286 THE ADDRESSES, LECTURES, ETC., OF 



gas-lighting did before it, thirty years ago, when it was inaugurated 

 at the Soho Works not many miles away from this hall ? 



But, although I predict a great future for electric light as being 

 the most brilliant, the cheapest, and the least objectionable from 

 a sanitary point of view of all illuminants, I do not agree with 

 those who consider that the days of gas must therefore be 

 numbered. 



In addressing the British Association of Gas Managers in this 

 town a few months ago, I called attention to certain means by 

 which gas of much higher illuminating power might be obtained 

 from the ordinary retorts, if only, at the same time, the gas 

 companies or corporations could be induced to supply at a reduced 

 rate heating gas, of which we so much stand in need ; and how, 

 by certain improvements in the burners themselves, the illumi- 

 nating power of a given quantity of gas might be still further 

 augmented. Gas companies have for many years enjoyed the 

 sweets of their monopoly position, which position is generally 

 speaking not productive of desire for change. The electric light 

 has furnished for them the incentive to advance, and the effect of 

 that incentive has told already, I am glad to observe, in a very 

 striking manner upon the street illumination of this immediate 

 neighbourhood. 



The time is not far distant, I believe, when gaseous fuel will 

 almost entirely take the place of solid fuel for heating, for obtain- 

 ing motive power, and for the domestic grate ; and if gas com- 

 panies and corporations rightly understand their mission, they 

 will take timely steps to supply, separately, heating gas at a greatly 

 reduced cost, the demand for which would soon be tenfold the gas 

 consumption of the present day. The economy and the comfort 

 which would accrue to the inhabitants of large towns by such a 

 change would be great indeed, and it would, amongst other things, 

 effect a radical cure of that great bugbear of our winter existence, 

 a smoky atmosphere. 



The third great practical illustration furnished by the Paris 

 Exhibition has reference to the transmission of power from one 

 place to another by means of the electric conductor. When, only 

 five years ago, in addressing the Iron and Steel Institute, I ven- 

 tured upon the assertion that the time was not distant when the 

 great natural sources of power, such as waterfalls, would be trans- 



