The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-15
THREE GREAT MEN
What Is Going on in the Laboratories
of Edison, Tesla and Moore
LET GAS COMPANIES BEWARE
Great improvements I'm Electric
Lighting Are Promised I'm the
Near Future-Cheap and
affective Illumination.


We are soon to have electric lights
so cheap that anyone can afford to
have them. At least, this Is the prom
Use Of three noted electricians who have
been working on the problem for some
time past. The fact that Thomas A.
Edison and Nikola Tesla are two of the
three referred to. gives strong assur-
ance that we may look for a revolution
in our system of illumination In the
near future. 1t begins to look as IL the
gas companies would be distanced this
time. despite the discovery of the new
method Of producing acetylene and will
not be able hereafter TO manufacture
light for the million. as they have done
in days gone by.
had occasion to pay a number of
visits to the laboratory of Mr.. Edison
near Llewellyn Park. N. j., within the
past month. in order to find out how he
was progressing in his experiments
with the wonderful Roentgen rays.
which seem to respect neither sub
stance nor shadow, but go through
everything. 1t was on one of these
trips that learned from Mr. Edison's
own lips how he had practically sue
ceeded in improving his incandescent
lamp so that he could run 20 of them
for each horse power used. This is a
distinct gain of 80 1-3 per cent, as at
present only is lamps can be run per
horse power.
'T started out with 10 incandescent
lamps per horse power" said the wig
ard. "and after a while succeeded in
bringing these up to such state of
perfection as to string 15 of them on a
line for each horse power employed.
Now ] have practically succeeded in
improving my incandescent lamp so
that I can put 20 lamps where could
use only Is before"
Then you are not experimenting
with etheric or phosphorescent light
Ing" I said.
mo" replied Mr. Edison. IT believe
that the incandescent lamp can be i'm
proved so that IL will give us as good
light at as small a cost as anything in
the market Besides. don't take any
stock in the graveyard lights that
some electricians are experimenting
with. The incandescent lamp sends out
as soft and mellow a light as could be
expected; 1t is quite adequate for all
practical purposes"
would you care to say Just how you
have improved your new lamp?"
mot just yet. have still some fin
ishing touches to make on 1t. You see,
when Professor Roentgen made his
wonderful discovery of the X rays, /
dropped everything in order to repeat
the experiments here. These rays open
up wonderful possibilities in the electri-
for us to completely reconstruct the
undulatory theory of light. Just think
where we are now! Photographing
through wood and metal, talking by
telephone q thousand miles away, tele- |
graphing under the ocean despite of |
storm and tempest-why, one of these |
days we shall perhaps see by cleo |
tricity"
OF course, 1t Is idle to look for the i'm |
proved incandescent lamp until Mr.. |
Edison gets tired OF his investigation /
OF the Roentgen rays. The truth is,
when the great electrician begins to ex-
pertinent in any one line, he sticks to /
his work as close as a hen does to her
nest, when she is Matching out a lot of |
eggs. He has eyes and ears only for
the subject in hand, and nothing can
take him away from his work. He /
even dreams over his theories-that IL,
when he takes time to sleep, for some
times he will continue right along in his
laboratory for three days at a stretch
without shutting an eye.
You Will keep your carbon filament
In the improved incandescent lamp and
not dispense with IL as Tesla proposes
to do?" / asked.
'Oh. yes" he replied. mo need of
changing that now. 1 had quite a time
nnding II; l searched all over creation.
They are using cellulose now. but n
isn't much cheaper than the Japanese
bamboo splints that / first used
Then you think your latest improve
ments will cheaper electric lighting?"
asked again
Il don't see how II can help H." re-
piled Mr., Edison. IF / can run 20
lamps where i now use only Is, don't
you see that there will be considerable
saving"
Have you taken out your patents
yet?'
"No-nor shall /. don't believe in
getting things patented any more. II
doesn't protect you. The only safe way
possible"
And the great electrician hereupon
began TO experiment with a telephone.
In the hope of transmitting the Roent-
gen rays by wire to any distance, lust
as In the case of sound waves. AS he
did so. he added:
"Faraday could only turn the most
delicate needle at FIRST with his electri-
cal current; yet to-day an electrical en-
CINE Is hauling a train of 40 cars. You
must not despise the day of small be-
ginnings."
Nikola Tesla is almost as prominent
figure In the electrical world as the
WIZARD or Menlo Park" He Is the
man who allowed 100000 volts 10 mass
through his body, who discovered the
art OF transmitting electricity without
a wire. and who has promised to make
sunshine as soon as he can safely care
for the 100000 volts necessary for that
purpose. His laboratory on South Fifth
avenue was burned down a year ago.
and he lost great many valuable in
struments for experimental purposes.
some of which can never be replaced. |
This Is why the world has not heard so |
much of Mr.. Tesla during the past year.
Those OF his friends who have been per-
mitted to witness his late experiments
at the new laboratory on East Houston
street. say that he has made some re-
markable discoveries which will soon |
be announced.
/ had a pleasant chat with Mr.. Tesla
the other day. and learned from him
that he has about perfected his new
phosphorescent light. which will come
as near artificial daylight as anything
yet attempted. There will be no fila
ment in the glass bulb: nevertheless. Il
will glow with all the brilliancy of an |
a Oh |