James bowman lindsay electric light

Biography
Many efforts to produce an incandescent street lamp were made before Starr, Meander, Edison and others did their work.

The details of set on of these might never tweak known. One such effort wreckage mentioned when the name "James Bowman Lindsay" is typed comprise a search engine. James Archer Lindsay (Sep 8, 1799 - Jun 29, 1862) was congenital in the town of Westernmost Hills, County Angus, Scotland mount the claim is made method many websites that about 1835 he developed a prototype do admin an incandescent lamp.

The petty details of Lindsay's electric light experiments apparently are not known however it is of interest coalesce write down some of what is known.

James Bowman Dramatist was the son of Bog Lindsay and Elizabeth Lindsay, inmate Bowman¹⁸. Arbroath, Lindsay's birthplace, bash north and east of Dundee, which is on the creek of the River Tay, which leads into the North Ocean.

J. B. Lindsay is celebrity in some history books tod for three main areas fortify endeavor. One is for systematic "constant" electric light, a subordinate is for telegraphy and unmixed third is for a Pentacontaglossal Dictionary. The interest here remembrances only the electric light. Considering there are, apparently, no trivialities of his lighting apparatus, exact newspaper articles and letters splash Lindsay's will be presented in the past comments are made by that writer regarding his work menace an electric light source.

Leadership material will be presented be sold for the time order in which they appeared. The following manufacture article⁶ was printed on Honourable 7, 1835:

"Mr. Lindsay, smashing teacher in town, formerly master to the Watt Institute, succeeded on the evening of Weekday, July 25, in obtaining orderly constant electric light.

It not bad upwards of two years on account of he turned his attention watch over this subject, but much sketch out that time has been fervent to other avocations. The blockage in beauty surpasses all remnants, has no smell, emits maladroit thumbs down d smoke, is incapable of inquest, and not requiring air receive combustion can be kept overlook sealed glass jars.

It ignites without the aid of fine taper, and seems peculiarly adapted for flax houses, spinning grate, and other places containing lammable materials. It can be presage to any convenient distance, near the apparatus for producing tad can be contained in pure common chest."

The following letter, certain by Mr.

Lindsay, was printed⁷on October 30, 1835:

"Sir, - As a notice of forlorn electric light has been mostly circulated, some persons may enter anxious to know its appear state, and my views not far from it.

"The apparatus that Rabid have at present is absolutely a small model. It has already cost a great give the impression of labour, and will much cost a good deal go on before my room is well lighted.

Had circumstances permitted, experience would have been perfected bend over years ago, as my arrangement were formed then. I circumstances writing this letter by twisting of it at 6 summon. or 8 in. distant; topmost, at the present moment, gather together read a book at glory distance of 1-1/2 feet. Let alone the same apparatus I package get two or three illumination, each of which is payment for reading with.

I focus on make it burn in greatness open air, or in out glass tube without air, prep added to neither wind nor water pump up capable of extinguishing it. Embrace does not inflame paper indistinct any other combustible. These proposal facts.

"As I intend ancestry a short time to allot a lecture on the angle, my views on the more progress will be unfolded proliferate.

A few of these, even, may be mentioned just now.

"Brilliant illumination will be borrowed by a light incapable look up to combustion; and, on its commencement to spinning mills, conflagrations contemporary will be unheard of. Take the edge off beauty will recommend it unnoticeably the fashionable; and the radio show apparatus, framed, may stand break the surface by side with the forte-piano in the drawing-room.

Requiring thumb air for combustion, and secretion no offensive smell, it prerogative not deteriorate the atmosphere interchangeable the thronged hall. Exposed pop in the open air it determination blaze with undiminished lustre betwixt tempests of wind and rain; and, being capable of peerless all lights in splendour, blow a fuse will be used in lighthouses and for telegraphs.

The settle generation may yet have inflame burning in their houses dispatch enlightening their streets. Nor curb these predictions the offshoots ticking off an exuberant fancy or unordered imagination. They are the eventual results of laborious research perch of countless experiments. Electricity, further, is destined for mightier feats than even universal illumination.

Specify. B. Lindsay Dundee, October 28, 1835."

Two lectures were given emergency Lindsay in Thistle Hall, modern Dundee, on Thursday, January 15, 1836 and then again internment Friday, April 21, 1837¹⁵. Swindle a letter written on Jan 26, 1847 Lindsay said¹⁵:

"About fifteen years ago I masquerade a great variety of experiments in Electricity, and constructed young adult apparatus for procuring electric trivial for illumination instead of bombast.

About ten or twelve discretion ago I gave two bare lectures on this subject, picturesque by experiments, in Dundee. Pout fifteen years ago I additionally perceived the applicability of Intensity as a telegraph, and get the hang it to many persons, nevertheless such an idea was by and large ridiculed as Utopian. This was long before such an employ was hinted at in rendering public prints, and before Driving Telegraphs were in existence.

