PARIS ELECTRICAL EXHIBION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6190, 10 December 1881, Page 3

PARIS ELECTRICAL EXHIBION.

In the Exhibition itself (says a Home paper) the sight by night is most wonderful. The whole area of the main hall of tlie Palais de rindiistrie being lighted by enormous numbers of brilliant arc lights, the entire space is Hooded with dazzling white light, the crowd moving through it hardly easting any shadow, since the rays cross eacli other in ovory conceivable direction, Of course, no measurements having beon taken, it is impossible to form any guess at tho economy of tlio different systems of arc light as compared one with another; we can only judge of their brilliancy and steadiness. As to brilliancy, there is but little to choose between tlie different systems ; but for steadiness, tlie Siemens, Brush, and Crompton systems are quite tlie best, with perhaps a slight superiority in Air Crompton's lamp. In fact, we believe that all thatmechanism can do to produce steadiness in the electric are has been done, though no doubt tlio machinery employed will lie simplified, and that the question of getting a perfectly steady are light is now one entirely for the manufacturers of carbon rods. _ In the upstairs galleries are some few arc lights, one of tlie best being that of tlio systeme Collin, whicli is fitted up with glass globes, tlie upper parts of which are built up of prisms, after tho manner of a lighthouse lens. In the Belgian section, Jaspar of Liego shows a very g.iod arc light, whicli is mounted after the principle first used by the Siemens, tlie light being hidden from tlie eyo and caused to illuminate a white canvas disc several feet i;i diameter, which thus becomes tlie source of light fur the room. Tlie effect is very agreeable, but tlio arrangement shown appears to be extravagant ill cost, on account of tlie great loss of light. M. .laniin's system must bo classed amongst tlie arc lights. His lamp consists of two parallel rods of carbon placed between tlie arms of a long horseshoe magnet, whicli repels the voltaic arc, and thus keeps it always at tlio end of the carbons. Tlie idea is ingenious, but the performance of tlie lamp is far from good, tlio light being one of tho least steady exhibited. Amongst tlie semi-incan-descent lights—th.at is t.o say, lamps in which the light is given partly by tlie voltaic arc and partly by tlio glow of some body heated by tlie are—tlie .lablochkolf system quite holds it's own for brilliancy, although it is surpassed in steadiness by the Lampe Soleil, whicli consists of two rods of carbon, which press by their own weight on a block of hard marble. This system gives a very soft but bright light, and is quite steady. The inventor asserts tliat tho marble block will last about 40 hours, and that the carbons only consume at the rate of one centimetre per hour. The Joel light, whicli is well known iv England, is another semi-incandescent light, but it does nut contrast well with the other lamps of tho same type, for, though steady, it gives but little light, whilst tlie Wordormaim system, though brilliant, is quite as unsteady as the worst are light to be seen in tlie Exhibition. Coming now to tlie pure incandescent lights, wo find but littio to choose between them as far as effect goes. We have not had an opportunity of seeing the Maxim light, which we" have already mentioned; and Swan's, Edison's, and Lane Eox's lamps are almost identical as far as the light-producing part is concerned. Mr Edison does not appear to make his lamps quite so fiot, and, therefore, so luminous, as Mr Swan does ; and Mr Lane Eox is almost as cautious. But, ou'tlje whole, we must say that tlie incandescent systems are amongst tho most interesting in'the Exhibition, mid we believe that if the financial managers of tlie Lighting Companies are only energetic, and also moderate iii thoir prices, no very lon<£ time will elapse before all large dwelling-houses and hotels will be able to use this beautiful form of lighting. No one, we think, who could afford to light his house with c.-jjullos or lamps would hostitate to adopt one flf these systems, if he were to see tlie beautiful ell'sct ,of tho hundreds of Swan lamps which are arranged in festoons round the walls of the Salle dcs Conferences, in wijicji tlie Electrical Congress holds its meetings. These lamps are worked by an alternating current Siemens machine, which, by its low resistance, is almost self-regulating, tho lamps being arranged in parallel arc in series of about 10 in each derived circuit. Mr Lane Fox's are **ti;pj)!ie<l by a Brush machine, for which a very'iijfeeiiijuus'current regulator is exhibited, consisting o| a'i'.e.sistq-nce formed of loose plates of carbon," inserted as a shunt in tlie circuit of the field limgnets ; those carbon plates can be pressed together, by tlie armature of an electro magnet, tho coils of which form part of the line circuit, tlie result lieing that if tho current through the lamps grvvvs tm> strong, the magnet attracts the armature iiigre, strongly, thus pressing the carbon plates closer' tijgetljer. This lowers their resistance, and causes tljem 'if; cut out more of tho current which excites the fieldmagnets, and so reduce thoir inducing power, and diminish the line current. Mi* Swiui exhibits some of his lamps worked by tho Eauro battery ; these are used to light tlie exhibit of tlie E.JgJish -Tost-office. This is interesting scieiitilWallv, but «r.f no commercial importance at prusent,"tho prises charged for elements of tlie Eauro battery by the Societe de "Ji-orpe et Liimiere, the owners of the patent, being practically prohibitory.

The total imports into England from Frarc in the 10 yours 1871 80 rose from 1,29,850,00' t:> L-U570.000. Th* imports of food rose fron Oil 42*0 000 to T,14,ij16,00G | thoso of clothim from L'i2 700,000 to 1*20.940 fIOO ; and those * f .11 osher atioU from S-5,730,000 t0L6.820.0C0 - The ijn-iortn of French *.''K**r h»v*s fallen ■ ff i* he 10' years from L 2,950.(00 to L 5.850 OCO S , have tha corn imports—from 1*1,00:1,000 lo I £0 000 : anrl the win? imports have risen ouli from'L2l.ao,Cooto L 3.280.000. The silk im o-iris have nearly fjonbleil, rieicg fron I*s 830,000 to L10,1.00.00y 'i'ljrmnß to th* Rritinh exoorts to F'aio". »B faad a Bon*u*l**r vit'lccroase-from 1.33 590,000 to L 27.090.000 The decrease is largely in corn and provision**, but jt js also found in wool, cotton manufactures, letttiier. or.d !i*".uari d