The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. THURSDAY, JULY 6, 1882. The Electric Light.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume III, Issue 681, 6 July 1882, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. THURSDAY, JULY 6, 1882. The Electric Light.

TOWN EDITION. [lssued at 4.40 p.m. j

The days of gas would appear to be numbered. It has been, or is being, literally eclipsed by the electric light, which is rapildy coming into favor as a means of illumination. Only the other day the preliminary steps were taken to form an clecteic lighting company at Wellington, “ with a capital sufficient to enable it to carry on business in all parts of New Zealand,” and scarcely have we had time to digest the intelligence of this rather ambitious scheme when the news comes from Christchurch that an electric lighting company has been formed there with a capital of a quarter of a million ; while to show the confidence of the public in the scheme, we are told that in three days time nearly 5,000 shares have been applied for. And now Auckland is talking about introducing the light, a telegram to that effect having been received by us to-day. The difference between the electric light and gas would seem to be as great almost as that between gas and kerosene. At Home the electric light appears to be fairly turning the people’s heads. “ The mania for electric companies has fairly set in here,” says the London correspondent of an Auckland paper, “ and any scheme proposed, if it can only show a spark of electricity in it, is literally rushed.” Companies innumerable to work the light are in existence in London, and fresh ones are springing up every day. Sir Julius Vogel is said to have made a handsome fortune in a few months by speculating in electric lighting shares, and his present visit to the colony, it is stated, is on business counected with the electric light. From a London paper to hand by the last mail we read of a lecture recently delivered at the Crystal Palace by one of Edison’s representatives, which furnishes some most interesting information respecting what is undoubtedly destined to become the light of the future, besides accomplishing other great things. By the aid of enormous dissolving views the lecturer showed the construction and machinery necessary for the production of the electric current for supplying light and motive power to dwelling-houses, etc. The incandescent lamp was also explained, and a number of experiments performed to exhibit its perfect simplicity, tractability, and safety. To convince his audience of the latter, the lecturer, we are told, placed a covering of gauze over a globe containing a sixteen-candle light. He then proceeded to smash the glass to atoms, when the light was extinguished, but the delicate gauze was not even singed. To prove the ease with which the light could be

manipulated, the room (brilliantly illuminated by electricty), was instantly rendered almost dark, and a sort of gloom produced similar to that which we are all familiar with at the Theatre, when the bad man of the piece is going to do something more than ordinarily villanous. Then, again, individual lamps were not only turned on and off at will, but whole clusters were extinguished and re-lit as if by magic, simply by the touching of an ordinary electric switch. Then to bring the wonderful power and adaptability of electricity thoroughly home to his audience, a circular saw was introduced, and being set in motion by means of the electric current, a thick log of wood was quickly sawn lengthwise in half. Not only can electricity be used as an illuminator and as a motive power for machinery, but it is the confident belief of the great Edison himself, that it is destined at no distant date to totally supersede steam upon railways. Nevertheless, gas is not likely to disappear altogether and become a thing of the past, but very soon it will undoubtedly have to play second fiddle to its young and powerful rival.