The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 20, 1921, Page 3, Image 3
ELECTRIC LIGHTS 42 YEARS OLD
Interesting Facts About Edison's
Invention Anniversary of Which
I. Being Celebrated This Year.
I tv E. '. IANvmsoN.
Since uno3l first w aIkeI the
eart.h lie lits m1et the great Ileds
of his <aily life Iby trYinig first. one1
thing and then another. pvrsis
tently, ingeniously. 1un1til le got
what he had to 1 have. 11 v I at
means 1he obtainled food that was
god)(I for himl), aid liothilg :iid
- shelter that really protetd. :al I
light that has been ianded lown
j through the ages constan lI in
creasing in brilliance aind service
ability from the pine knot. the
tallowcandle, the wick-inl-oil and
the gas burner to the incamlescent
J electric 1111111) of today-the lami1p
c whose invention 12 years agi. ill
October 1879. by Thoml'.as A. Edi
son is being celebrted this year.
Researchi-this inquisitiveniess
which grew oit of a1 mian's CoI
stant striving after new and bet
ter things ebilbraces whole grou
of professions peopled b, y mlen
and women who are dvtn
their lives to scientific improve
Iment of that which satisfies mlian1's
want. And of all researches, it
would be hard to find one tiat hIs
resulted in so much definite bene
fit to mankind as that in which
Mr. Edison played so notable a
part in tile year 1879.
Long before 1879-in 1810
the are lamp\ was devised. By
1878 it had become well establish
led for outdoor illumination. But
it wis too powerfil for-hoie or
office lighting. The task before
the electrical researehers of the
time was to "subdivide" it into
inits smal enough for indoor use.
Several men had nade inaidces
cent lamps which radiated light
from a carbonrod in aI partial
vacuum to prevent the carbon
from burning up instantly. But
none of these crude 111111ps ol
burn long enough to niake thein
practical.
Then Mr. Edison centered his
remarkable taleit tirelessly uponii
1the problem in 1878. For a Year
he exiperilmIenkted, 11111k1Ig 2.n 04
casional forwa rd step.
lie thought a catrb on thiread(
would make the best fi b2uet. But
it had1( to operalte ini a miore n1ear ly
ab1)1 at the timie. So lbe built a
sup)erior pump111 to secuire such1 a1
vacuum. '1hen lie struggled for
wveeks to find the right sort of nm112
terial to cairbonize inito a fib1uniient
Having made(1 his fine filamet,
and1( secured0( a sufllicienitly high
vaIcuumII ini which it miighit op)eralte
insidle a glass bulb11, the next dli ffi
cutlty was to get the filametnt sealI
ed i nsidle the bulb11. hie conn1ee
tion b)etweenl the filament andlt the
current wire outtside~ the bulb11 11uul
to 1)e mnade of some1 material that
would expand and 11( conitract at thie
snme rato e srglcs in nrlne thnt
the -lass woild not, crack.. 1le
produiced inl'alloy of platinlill
11ud iridiuiil whitb filled this need.
- Th'len the fir.t Edison h,1mp1 was
nia1le October 21. IST9. When it
was attache<d for a trial. emlploY
VVS inl the( E<diisonk 1.ab itaorit's at(
Mlel Park, N. .1. Wage(111l vx
citedly over t(e iioiber of ini
ites it woild blurn1 before the Ia
gil aliehinit broke. It burned 15
hloiurs. NAIr. E<disonl knew he had
Since then othber epocb making
iilproveiints have been imlade inl
the inlcanldescit laip. 1)r. W. ).
Coolidge of tlt (Gener2a1 Electric.
('o., inl 1910 discm-ered hlow t o
mak tlungstenii, tha.kt brittlest of all
Imletals. ductile So it cold be
drawn out into filament, of aniiY
size ranginl,g down to a gatiulge six
timles liner thianl hum1anl hmir and
tougher thmnany kn1 uownl sulb
stance for lamp use. Te tlugs
ten la ip thenl repIlced the far less
efficient carbonl hlmp.
