The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-04-26 00:00:00

THE HOUSE OF COMMONS SIGNAL
LIGHT.

Describing this Importsns edditlon to the tower of the
Douse of Commons, the Daily Sews writes

A g iod deal of interest was created in the Went-end
of Bond in on Monday night by the new aignal light
which was exhibited from the clock tower during
the sitting of the House of Commons. On the
north face of the ripper part of the tower a light-
house lantern hits been temporarily erected, eleven
feet high. In this lantern is a pillar of intensely
white light, which on a near view resolves itself
into three steady and brilliant flames placed one
above another. At intervals these three flames appear
to unite in one round armlike blaze, which throws a
strong beam to a rat distance. The east wind made
the atmosphere in the West-end rather hazy last night,
so that as seen from the Nelson Column the illuminated
clock faces were of a very dull Tel, and it was im-
possible to make out the time. Above them, however,
burned this pillar of flame, which teemed tofu White-
hall with its rays. Approaching Trafalgar-square
by St. Martin's Church, the light thrown into the
sir behind Northnmberland Honor suggested at first
that there was a fire somewhere on the other side of the
river, and the lion stood out in all its ugliness against
a background 01 illuminated mist. In Parliament
street, the sky behind the houses looke i something
like the first gleam of dawn; while at intervals a
ray moved over-head like he tail of some huge cornet.
As this ray moved round, and fell upon the towers
of Westminster Abbey, it lit them up during
the moment of its passage like daylight,
bringing out all the architectural lines with beautiful
distinctness. At the Duke of York's Column the fixed
light threw a permanent shadow, but when the flash
came the whole column was lighted up, and the
shadows thrown by the neighbouring gas lamps were
obliterated. All along the Green-park railings in Pic-
cadilly the light showed very brightly; and in
front of Buckingham Palace it might be seen
beaming like a small Gun over the trees and
along the water. A number of persons had
assembled on the bridge over the Serpentine' in Hyde
Park; and at that distance, and through the haze
which hung over the water, the light was distinctly
visible, though dulled and reddened ,by the fog, rod
when the flaith came it blitzed out for an instant with
great brightness. There was some irreguhuity in the
flash, which, we were informed, WAS due to the fact, that
in the present temporary arrangements, the lenses, in-
stead of revolving by clockwork, are moved by hand.
But it was quite easy last night to hell-ye the states
meet of the inventor that from the lighthouses in
which his light is used, the Haire may be seen till it
dips below the horizon. It is stated that Professor
Tyndall has recommended its adoption in lighthouses;
and it is actually in use in seven lighthouses on the
Irish comet and at Haiaborough, on the coast of Norfolk.
The ft eine shown last night was n it at the full powtr
I of the invention. It hex fifteen (regress of intensity,
I and the light laat night had eleven of these degrees.

It is evident that its penetrative power is very great,
and, gn far, it ia well adapted for flee in our London
wmomphere.

The light is the invention of Mr. John R. Wighsm,
who is a member of the firm of Edmondson and Co.,
of L ndon and Dubin. It is induced by the corn
bustion of ordinsry gee, but unlike other method, of
producing a very brilliant was flame, it is a naked light
needing no chimney. A large iron pipe is brought
down to the top of The flame, and the oxygen of the
air is thus brought into immediate contact with the
incanrir scent carbon, which is usually imperfectly it-
sumed, and passes away in smoke, bet whirl by this re-
newed c ntact with the oxygen of the air is completely
burned, with an intensely white heat. This complete
combustion of the carbon gives the light its peculiar
whiteness and the great penetrating power which re-
sults from the fervency of the glow. The flash is, of
course, produced by passing a dioptric lens in front of
the light, and thus concentrating it into a single beam.
But one of the peculiarities of the system is that it corn.
blues a permanent light with a flash. There is nointerval
of even comparative darkness; at a great distance the
light is seen to intensify for an instant, but never dis-
appears or even weakens. Mr. Wigham proposes that,
if this light should be adopted, the lantern shall be so
constructed that it may be taken in by day, and only
pushed out through au opening at night, like a gun out
of a porthole. 'The light might also with advantage be
placed still higher up the tower. One merit we. evident
last night : therein no mistaking the eignal for anything
else. Its pillar-like shape and splencid flarl mark
it out at once, and make recognition easy wherever it
is visible. The inventor claims for this method of il-
lumination that it is cheap, and reeds but little
attention. We understand that an experiment is also
to be tried with the electric light, which will be ex-
hibited from the western face of the tower; so that
an opportunity may be given of comparing the two
by a simultaneous exhibition of their illuminating
powers.