Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-04

"HE United States has stipulated
what the yard stick for electrical
measurement shall be the world
around. The first of January last the
civilized nations of the world. as re-
suit Of many International conferences.
adopted the electrical volt as used in
the United States. Three years earlier
these same nations had adopted the can
dlepower standard of this country. Those
popularity vague terms, the ohm and the
ampere, which are to the electrician as
ordinary as the inch and the foot. are
also matters Of International agreement.
So it has come to pass that there is a
sort of world Esperanto in electrical ex-
preston, and men Of all nations can
understand each other when they are
talking electrical shop.
The measures upon which these terms
are based for all the world are in pos
session of the bureau of standards at
Washington. There is tub full OF
standard cells in q basement of the ad-
ministration building of the bureau.
When the measure is taken Of these in
dividual cells they are found to differ
by but a fraction OF one ten-thousandth
Yet to the scientist this Is SO far from
the desired correctness that the exact
measure is taken to be an average OF the
measure OF a dozen of these cells. So
when a standard cell is wanted with
which to measure voltage it Is regulated
to the average of these standard cells,
here maintained as the correct measure
for all the world.
The candlepower measure of lamp
has been built up by this country and
adopted by the nations Of the world upon
a similar basis. The original power OF
the familiar tallow candle Of the old
fashioned household was an uncertain
quantity, which differed with candles
and according to whether or not the
wick was clogged by the Grant moth.
A candlepower was an indefinite thing
until it came to pass that the United
States government bought many electric
globes. Then 1t established for its own
convenience a standard for these globes.
II bought all globes to conform to a
Observation-Disclosures globe. which it used
generally.
The United States government is the
biggest purchaser of electric lamps and
appliances in the world. So il came about
nrod.,ct to the demands Of the govern
ment Even manufacturers abroad sought
contracts here and adapted their product
accordingly. Soon there were more APP
nliances being manufactured in accord
ance with the demands of this govern
ment than upon any other specifications.
All the nations OF the world that use
quantities of electrical supplies. desiring
to reach a ground Of uniformity. called
in the United States for conference. In
the end this country furnished each Of the
great nations with a string Of its sixteen
candlepower lamps. and these were taken
as standard by which to measure all
lamps. Here again. for accuracy. the
power Of a dozen lights is tested and the
average taken az the standard.
Likewise have the makers OF lights
other than electric come to use the same
standard few years ago a sixteen
candlepower gas light gave an entirely
different amount OF light from an electric
light of the same candlepower designa
ton Herein was lot of confusion. but
the government requiring the manufac-
turers to conform to the one standard has
In the end eliminated this and all candle
power Is on the same basis.
The great majority Of the people Of this