222 THE ADDRESSES, LECTURES, ETC., OF 



Although I arn strongly of opinion that electricity will gradu- 

 ally replace gas in many of its most important applications, as 

 being both cheaper and more brilliant, I still hold the opinion, 

 quoted by Mr. Northover in his letter to you of yesterday, that its 

 application will be limited, at least during our generation, to such 

 larger purposes as the lighting of our coasts, to naval and military 

 signalling, to harbours, quays, warehouses and public buildings, 

 including perhaps picture galleries and drawing rooms, where the 

 objections to gas are already felt to the extent of banishing that 

 means of lighting to the passages, offices and bed-rooms. I am, 

 however, of opinion that a revolution even to the extent indicated, 

 must be the work of time, and that while gas will undoubtedly in 

 due course be supplanted by its more brilliant rival for the pur- 

 poses just indicated, the consumption of gas will be maintained by 

 the increasing area of application resulting from increase of towns, 

 and by additional applications for cooking and for heating pur- 

 poses, for which gas will supplant the use of solid fuel, and thus 

 confer a new benefit upon mankind by doing away with the 

 nuisance of smoke and ashes. If gas companies only rightly 

 understood their interests, they would themselves take up electric 

 lighting for those purposes for which it has the decided preference, 

 and at the same time promote the application of gas for heating, 

 in doing which they would clearly increase their business as light- 

 ing companies, while benefiting the public by providing them with 

 the very best sources of heat and light. 



I am, Sir, your obedient servant, 



C. WILLIAM SIEMENS. 



12, QUEEN ANNE'S GATE, WESTMINSTER, Oct. 11, 1878. 



To THE EDITOR OF "THE TIMES." 



SIR, A letter in The Times of this day's date by Captain J. T. 

 Bucknill, R.E., points out certain objections to the mode of electric 

 street-lighting suggested by me, and affords me an opportunity, 

 with your kind permission, of explaining my views on this subject 

 rather more fully than I have had occasion to do hitherto. 