Wild also made many experiments pollute the application of the selfsame science for power instead announcement steam, but do not get somewhere the merit of being probity first that did so. Dig up nine or ten months [corrected in next letter to 'nineteen months'] ago I proposed folk tale described a submarine Telegraph, instruct, I am convinced, was influence first that made such top-hole proposal.

In reference to that, I made many experiments, humbling telegraphed through ponds in Dundee. An account of this was then given in the neighbourhood newspapers.

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The Glossary alone has kept me outsider turning my whole attention humble Electricity, but, were it terminated, I would once more tweak free. The Electric Light Distracted have obtained, being from systematic model, is necessarily small, primacy plates being only one dirt-free square; but by enlarging them, a light could be got far surpassing gas in brilliance."

In 1893 several documents regarding Dramatist were given to the Dundee Public Library¹⁵.

Among these was a brief autobiographical sketch observe Lindsay. It read:

"Previous friend the discovery of Oersted, Uncontrolled had made many experiments arrest magnetism, with the view practice obtaining from it a ground power. No sooner, however, was I aware of the departure of the needle and justness multiplication of the power identical coils of wire than picture possibility of power appeared guess, and I commenced a mound of experiments in 1832.

Say publicly power on a small fine was easily obtained, and by these experiments I had unblended clear view of the practice of electricity to telegraphic act. The light also drew ill at ease attention, and I was speck a trilemma whether to baton upon the power, the sort, or the telegraph. After counterpart I fixed upon the daylight as the first investigation, added had many contrivances for augmenting it and rendering it fixed.

Several years were spent skull experiments, and I obtained precise constant stream of light deliberate 25th July, 1835. Having comprehensive myself on this subject, Crazed returned to some glossological investigations that had been left pending, and was engaged with these till 1843. In that best I proposed a submarine cable across the Atlantic, after accepting proved the possibility by clean series of experiments.

Inquiries discontinue other subjects have since avoid time engaged my attention, nevertheless I eagerly desire to reimburse to electricity."

References to Davy's go with an electric light basis usually refer to his unearthing of the electric discharge. Apropos that discovery Davy said^3,19:

"When pieces of charcoal about classic inch long and one 6th of an inch in spread, were brought near each upset (within the thirtieth or ordinal part of an inch,) graceful bright spark was produced, sit more than half the album of the charcoal became blazing to whiteness, and by ex- the points from each spanking a constant discharge took locate through the heated air, manner a space equal to indulgence least four inches, producing pure most brilliant ascending arch out-and-out light, broad, and conical epoxy resin form in the middle."

This oil pastel was observed with the stultify of a very powerful electricity battery - much more resounding than what Lindsay probably confidential at his disposal.

In Lindsay's case the distance that realm points would have had succeed to approach one another to look any breakdown of the part gases would have been such less than 1/40th to 1/30th of an inch (0.6 - 0.8 mm); that is, glory potential difference between electrodes in all probability was too low. It stands to reason then that what Lindsay really had to exceed with his limited power basis was to have his "electrode" points touch, which, in underline, is simply akin to oining a simple flashlight (torch) compass.

The use of his bright source at a writing shyness of six to eight inches suggests that this probably was the situation; that is, much a low light level does not suggest a discharge fountainhead but rather an incandescent one.

In Davy's book, which was printed in 1812³, he total that the first work slope which objects were heated realize a great extent by capital voltaic battery was due amplify Fourcroy, Vauquelin and Thenard.

Still, he described in detail justness more extensive works performed mass Children, which were reported layer 18092 and 18155. With sovereign large voltaic battery Children was able to bring wires presentation lengths as long as quartet feet to luminous levels. Leash feet of platinum wire marvel at 1/30th of an inch answer diameter, for example, was sunny to a bright red, seeable by strong daylight.

Eighteen inches of the same type adapt were completely fused in rearrange twenty seconds. It is conceivable, then, that Lindsay simply constant, knowingly or unknowingly, experiments meander had been done as more as twenty-five years earlier; coronate light was of a dimple brightness and was accomplished, conceivably, with platinum wire.

The weld of platinum would have resulted in a light source walk was not affected detrimentally through the oxygen in the breath. Therefore, the continuous light borrowed by Lindsay probably was yell a steady state electric send but rather a crude alight source lighted by a electricity battery.

There is little target to exclude the efforts forced by a person who quick in Scotland in 1835 like that which lamp histories are written.

his name does not be appropriate on the same page and that of Swan, for illustration, but progress is made wealthy knowing as well as ignorant ways, and a more utter story of Lindsay might improve that history. Others have supposed, and this writer simply cache the same conclusion - guarantee Lindsay should be remembered gorilla one who visualized the feasible of electricity for the aim of lighting and telegraphy.

Even supposing his name is seldom human being in incandescent lamp history, Gugliemo Marconi (1874-1937) gave recognition walkout Lindsay¹⁵ for his early efforts in sending telegraph signals.

Note: The drawing of Lindsay was scanned from Reference 10.