ELECTRIC CANDLES. 235 



arc to rise, it is established between the two carbons at the place 

 where they have not been worn away by combustion ; it takes 

 up a position where the interval does exceed 2 or 3 millimetres. 

 So far from being lengthened, it is shortened ; and instead of 

 being lessened, the resistance to rupture and the intensity of the 

 current are increased, and the light is seen to quietly come down 

 again, and resume its position at the extremities of the carbons ; 

 if, on the contrary, the current increases, the arc bends and be- 

 comes concave towards the carbons, but its tendency to rise 

 counterbalancing the action of the directive current, it is never 

 sufficiently elongated to break. The best economical conditions 

 are obtained when this curve is just sufficiently marked to pre- 

 vent the upward movement of the arc. In this case the inevit- 

 able noise of the electric light is reduced to its minimum, because 

 the amplitudes of the vibratory movements are the smallest 

 possible. 



" In short, the burner I submit to the Academic, with its points 

 downwards, realizes considerable advantages : 1. Simplicity, 

 since it involves no mechanism, and needs no preliminary pre- 

 paration ; 2. mechanical economy, since the number of lamps 

 may be doubled ; 3. increase of light, since each of the new 

 lamps has double the power of the old ones ; 4. quality of light, 

 which is whiter ; 5- a. better arrangement of the lamps, which 

 throw the greater part of their light downwards, instead of 

 towards the sky, where it is useless ; and 6. economy of the 

 combustibles, since the consumption is less on account of the 

 thickness of the carbons. All this forms a marked progress in 

 the electric light, and cannot fail to strengthen the hold it has 

 already taken on public illumination, thanks to Carre's carbons, 

 to JablochkofFs candle, and to the progress made in machines." 



Jamin has quite recently added to his burner an electro- 

 magnetic arrangement which, as in Wilde's system, enables 

 the candle to be automatically lighted, and prevents its ex- 

 tinction. For this purpose he makes the upper part of the 

 multiplier that surrounds the candle, where it passes above 

 the plate by which the system is supported, go between the 

 branches of a plate of iron bent into a horseshoe form; these 

 branches consequently constitute while the current passes 



