The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-06-10
EDISON'S NEW LIGHT.

The new white light which Thomas A.
Edison has discovered has almost reached
perfection, so the Wizard of Orange in
forms writer In the New York Press.
Il have succeeded in solving the problem
of the light" said he. 1.-THE lamp Is fin
ished. That is the scientific part Of the
work and solves the problem. The re-
mainder IL mechanical" The new light,
or 'fluorescent lamp" as Edison has
named 1t. Is, somewhat similar to the in
candescent lamp now used everywhere.
There is glass globe, from which part
of the air inside has been extracted. There
is not so perfect u vacuum as the incan-
descent lamp. Unlike the electric lamp,
the whole globe glows with a pure white
light of marvellous Illuminating power The
light comes from a metallic crystal known
as "kungstate." 1t is q metal as heavy us
gold. The Germans have given it the
name "tungstein," which translated into
English. means ''heavy stone" The IL
Eliminating property Is due to a peculiar
attribute Of the tungstate crystal itself
THE slightest rubbing of these crystals
will make them glow" said Mr.. Edison
yesterday. 1.-The new lamp is based on
this property Of the crystal. nave SIC
ceeded in fusing these crystals into a
glass globe by heating the glass until it Is
soft enough to receive the tungstate crys-
tails, which 1t holds firmly when 1t cools.
Tfound by experiment that could get the
best light by fusing the crystals on the
inside of the globe. Two wires enter the
globe at one end. but do not meet. BY
means Of an induction current generated
in q faradic battery, the molecules of the
wires are thrown into motion. and the i'm
pulse thus given travels along the wires
until it reaches the ends inserted into the
globe This molecular impulse Is commu-
nicated to the molecules Of air within the
globe. These air molecules are driven with
almost inconceivable rapidity against the
crystals of tungstate, welded into the in
ner wall of the glass. The impact causes
the crystals to glow. The glow caused hy
single blow of these air molecules IL,
of course, but slight, but multiplied thou
sands Of times. and the blows repeated
continuously at an enormously rapid rate,
they produce tho new white light.
Every wire contains latent electrical
force. These lines of force run in every
direction. but when an electrical impulse
is impaired to the wire, although 1t may
not devlop into a current of electricity,
the lines of force are all turned In one di-
| rection. They no longer run in all direc-
| tions, but are parallel to the long axis
| of the wire. The wire is then ready to re-
ceive a current. One molecule communi-
Gates its movement to another until the
initial impulse given by the induced cur.
rent travels along the entire length of
the w!pe. and is caught UP by the air
| molecules in the globe.
This" continued Mr. Edison, "is easily
understood II row of billiard balls is
| used as an illustration. II the balls are
placed In straight line, and each ball
| in contact with its fellow. and u blow is
struck at one end of the row, all the balls
will remain unmoved except the ball at
the extreme other end. This ball will be
driven away at considerable rate OF
| speed. The force of the blow was received
| by the first ball and communicated to the
| next, and so on. until 1t shot the last ball
away from the rest. This is exactly what
takes place in the globe and produces the
| light. I was surprised however, to find
| that with the intense white light given
off by the tungstate there was no heat.
| The incandescent lamp transforms s. per
| cent of the electrical force into heat, and
| only per cent. is turned into light. This
| is a tremendous loss from a commercial
point OF view. With my new lamp l alb.
| solutely can discover no heat. I could
| not believe 1t at first and took the tenn
perature with my most delicate instru-
ments I could, find no appreciable heat
Not satisfied with this test and conclud-
| ing my instruments were at fault. |
used other Instruments. but with the same
result. This test was repeated time and
again, until I am compelled to believe
that nearly the whole force used in the
new lamp IL employed in producing the
light. do not attempt TO explain It;
only accept 1t as q fact.
II II II
II have gained light to produce which