A few ye 4rs ago I)r. Irviing
lanigmuirdiscovered that if h.1uip
bullbS were filled with argon, oilt
of the most inert astes in oIl at
Inlo.,phere, the tiungstenl filament
woul operate at evenl highervi
teiperat ires witl eveii long"er
Ii fe. This restulted i Ithe gas-fill
ed lup which. in varilous forms.
is oelt' of, tite highest prodiucts of
electric ahunpi) makers today.
Thus, one thing" tnid then
another has been tried byN experi
menters inl h.uniips jist as prelis
torie man nmale his ride efforts
inl his own behalf'. ('onstant r
better lamip So thait the( mlost, mlod
four humired million lhib glow
vevery 2-1 hours all around the
worbi areg pig eilt times aS
noch light for a gtienl ilut of
tuirrent as \lr. Edison's original
1,h11ps and the cost of lirlighting in
1919 was but three per cInt of Olt
cost il 1881.
ENROLLMENT AT
THE UNIVERSITY
Th'lere are-( now% (.nrolled at the
Iliversit y, )75: stidents. I ast
year this tiit 515 ' were enrolled.
Hy the ntvild of the ve'a everv
Ilillg poiits to tite l:rgest stil
dvnt-ho<ly in the listorY of Ite in
4 itution.
There are 81; Co-vils, :)I inl (the
acadeieii4 dtepartmient, .15 grmtlu
ate's, I I spetcials, and. 8 in the
law~ schitool. lTe enroJlhnen'it of1
t' e hiw stchool is now i I 1.
Thel a'Iresluinan iitlass this ytar
is thit betst p)replarted class ever' ad
one' was uhniitted oin te ini
niounl of1 fi ftteen un;its. Tlhiis shoul
Football Schedule for Remainder
of the Season.
Oc)tobter 27, (Clemiison.
NoJvembeltr .J, I inive'rsity of4
N~ovemberJt 12, hi urlimunI I iiverI
sut~'
eld's Drug Store
443 Main Street
First Clss Service given Uni
W ALTERSversitV etit
SHOE SHOP
Dave Means
Barber Shop
1420 MAIN STREET 1;11 Mamil St. Phone 7421
Students, Watch Your Eyesight
Close applicaiion to study is a constant
tax on Nour vision.
At the blightest indication of undue strain, come to
us for a thorough examination of your eyes. We can
quickly tell wiether glasses are necessary.
Wiesepape Optical Co.1517 MAIN STREET
1631 MAIN STREET
C o L.U MB . BA..
New Hats i
from
Old Ones 4")
Why throw away the old hats when by having us clean and reblock
themi they will look like new and you get another season's wear out of
them. Dig out that last fall hat and save the price of a new one. We
guarantee workmanship and satisfaction.
You will find ou clothes cleaning and pressing department satisfying
and the seivice pirmpt.
Palace Hat Cleaning and Shoe Shining Parlor
THE HOME OF GOOD SHINES
Two Doors from Central Drug Co.
EXPERT DRY CLEANING, PRESSING
AND REPAIRING
Called for and Delivered. Give Us a Trial.
1206 Main Street. Columbia, S. C.
CONSTAN & JACKSON, Proprietors
Telephone 6074
DuP re Printing Company
Printers of "The Gamecock"
1316 Main Street Colbia, S. C.
Wingfi
Wmghl
. - biii-e l'Ihone00 :) -.1
I )i.-is-r
- 1 122 N1:1in1 Str-vet
Store
EVERYTHING
ELECTR ICAL
SHANNON-CHILDS
ELECTRIC CO.
1518 Main St. Phone 6817
Mc MASTERS
Athletic
Goods
1324 Main St,
COLUMBIA, S. C.
LOAF AT
GITMANS'
BOOK
SHOP
Nothing but Books
Webster's
Electric Shop
I )ouble Soets, I-'Iash I,ighits
122 1-A Main St., Columbia, S. C.
Phone 4016
Capital Cafe
Nearest Restaurant to University Boys
Youir Pattrona:ge w ill be(
( l rent ly A pprcCiateCil
1210 MAIN STREET