He calls the new kind CT illumination eth
eric lighting" for want of a better name,
and employs only the most simple ap-
paratus to manufacture 1t. Indeed, like
Roentgen's rays, the wonder is that some
| on Mr.. Mcore's discovery. It is certainly
as simple as it is remarkable in the effects
produced. Not only Is 1t the nearest ap-
rroach to the production Of light without
heat that the world has yet seen, but the
| whole Elimination Is obtained from an or
| DIR airy current of low voltage.
A New Principle.
There are no hairpin flaments in Mr.
| Moore's system, as with the incandescent
| lamp. and the Illuminating agent is dis
| tributed through pipes and tubes, Just as We
| now distribute water and gas.
Mr.. Moore's invention involves a new
principle in molecular vibration. He sepa-
rates the several divisions of energy, and
employs only the Illuminating elements. He
hopes to get as much light with a one-yolt
! current as Tesla now does with a million
| volts. In short, the new light promises to
turn things topsy-turvey. We are certainly
| on the eve Of a revolution in electric light
| ing, IL Tesla, Edison and Moore are to be
believed.
Mr.. Moore's new light. owing to the alb
sence Of heat, requires little power to gen.
crate 1t, and can be produced from a bat
| terry the size of that which rings the front
door bell. In other words, an ordinary glass
| jar, containing pieces Of zinc and carbon
| immersed in acid, will furnish q current
sufficient to produce a good illumination.
Mr. MooPe's apparatus Is not much big
ger than an ordinary size teacup, and the
little machine that breaks the circuit ami
| corresponds to the electric bell is not bigger
| than ones finger.
| I had occasion to visit Mr. Moore's labor
| atory the other day. Some Of the expert
ments I witnessed were beautiful, and the
light was certainly as good as one could
| wish. One experiment struck me particu-
larly. After we entered the dark room the
inventor handed me long glass tube about
1 psrr hv,o <3olr 81,