SCIENCE. 



193 



SCIENCE: 



A Weekly Record of Scientific 

 Progress. 



JOHN MICHELS, Editor. 



Published at 

 229 BROADWAY, NEW YORK. 

 P. O. Box 3838. 



SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 1881. 



Since we last referred to Mr. Edison and his incan- 

 descent lamp, the subject has been advanced another 

 step and the final stage of complete and unqualified 

 success achieved; permission has been granted to 

 the Edison Light Company, to place surface con- 

 ducting wires under the streets of New York City, 

 and in the course of the next two or three months, 

 one large district of that city will be enjoying 

 the full benefits of Mr. Edison's system of electrical 

 illumination. 



Taking a retrospective review of public utterances 

 on this question during the last eighteen months, we 

 now extend our condolence to a certain class of pro- 

 fessed scientific experts who have maintained, from 

 first to last, the impracticability of Edison's well-de- 

 vised plans. 



Never in the annals of scientific discovery has a 

 grosser attempt been made to pervert the truth, and 

 mislead public opinion. 



As one instance among many, let us take up what 

 is offered as a standard work of reference on this 

 subject : " The Electric Light, its Production and 

 Use, embodying plain directions for the working of 

 galvanic batteries, electric lamps, dynamo-electric 

 machines, etc.," by J. W. Urquhart, C. E., edited 

 by F. C. Webb, M. I. C. E., M. S. T. E., Lon- 

 don, 1880. Under the heading of "Edison's 

 Lamps" we find "much interest has been taken in 

 the sensational and often absurd announcements, con- 

 cerning apparatus in course of perfection by Mr. T. 

 A. Edison, of Menlo Park, New York (?), and it was 

 in some quarters thought, that when he had set him- 

 self about the task of inventing an efficient subdi- 

 vision of the electric light circuit, something would in 

 all probability be done." 



"There is little probability, however, that this lamp 

 (the horse-shoe carbon) will prove constant. Burnt 

 paper in various forms has been repeatedly tried be- 



fore, and it is assuredly not constant, in the best pos- 

 sible vacuum obtainable." "We may indeed rest 

 assured, that upon further reflection, Mr. Edison 

 will abandon this imperfect burner " The same au- 

 thors in speaking of the " Sawyer lamp," describe it 

 as " the best incandescent lamp of this kind that has 

 been invented." 



Such being the teachings of an educational work, 

 written by professed teachers on this subject, let them 

 be compared with the actual results achieved, and the 

 relative positions of the two men at this moment. 

 Seldom has the irony of events demonstrated more 

 forcibly that the honest work of a man is proof 

 against the assaults of fraudulent or ignorant critics, 

 and that the leveling influence of time always reveals 

 the truth. 



On the various attempts to imitate Edison's lamp 

 we shall offer but a few words, for most practical in- 

 ventors are usually plagued by men who endeavor to 

 duplicate their successful inventions. If " imitation is 

 the sincerest of flattery " we suppose" Mr. Maxim is 

 merely desirous of paying Edison a high compliment. 

 Concerning Mr. Swan, of Newcastle, England, who 

 professes to have perfected a horse-shoe carbon lamp, 

 apparently identical to that of Mr. Edison's, we would 

 draw attention to the significant fact, that in Messrs. 

 Urquhart and Webb's work on the " Electric Light," 

 dated as recently as April, 1880, and published in Mr. 

 Swan's own country, not a single reference is made to 

 the Swan electric lamp — in fact, his name does not 

 occur in the book. This would appear to be conclu- 

 sive evidence that neither Mr. Swan, nor his lamp, were 

 known in England up to that date — unless he is in- 

 cluded among the nameless crowd, spoken of by the 

 authors, who had "repeatedly used burnt paper in va- 

 rious forms," and who failed to secure constant results, 

 even 11 in the best possible vacuum obtainable." 



CONGRESO INTERN ACIONAL DE AMERICAN- 

 ISTAS. 



We are in receipt of a pamphlet printed at Madrid, con- 

 taining the official announcement of the above Congress, 

 and instructions for those desirous of attending it. This 

 is the fourth meeting of an International Congress for the 

 discussion of American Archaeology, and will take place 

 on the 25th, 26th, 27th, and 28th of September next. 



The object to be attained by this body is to contribute to 

 the progress of Ethnographical, Linguistic and Historical 

 researches relative to the two Americas, especially for the 

 period prior to Christopher Columbus, and to bring 

 together such persons as are interested in such studies. 



Among the delegates from the United States we notice 

 the names of Professor Spencer F. Baird, of Washington , 

 Professor R. B. Anderson, of the University of Wisconsin : 

 Professor J. Putnam Duncan, of the Academy of National 

 Sciences, Davenport, Iowa, and Albert S. Gatschet, 

 Esq., of 304 E street, N. W. Washington, D. C, to 

 whose courtesy we are indebted for a copy of these official 

 instructions. 



