The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-09-13
PECULIAR LAMP INVENTED.
Its Owner Claims 1t Will Burn I'm
censinGIy for Years.
From the CHICAGO Tribune.

From the Chicago Tribune.
Undismayed by the fate of the dis
coverers of perpetual motion, George P.
Magrady of Chicago claims to have in
vented perpetual light.
Every family will have a supply of
porcelain or glass globes, each one Of
them a tiny sun, throw out a strong,
beautiful white light from within. The
globe will be something of a mystery,
for it will have no connection with any
wires, and it will require no refilling
or attention. 1t will be sealed hermet-
ically, and it's contents will probably
be concealed from sight, but by shak-
ing it one may be able to ascertain
that there is a liquid inside.
There will be no way of turning the
light down or of turning it off. 1t may
be put in a closet in the daytime or
hidden under a hood, but it will go
right along putting in twenty-four
hours work every day. The inventor
says it will continue to do it's very
best so long as the globe remains seal
ed perfectly, even though that should
be for years.
The secret of the perpetual light is a
combination of chemicals in vacuum.
The chemicals are four or five in num-
Der, but Mr.. MaGrady declines to give
further information as to their iden-
tity until the patent Office has passed
on his application for patent. They
are less that an ounce in bulk. When
brought into contact in the globe they
dissolve and give off strong fumes.
When these fill the receptacle the globe
is sealed so perfectly as to keep out
all air.
The gas formed by the chemical COM
bination CLOVIS with a dazzling intens-
ity, the inventor says. A test has
shown strength of thirty-six can
die power. The light is white, and
it is as steady as an incandescent cleo
trio light, there being no flicker.
The lamp gives forth neither odor nor
heat. 1t may be carried about and
turned upside down without danger and
without affecting the light The in
ventor had lamp burning for seven
months without apparent diminution
of it's power, and he is confident the
light is practically perpetual in the
sense that it will continue with I'M
diminished intensity so long as the
chemicals are kept from contact with
the atmosphere.
Mr. Magrady is a photographer, and
made his discovery by accident. While
engag ed in Photographic work he no
tlCeQ DOllle giving 1OIlh a oiidli W. I
bright light, and on investigation
learned that it happened to contain a
mixture of several chemicals. He az
once saw the possibility of new illum-
inant, and began a series of expert
ments to determine its quality and to
discover the conditions under which
it might be made of practical use.
One of his first experiments was with
the pear shaped globe of an incandes-
cent lamp, but the light flickered bad
ly. In due time he found that glob-
ular receptacle would cure that defect.
Further experiments led to the proper
combination of chemicals to produce
the best results.
One possible objection to the new
lamp is that fact that 1t cannot be
turned off The inventor is devising a
cloth hood. which may be dropped
over the globe to hide its light when
necessary. Lamps of different intens-
ity may be obtained within certain de-
grees by varying the character of the
globe. lamp can be made at cost
of about IS cents, and Mr.. Magrady Is
confident his perpetual light is destin-
ed to displace gas and electric lights
for household use.