Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1903-03-07
HEWlTT'S LAMP
inventor Describes the Uses of
His Electric Light.
POSSIBILITIES OF THE DEVICE.

In Wireless TeleGrnphy.
Peter Cooper Hewitt Of New York
city. who was interviewed by a report
ar Of the New York American on his
Inventions and his latest device in CON
fection with wireless telegraphy, said;
My first important invention was the
mercury vapor electric light. That IL
comparatively familiar to the public,
J as it has been described several times.
/ can only say. in addition TO what has
I already been printed about it, that con-
] tinued experiments have shown that 1t
Is wonderfully cheap.
The efficiency OF my lamp is much
greater than that OF the ordinary in
candeseent light. Commercially speak
Ing, in small units one obtains n cam
die power of incandescent light for ey-
cry 3.5 watts of electrical energy con-
sumed.
MY light practically in small units.
allowing for all waste, gives one can
die power for every half watt Of ener-
gy. That makes 1t cost, with equal
cost for electrical energy. only one
teventh OF the cost of lncandescent
lighting.
Many persons had made efforts to
produce light by the i-ncandescence or
yapors III partly exhausted tubes before
| attempted it. The chief difference
between my lamp and others is that |
succeeded in getting the major portion
of the electrical resistance III the va
-. - - A f1N 4-x4a 1fefta rf - tsag mo.
dium4and | was the first to perfect a
lamp that would run commercially ON
amy commercial electric circuit.
Because of the presence of mercury
IN my lamp it became necessary TO
Keep the tube at definite temperatures,
because any variation in temperature
causes a variation in the density of the
mercurial vapor which in turn eauses
h variation in the conductivity of the
yapor. Adapting the phenomena of
negative electrical resistance, which l
! FIRST developed in the lamp. to other
arts besides illumination, | produced
the static converter, for rectifying al
ternating currents. and the interrupter,
which has Just been produced as a val
{ E1Uie Nugul1Ct IL NtAt4tSS AtiSSfdPhy'
The %interrupter In wireless teleg-
raphy viii take the place Of the spark
rap. which has always been the source
Of greatest difficulty. In order to have
perfectly tuned harmon between two
wireless telegraph stations it is neces-
sary that the waves produced by the
electrical discharge should always be
Z t1Lx4s.oI ryAt.lA 49,, 80. |ftaN {fn 1te
charge must be made under Identical
conditions.
The ordinary method of ~discharging
the current, besides producing an un-
comfortable noise and fash, requires
constant attention to the condition of
the discharging surfaces and the main
t~enance of an equal temperature at all
times. With a perfect spark gap much
better results can be produced. Wher-
ever a spark gap has been used in any
Industry this device win result in, q
simplidcation and savings, as the loss
Of current by its use is p~henomenally
small and its abruptness and speed are
marvellous. 1t is evident that, having
isolated the phenomena which assem-
Bile themselves in the yapor column
and at each electrode, there will be fur
Their developments in same line. I do
not care at present to do more a
hint at these possibilities, as ! prefer
to talk after results have been accom-
plished rather than to predict.
Some experiments have been made in
the stimulation Of plant growth by
means Of my light. Plants that were
started under exactly similar condi-
tons grew much more rapidly under
the influence of the light than those
which were grown in simple daylight.
These experiments were conducted in
our laboratory and We're subject, Of
course, 10 errors, but the difference
was so marked that it was fair to con-
clude that the light win be serviceable
IN forcing the growth OF plants.
In the matter Of the application Of
my light TO The curing of disease, | can
only say row that every vapor, when
~travcrsad by the electric current, has
the PROPERTY % radiatlng wave lengths
peculiar ta Itself. Among these wave
lengths ARE some which are recognized
by the sse as light of particular colofs.
With tAese are a. pciatea those OF
both greater aEd Toss iength. and rer
eeatly certain Of The shorter waves
have been proved beneficial IN curing
skin Diseases ard in certain cases Of
hibod po~isenlAg.
There Is no doubt that these waves
tan be produced IL large quantities.
from s8aie particular vapor contalaed
~ a Iansp and made use or for sach
pur rose u - not generally recpsl r
that glass Is opaque TO mary 81 tie
shorter wave lengths. and II IS pro9'
able that the lamp will therefore huve
to be constructed of some other ma
terial. snch as quartz, which will allow
these waves TO pass through the walls
NJ the lamp.
These are among the possibilities OF
the future. At present there Is more
interest IN the ~interrupter, which
/ ghotifl no ~ srraat aGa3Gfaucp To Mr..