The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-10
--------- 49, e-----------
LIGHT FROM VACUUM TUBES.
Description of "a New and Strong IL
Iuminant.
From the New York Times.

From the New York Times.
The Turkish smoking room at the electrI-
cal exhibition is lighted by the new process
of electric vacuum tube lighting as devel-
oped by d. McFarlane Moore, a young in
ventor of great promise who has been de-
voting much time to the subject
The most striking features of the light
are its existence practically without heat
and it's marvellous resemblance to daylight
which is calculated to deceive the unwary,
and Is close enough to make possible the
taking of an admirable photograph solely
by the illumination furnished from the va
cuum tubes. The decorations of the Turk
ish room are of such color that the power
and effect of this light are not shown, per-
haps, to the fullest effect. In New York the
light was shown in the Moore chapel, a lit
tie edifice which was constructed accord
ing to the plans of the inventor. in exact
imitation of a stone church, with tower,
steeple and clock, and was a feature of the
recent electrical exhibit in Madison Square
garden, where 10000 people visited it. The
chapel was fitted with pews, imitation
stained glass windows, pulpit, Bible and
organ, and lighted by vacuum tubes, each
little over eight feet long and two inches
in diameter. Eight of these were fitted In
brass fixtures on each side of the ceiling
and arched to meet a line of three ridge
tubes In the center. They emitted a soft,
white radiance, filing them evenly from
end to end which transformed the chapel
from inky darkness to practical daylight
lin the twinkling of an eye.''
How the light comes in these tubes,
through which no wires run, visitors can
not understand, but something about the
invention and the inventor is thus told.
The process of the invention is an inter-
esting tale. Mr.. Moore got his scientific
i'm at oh oil Univ
leaving there, in 1880, accepted a position
with the old United Edison Manufacturing
Company, starting in the drafting room
His work led him in time to have charge Of
the erection and superintendent of out
side plants and he learned all branches
OF electrical work. His position proved a
stimulus to his natural inventive MIND
When he discovered the fact that only
fraction Of l per cent of the coal used 10
generate the steam which moves a light
producing electric dynamo was actually
converted into electric light, the rest be-
ing mainly lost In heat, it occurred to him
that the way TO improve the light was
TO eliminate the element of heat. He
thereupon proceeded TO devote himself to
studying ways and means. He read what
ever he could get on The subject, and
while engaged in clerical work by the Ed
ison people, would go over every evening"
after finishing his Office duties to their
tice his experiments by the light Of the
waning day. AS the time was summer
he could keep at it for several hours at
a time, and this he did. Omitting his sup
per was an incidental feature of this pro-
gramme which he regarded as a neces-
sary evil.
MIR. Moore eventually concluded that ne
could best eliminate the heat element by
producing light IN a moderate vacuum. In
other words, he must bring to either end
of a vacuum tube current of high volt
age. or potential which would start the
few molecules of rarified air. or gas, with
in, into such tremendous vibration as TO
produce a stream of light. To cook his
hare he had first to catch it. and the
primal requisite Of this scheme was TO
get a nigh potential current.
The apparatus he has al last devised for
this is the rotator or circuit breaker He
uses the ordinary current from the street
mains, thus insuring a commercial value
for his invention, and transforms IL in
this machine. increasing the voltage or
potential (Which may be called the force
with which the current moves). at the ex-
pense Of the ampierage or volume OF the
current The accepted method Of getting
a high potential IS the rapid breaking and
making of a current. The sudden inter-