The Star. MONDAY, APRIL 17, 1882. THE ELECTRIC LIGHT.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume III, Issue 236, 17 April 1882, Page 2

The Star. MONDAY, APRIL 17, 1882. THE ELECTRIC LIGHT.

Only a diligent reader of newspapers and magazines can keep bimself posted as to the position now occupied by the great rival of gas. Within tbe space at our disposal, it is impossible to do more than indicate very briefly the rapid progress lately made in electric lighting, and at the same time also the discovery which has accompanied this progress, viz : that tbe new system of lighting has special and serious risks both to life and property. All the London theatres have tried and approved of the electric light in some form or other, the best known systems being the Swan and Edison, Jablochkoff, Brush, and the Siemens. Swan's and Edison's lights have been successfully applied to the Pullman trains on the London and Brighton line. St. James' Church, Westminster, has been lit up by electricity for more than three hours, with excellent effect, and without any machinery; the light being supplied with electricity by somo of the Faure

accunail^rors or electrolodes. These lead storage batteries for dynamoelectricity have been recently improved upon by Mr. Sutton, of Ballarat, who claims to have discovered a "thoroughly economical, lasti_g, and practical form of storage reservoir," "which he has given to the world untrammelled by patent rights. Theatres, churches, public buildings, palaces, and large residences, have each in turn, tried the electric light with greater or less success ; but only recently has it been used in a private residence of an ordinary size. Such an experiment was made at Sir Alexander Ramsay's house in Cheltenham, with two Brush lights, and was highly successful. Great things are expected from the electric exhibition ab the Crystal Palace, where Mr. Edison has a whole court allotted to himself, which is to be lit up by 2000 Edison lamps, worked Jby twelve dynamo machines. One company has secured the use of a room where a system of electric lighting, suitable for household purposes will be exhibited. Seeing that New Zealand has been most liberally endowed by nature with two inexpensive motors, wind and water, the first almost unfailing, the second in the North Island, owing to the mildness of the climate absolutely so, we look forward to the time when even many farming operations now performed by steam or horse-power, will be either wholly undertaken, or largely assisted by dynamoelectricity. Among the dangers connected with electric lighting, it has been abundantly proved that there is a serious risk of fires being caused, unless wire is used, thick enough in proportion to the energy exerted, to avoid all risk of heating. It must be thoroughly insulated, especially where contact is made. The wires should be as far as possible out of reach of passers-by, as danger to life may be- caused by accidental contact setting up either a direct or lateral earth current through the body of the person forming the conductor. That such risk is not purely imaginary has been shown by at least one death from accidental contact. It has even been stated that a special risk attaches to the ordinary form of incandescent lamp, in which the light is enclosed in a glass globe, which may, and occasionally does break, owing to the great heat of the glowing light giving carbon. But this assertion has been to some extent disproved by an experiment, made at the new London Savoy theatre, which is thus described " one of the well-known Edison glass globos lit up by its incondescent carbon loop was swathed in delicate muslin, and the glass suddenly and purposely broken. Before the heated carbon could set light to the muslin, the oxygen of the atmosphere had completely consumed the carbon." That the risks of fire are however considerable, may be judged from the fact tbat a number of American Fire Insurance Companies have jointly formulated fire regulations which are to be enforced in all premises insured by them, where the electric light is used. This step is another sign o£ the times, and indicates the firm foot-hold, which electric lighting has already obtained. If another instance were sought, one might be mentioned, which is referred to by a late issue of the Australasian, and comes from Paris, where the Municipal Council proposes to divert the river Seine and by the aid of turbines develope electrical energy to light the city. Meritens the French physicist, favors the scheme.