New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-13
ETECTPTCAL PPnGRESC

The celebration Of its thirtieth anniversary
! BY The Electrical World and Engineer" is
something more than journalistic event BY
/ us puDlcauon Of numerous "reminiscences and
| impressions, obtained from men Of note, n val
liable survey Of progress in one great depart
ment or modern industry is afforded To many
people who are familiar with the electric light
and the trolley, and especially to the rising gen
Grafton. IL viii he a surprise 70 learn how short
is the history Of those inventions and Of others
| allied thereto. Improvements have been made
IN All or them since they first appeared, thus
illustrating afreSh the fact that material civ
| ilization IS an evolution, not full fedged
creation. Still, the development which has in
creased the efficiency and popularity Of new
electrical devices has. everything considered,
been wonderfully rapid.
Ii is now only a quarter OF n century since
Brush introduced his first arc light circuit in
Cleveland. That pioneer achievement of 1879
was a practical success at the very start
Means have been found to prolong the life OF
the carbon pencils and to secure greater steadi-
ness in the illumination from an arc than was
observed in those days, but no other radical
changes have been made i'm the system. Edison
had at that time practically completed his in
candescent lamp, but the first public service
IN LONDON and New-York was not begun by
him until 1889. To-day in this country alone
in use nightly. The present lamp contains
fllament Of squirted celulose, not bamboo. only
thirneth OF the platinum first used and gives
the same amount OF light with half the current
then required The vacuum I'm the bulb is now
perfected by chemical means. whereas NJ the
beginning the air pump was the sole reliance
These, however, are only matters Of detail
The steadness, healthfuIness and beauty Of the
light were obvious twenty years ago, and, to-
OF hot NIT ffu 81
illumination. made It a great favorlte in spite
OF its poor economy.
Traction came next. The dynamo was al
ready in existence. In simplicity, conlpactness
and power that machine has made remarkable
advances. but, cumbrous as It was. It met the
needs OF electric light stations Power was
therefore available for railways A motor IS
only miniature dynamo. reversed so that the
second part Of the equipment was at hand.
The question Of mounting II under the car was
soon solved after a fashion, and II then re-
manned only 10 find satisfactory way to con-
duct the current into the moving vehicle Edi-
son suggested the Of track RATS Others
put their conductors in conduits. On this and
other points there was n curious diversity OF
practice for several years. Even when the
overhead plan was proposed, Il was thought
that two wires were necessary. On the first
road that proved n commercial success-that
operated by SpraGue in Richmond in 1854
single wire was adopted, and the rails wers
bonded together so as TO convey the current
back TO the station. Some OF the earlier meth
DDS have since been revived, with happier re-
suits, but this combination was the ono which
gave electric traction its great boom.
Then followed the application OF the electric
motor 10 the driving OF machines IN mills the
establishment Of host Of electro-chemlcal
industries, tho improvement OF tho storage bat
terry for station use and the propulsion OF auto
mobiles, and, more recently. the wide intro
duction OF electric heating. The last named
art is not economical, but its convenience
especially for trolley cars, gave It great rec
ommendation. Then Il was tried In laundries
where now thirty or forty thousand electric
hatirons are in service. II IS asserted more
over, that twenty thousand stoves, which will
turn out fresh crop of crackers every five
minutes, have found their way into modern
bakeries.
Two other electrical ideas are designed n
facilitate communication. or the telephone.
first publicly employed in 1877, p r. Delanv.
author Of an improved system OF telegraphy.
says that IL is the greatest invention of the age
1t certainly occupies n unique sphere Of use
fulness. There were decent means Of ilIumfna-
ton and transportation before the electric light
and trolley car, but the telephone had no prede-
ccssor In the household, IN commerce in mn
nlcipsl service, It is indeed priceless boon"
1t has succeeded far beyond any ones irnarina-
ton when It was exhibited Mt the Worlds Fair
in Philadelphia. The other invention 10 which
reference has been made Is wireless teIegraphy
This IS the latest contribution OF electricity 70
human convenience. Though its principles are
not fully worked ont, and it's practical uses are
yet exceedingly limited, it cannot he doubted
that II VIII come day he reckoned an fndspensa-
bic requisite Of civilization.