The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-03-14

Copyright. 1897, The S. S. Mcclure Coz
Experiments are now being carried
on in Europe which scientists think
may revolutionize the whole lighting
system of the world. The incandes cent
anG the arc lamp as we now have them
viii become obsolete and the pro misses
Of the Tesla system of illumination
will not need to be fulfilled The sci
enlist conducting these experiments IS
the great Austrian physicist, Puluj
pronounced Puluie), whose researches
and discoveries in the domain of what
IS known as "coId light have given
him prominence and standing in the
scientific world. Fifteen years ago he
invented a so-called phosphorescent
lamp. 1t excited little comment at the
time, as it was thought to be but an
innovation of the tubes of Geissler or
Crockes. But ii the light of modern
theories 1t has taken on vast impor-
lance. It generates not only very in
tense Roentgen rays, but it also trans
forms nearly all of the energy of the
electric current into light It emitS
an intense greenish-white light in suf-
fcient quantity to illuminate a small
ROOM" Professor Ebert, the we'll
known German scientist, has made
measurements which show that sin
gle horse power of electric energy
would be sufficient to operate 100000
Puluj lamps.
This simply means that we are on
the verge OF a vast discovery in cleo
trio science. Taken in connection with
a recent statement Of Professor Oliver
J. Lodge we can well believe that the
lighting system of the future will be
little short of marvellous as far as the
generation of the light is concerned.
Professor Lodge, who is the mead of
the department of experimental ply
sizes in University college, Liverpool,
says that IF mechanical energy can
be converted entirely into light alone,
one man turning the crank of suit
able machine could generate enough
light for Il whole city" Puluj claims
that his lamp fulills this condition
and is working hard to bring il down
TO a practical basis. If he does so he
viii have perfected the most economic.
lighting system in the world.
THE LIGHT OF THE FUTURE.
These statements may be said to re-
count the initial attempts to produce
what is popularity known as the light
OF the future" It is the dream of sci
entistS at the present time to produce
light without heat That is too per-
feet q system in which every bit of the
producing energy viii be turned into
light. AS our electric lighting system
now exists, only from 1 to 3 per cent
OF 100 per cent is expended in light.
The rest of the energy passes off in
the form of heat. 1t is this immense
waste of energy which makes it nee
essary for US TO employ steam engines,
dynamos and expense creating appar-
atus of all kinds in producing what
is, after all, but a mere residue OF il
lumiRation. In short, 10 procure or
5 per cent OF illumination we are COM
PEELED to throw away 81 or IS per cent
of heat. Scientists then are striving
to save this immense waste and this
practically is what Professor Lodge
means by saying that if it becomes
possible to convert mechanical energy
into light alone a whole city might be
lighted by the simple turning of a
crank shaft.
WHAT THE NEW LAMP IS LIKE
Puluj's lamp is not operated by dy-
namos or storage batteries It oper-
ates with a different kind of electric
current. It is lighted by means of an
induction coil or glass plate electric
machine. The static electricity thus
produced is the same in every respect
as lightning. 1t is atmospheric and
its voltage or electro-mOtive force is
so great that it viii readily pass
through the air. It need, therefore,
surprise no one to know that the lamp
of Puluj can be operated even though
only one terminal of the induction coil
(the negative pole for instance), IS
connected to il. The lamp itself is
shaped very much the same as an or
binary Edison incandescent lamp, ex-
cept that the wires leading into the
lamp do not extend up the neck from