The Lights of Manhattan

Edison planned his first American central power station to be built in lower Manhattan Island at Pearl Street Station.  The station was to be built on a site 50 feet by 100 feet and would supply electricity to a half mile area.  Edison had promised in 1878 never to show or offer the electric light until it was so perfected that it was a certain instantaneous victory over the gas light.  For decades he had tested sockets, switches, fuses, lamp holders, and every part he could.  Finally in 1882, he was ready.

The Pearl Street Station (shown on right) purposely would serve Wall Street and the New York Times offices - places that could win support to provide electric lighting all across America.  The wires were buried underground (against city officials preference) with new tubing and new standards of insulation invented, of course, by Edison himself.  These would become incorporated into the earliest laws of electric power in New York.

The Pearl Street Station cost was about $600,000, but there was nothing like it in all the world.  All the devices and parts were home-made at Menlo Park.  On September 4, 1882 at 3 pm the switch was thrown, and 400 lights went on for 85 customers.  At 7 pm, in the New York Times offices, the 52 lamps glowed bright and steady.  One employee said "it seemed almost like writing by daylight."

America had seen its first city lights.   Thomas Alva Edison was just 34 years old.  He said afterwards that "it was time to take a long vacation in the matter of inventions."  The young Edison was called the "King of Invention" and the "Modern Magician."  We thank you Mr. Edison, for the "electric candles" that light our world every day.

Next time...moving into R&D
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Today in Pioneer History: "On April 27, 1773, the British Parliament passes the Tea Act, a bill designed to save the faltering East India Company from bankruptcy by lowering the tea tax it paid to the British government.  This granted basically a monopoly on the American tea trade and led to the Boston Tea party in 1773, where an estimated $1 million dollars worth of tea (in today's standards) was dumped in Boston Harbor, and ultimately led to the American Revolution."