THE ELECTRIC CANDLE. 



431 



sufficient to melt and even to vaporize glass or kaolin, and thus the 

 insulating septum between the carbons wears away simultaneously 

 with them. 



If the source of electricity gives con- 

 stant currents, then, inasmuch as the car- 

 bons wear unequally, one wasting more 

 rapidly than the other, the distance be- 

 tween the points will become too great, 

 and the light will be extinguished. To 

 overcome this difficulty, we have only to 

 make the carbon that burns most rapidly 

 twice as thick as the other. 



It is true that hitherto the electric 

 candle has worked better with magneto- 

 electric machines giving alternating cur- 

 rents, than with piles or Gramme ma- 

 chines ; in the former case the carbons 

 wear away equally, and are of the same 

 thickness. 



To complete the description of Jab- 

 loshkoff's apparatus, we have to add that 

 each carbon is socketed in a brass tube, 

 connected with a wire coming from the 

 source of electricity. These two tubes 

 are attached to each other in various 

 ways, according to the applications had 

 in view ; the one essential precaution is, 

 to take care that they do not come into 

 contact with each other. 



The name candle has been very hap- 

 pily applied to this simple apparatus ; 

 it is, indeed, a candle with two wicks 

 burning side by side, and which lower 

 their luminous point as combustion goes 

 on. One interesting peculiarity it pos- 

 sesses, namely, that the luminous point 

 can be turned downward, so that there 

 is nothino; to throw a shadow. Its light 

 may be modified by the use of opal or 

 ground-glass shades. 



How THE Candle is lighted. One 

 of the principal advantages of Serrin's 

 lamp is, that it can be lighted from a 

 distance. The lamp is made ready, say, 

 in the morning, and, when night comes, 

 all that is required is to admit the elec- 



Jabloshkoff's Electric Candle (act- 

 ual size). C C\ carbon-points of 

 gas-coke \ 1 1 1 1, Insulating sub- 

 stance ; T T, tubes holding the car- 

 bon-points ; A, socket of asbestos 

 holding the system together ; F F, 

 copper wires conveying the electric 

 current. 



