250 ELECTRIC LIGHTING. 



advantage over lights dispersed in a number of different 

 points. This truth was established a score of years ago by the 

 experiments in the Place du Carrousel, not indeed with the 

 electric light, but with a light equally intense, which formed the 

 centre of a splendidly luminous sphere. It was finally admitted 

 that this single point was Tar from supplying the same advan- 

 tages as ordinary gas-jets, which could be placed as required. 

 Now, if we remember that the special characteristic of the 

 electric light is its concentrated power, we may conclude 

 th^t if this light had to remain subjected to the same condi- 

 tions under which it existed a few years ago, it would never 

 have been regarded as a mode of public illumination. Never- 

 theless, the considerable reduction of the cost of this light,, 

 and the methods of dividing it under favourable conditions,, 

 which have recently been discovered, have changed the aspect 

 of the question. The important experiments undertaken in 

 1878 by the JablochkofT Company gave rise to new ideas, 

 which have now been taken up by all civilized countries, and 

 promise to lead to some important results. It is therefore 

 not surprising that the gas companies should have been 

 affected, and their shares depreciated. Nevertheless, we 

 think the depreciation has been unduly exaggerated, for, as 

 we remarked at the beginning, it is difficult to believe that 

 uses will not be found for gas, considering the important pur- 

 poses to which it can be applied in very many branches of 

 industry. 



We have already explained the manner in which the 

 electric light can be divided sufficiently for the requirements 

 of public illumination, by means of induction machines with 

 fixed coils, Jablochkoff candles, the lamps of Lontin, Rey- 

 nier, Werdermann, &c. We must not, however, suppose that 

 this idea is new. The division of the electric light has long 

 been sought after, and several plans have been proposed, 

 such as those of Wartmann, Quirini, Liais, Deleuil, Ronalds, 

 Lacassagne and Thiers, and Martin de Brettes, which I 

 have described in my Expose des applications de 



