ON THE PROGRESS OF ELECTRIC LIGHTING. 



21 



said that the electric light is the only good thing in this new Palace of Justice. 

 The House of Commons has gradually been fitted up, and the Colonial Parlia- 

 ment Houses in Cape Town and New South Wales are following the examples. 

 Indeed, restaurants, hotels, and public buildings are all testifying to the fact that 

 I am so anxious to bring before you, that electric hghting is a decided success, 

 for they are using it. But we want to see it in our homes. An excellent little 

 book on this point has recently been published by Mr. Hammond, which is well 

 worth your perusal. He has given there a table so striking and convincing that 

 I have had it copied and suspended for your information : 



The following table shows the oxygen consumed, the carbonic acid produced, 

 and the air vitiated by the combustion of certain bodies burned so as to give the 

 light of twelve standard sperm candles, each candle burning at the rate of 120 

 grains per hour : 



Burnt to give light 

 of 12 candles, equal 

 to 120 grs. per hour. 



Cannel Gas . 

 Common Gas. 

 Sperm Oil . . 

 Benzole . . . 

 Paraffine . . . 

 Camphine . . 

 Sperm Candles 



Wax 



Stearic. . . . 

 Tallow. . . . 

 Electric Light 



Cubic feet Cubic feet ^?^.^° ,£:^®* 



of oxygen i of air ° V ' id 



consumed, consumed, produced. 



3"3o 



5-45 

 4-75 

 4-45 



6-8i 

 6-65 



7-57 

 8-41 

 8.82 



12 'CO 



none 



16-50 

 17-25 



23*75- 

 22-30 



34-05 

 33-25 

 37-85 

 42-05 

 44-10 

 60-00 

 none 



3-21 



3-33 



3-54 

 4-50 

 4-77 

 5-77 

 5-90 

 6-25 



8-73 

 none 



, Heat pro- 

 Cubic feet duced in 



of air 

 vitiated. 



217-50 

 348-25 



356-75 

 376-30 

 484-05 



510-25 

 614-85 

 632-25 

 669-10 

 933-00 



none 



lbs of wat- 

 er raised 

 10 deg. F. 



195-0 

 278-6 



233-5 

 232-6 

 361-9 

 325-1 

 351-7 

 383-1 

 374-7 

 305-4 



13-8 



There you see why the electric light is so pure and so healthy. There is no 

 consumption or pollution of air. There is the smallest possible production of 

 heat. There are none of the existing dangers from fire or suffocation, but all is 

 pure, healthy, and safe. 



Our homes on the seas — those ocean palaces that render voyages to America 

 and our colonies a pleasant yachting picnic — are being gradually fitted. Over 

 sixty are already so fitted, and all will soon be done. None but those who have 

 tumbled and tossed on the angry ocean in a pitch-dark confined crib for the 

 seemingly never-ending night, can appreciate the peace and comfort of the soft 

 and gentle little glow-lamp that is now supplied. 



Efforts are being made to introduce primary batteries for the generation of 

 electric-light currents, but not as yet with marked success. Unless the products 

 of combustion can be sold profitably, primary batteries must necessarily be costly, 

 and their constant renewal, and the amount of personal supervision they demand, 

 militates much against their usej but some admirable batteries for small and tem- 

 porary installations have been brought out, notably that of Mr. Holmes. Our 

 railway trains are being hghted. Very satisfactory experiments are being made 



