The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-07-27
BLAZING VACUUM rums.
Thomas a. Edtscnss InvenS1on - tn
Tunxxe&se Lamp.

BLAZING VACUUM TUNES.
Thomas A. Ediscnss InvenSisa - TIE
TunxSs&sN Lamp.
New York World
The leaders Of electrical science have
for weeks seen IN q grand racos Their
goal was the new l;ght-hriiisAnt power
faa. economicAi-wh.ch they had al seen
glowing cimly IN the distance. IL had
Hickered IN laboratories and then dtsap-
peared Ike some sgnia fstuus Just whom
the expectart scientist thought Ne hAA 20
within his reach
They had sought for 10 again end again.
now with delicate currents tAat could
scarcely he measured new with q million
volts lesplng almost beyond control. Yst
none reached the goal
All knew that some wondesrul lixns auss
come out CT vacuum tuoess . light that
would make OF the ineandsscent . mere
shadow. Tesla had announced The pcass-
eility i've years ago and spent many hours
trying to produce IL. lie did gain strange.
almost uncsnny. glow bright enough TO
have a photograph of himself taken by ~
The electrical exhieitscn in this city fur
nisAed an enormous cloud 81 witnesses for
this wondro1s race and stimulated the
leaders TO renewed efforts Edison and
Tesla were in the lead. outstripping ell
their rivals. These two wizards Of cleo
tric.ty have been experimenting and study
ing almost cessssessly fer weeks
Edison reached the goal firss. He has
found the new light that Is to make the
incandescent pale In his great laboratory
at Orange yesterday he exhibited II pub
liciy for the first time and through the
World he tells OF tho discovery THAI Is to
be OF highest importance 70 the peoples Of
the earth.
In the darkroom Of this great workshop.
where many OF the wizards wonders have
first flashed. there hangs suspended by
two wires small glass bulb about tho
size OF an incandescent lamp. It looks like
frosted glass. Two wires enter at orpo-
site ends. but do not connect. Just after
penetrating the glass. they terminate In
small thin squares of aluminium. their hat
surfaces facing each other. The inven-
tor uses these simply because he has found
enlarged poles better than the me points
of the wires.
With the exception of the frcsting on
the glass the bulb Is practically the Same
as those used for X-ray experiments.
which have become so well known. In
fact. Edison's new light is simply . max
ing luminous OF these mysterious rays
which have heretofore been invisible to
the naked eye although Affecting the phs-
togranh plate.
.'one day while was experimenting
with X rays" said Mr. Edison yesterday
as he stood In the effulgence OF his beau
tiful new light. II CHANGED TO hold up be-
fore the bulb some crystals OF tungssate
of calcium. They were between two pieces
OF mica. forming body about an eighth
or an inch thick.
.srhe room was dark at the time and
there was no light from the bulb. But az
the tungstate came between my aye and
the bulb noticed that light was produced.
1 moved the tungstate closer and saw that
the invisible N-rays became luminous.
coated the exterior of the glass bulb with
crystals OF tungstate. Light was pro-
cfr . wfaHAd
cit was al once evident that the tnng-
state changed the character OF tho rays.
and that II II could be brought into closer
contact with them more light would re-
suit. This bulb, as you viii SEQ. - coated
on the inside. But IL is not with tunSstAte
of calcium. The substance used ID sim
liar one which have devised and found to
answer the purpose better. II Will be made
public IN due time. That II all there u 20
the lamp. Now watch the effect"
The room was absolutely dark. Mr.. Ddi-
son stood by a table on which were tho
primary and secondary induction coils
used IN the transformation OF the ordinary
electric current into X rays. He touched
the little switch and instantly the room
was filled with a pale blue light OF peilucid
softness that did not daxxie the eye. II
was not the sickiy yellow OF the mean
descent nor the blihding dash OK the arr
Ia,nn. II was more like the luminous blu
that the modern school Of impressionls
paInters strive 70 throw over their lane
scanes-the color they assert to 10 the trn
sunlight.
Al first the light was not strcns. I'VE
put on more current. sad M. hoisoi
'and run Il up as high ~ the lamp W
stand"
Outside the room an assistant was stand
,nr AT the strip OF incandescent lamp
which are inserted in the circuit to pile VI
resistance. The electricity they use pre-.
vents too strong . current running int
the x-ray bulb.
.Taka out two lamps" called Mfr. Edi-
son. The little bulb In the dark room glow
ed more brilliantly.
"Tvo more" ne cried The wizard was
insently watching the results.
more, more" he exclaimed NIX. sagnt.
tent
brighter ana brighter dashed the bulb
each time until with all the Resistance
iamns out OF the circuit II rsdiated the
most brilliant light that MI EDISON nad
vet succeeded In obtaining. Then u srsd.
ually began TO fade until II renamed -
about half It's maximum.
.sT,ha rrvstafs have cracked, ~ usual.
.aid edison. land air has entered. The
froasinv substance on the INSIDE OF the
huih BE- composed Of minute crystals. Tnsy
chin ana break Just Ike the crystals OF
diamond Under the pressure OF ns
vacuum. with the added bonoardmsnf 81
he x rays against them. they break and
allow thu minute particles OF air fhev
cont,sn to escape This serves 70 destroy
the vacuum and causes the dimmins OF tns
isyht In few days. however, shall Do
ahIa 10 get the bulbs coated 20 perfectly
,h.t .he vacuum will not be aReoted.
Ieavtnr the dark room Mr.. Edison went
,,srr "a his den and talked about tho tech
ssIssi nart Of mis- work-ths amounts OF
current, the ampersse. tho voita&s. tns
consumption of energy Then ne Voc Ia
AZ simple language as the suolecs pr
mitted the following for the readso OF
thu World:
"Ampesers placed in the primary drcuss
show mean current Of two ampsres.
vhsn the lamp IL giving one candie. xns
Arc, Of potential across the primary -
,hree-tenfhs of q volt. The current - w
terr,,pted 80 times per second II u oaoesd
fonr.nfths OF tho time and opened one
efth OF the time.
.sT-he average spectrum OF nfnS -
toxar refrangibiiity than arc hight or
v-eseta-h gas mantle. A giobs six tnohes
IN diameter viii give eight candles. Ihs
hexs commercial lamp requires three ana
ona-haif times the amount 81 energy Per
second required In this lamp"
N ts the commercial value OF me fnvsn-
,ton thai now absorhs Mr.. Ed3sons -
tenston. His rev lamp would b bsn
sov n n dsd rot possess economical su-
nertorltv over the fncandescent. and -
avery Stage he takes measurements OF