New-York tribune., 1896-05-29
EDISON'S NEW SUNLIGHT.
SUCCESSFUL EXHIBITION OF THE FLU
CRESCENT RAYS.

REAr-TIFJ'L, WHITE LIGHT GENbNAi1D --' -
cRooKEs TUBE WITH WONDERFUL CON-
sERvATIoN OF ENERGY-THE DE-
VICE WILL PROBABLY BE UTIL~
lied COMMERCIALLY
Orange May % (SpeciaD. a. ho'soh
this afternoon gave the first exhibition OF MS "o"
light for which so many wonderiui '"'"e' 90.
claimed in the presence OF few newspaper me"
rrha old room in which the X ray experiments were
conducted was transformed by covering us walls
and ceiling with light-colored paper wn'ch "ou'u
show the light to the best effect
Tho tube in which the light Is produced is an or
dnary Crookes tube. about four inches long anu
an inch and a half In diameter. The pc
cul,arity OF the invention is the coating Vi
the interior of the tube with crystals OF
newly discovered mineral that possesses nuo-
resent properties In a higher degree than the 'uhs
state of calcium. Mr. Edison refused 10 tell ""a'
the mineral Ia, except that 1t Is apuhdaht anu very
cheap The crystals introduced into the tuoe
and fused to the inside OF the bulb. when the cur
rent Is turned on from the Rhumkorn coll Instantly
the tube glows with pure white Hight. MI Edison
saws that the rays entirely ABSORBED Dy the
auorescent crystals and that the closest tests faii
TO show their existence outside OF the tube.
So far Mr. Edison has only MADE these ia"is VI
about three and one-half or four ie-power. he
has now TO find a way OF producing the light from
a direct current without the Rhumkorn coll. ana 10
work out the commercial side OF the problem
Some remarkable results have been found one Is
that the electrical energy Is transformed into hght
with hardly any heat and the other Is the remark
able conservation OF the energy and the great
economy of the new light. When Mr. Edison first
reached his results and took the tests by the
ammeter and the voltmeter he could not believe
the figures and sent for other instruments ihese
gave the same results and still to make sure
third set OF testing Instruments was brought into
use These only confirmed the original records
The record showed that the new light was produced
with the expenditure Of only thirty nine FOOT POUNDS
OF energy per candle power. marvellous showing
when II Is remembered that the ordinary lncan-
descent lamp requires about one hundred ana nity
foot pounds OF energy per candle power. In other
words one horse-pow would run S46 or these lamps
The light s pure white. resembling clear sun
light, and has of the moonlight erect. rests
with the spectroscope show that there Is the nor
NAL amount OF red I'm the light.
Mr.. Edison Is confident that he can succeed In
reaching the commercial result by eliminating the
Rhumkorfr coil. He says that he has new de-
vice that he has been working at that Will change
the ordinary current into OF the enormously
high voltage needed with the low amperage The coll
that Mr. Edison is using In these experiments gives
a current OF from 40.oO to 5000 volts while the
amperage IL hardly measurable. He has tested
the new lamps In multiple circuits. and finds
that they work we'll together. He is now engaged
In experiments on the endurance OF the bulbs,
and In connection with this Is tacklng the COM
mercial end OF the problem He told Tribune
porter yesterday that he believed that he would
reach the desired end. but that Il would be only
after a long and closely analytical process. He
said: ''Of this you competent to judge az
am for n Is some thing that one can foresee"