Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1850-05-23

Galvanism applied % AAsA1S e
Several interesting experiments have
recently been performed at st. Petersburg
by distinguished savant, showing the
application Of Galvanism to lighting the
streets. The first experiment on large
scale came off December 8, l849. The
three principal streets Of the city which
radiate in a s,raigh. line from the Admiral
ty tower were lighted from to 10 O'clock
in the evening. The light was placed in
the central gallery Of the tower, about
the high, Of a four story house, and was SO
bright that the eye could scarcely endure
j. for a second. Although the night was
perfectly clear, and the stars shining, the
rays could be seen sideways as they en-
anated from the light, like the rays OF the
sun through small hole in dark room.
The corner houses to the distance ofthree
or four hundred PAGES from the tower
were 50 illuminated that you could see
fly. The gas lights looked red and smoky,
while the electric light was dazz'ngIy
white. Seen from the street, the lumina-
ry looked about 6 inches in diameter, and
at distance appeared like hre-ball
thrown from bomb and floating in the
air. The light often changed its color,
and by turns became red, blue and yellow,
which made it more tolerable TO the eye.
Sometimes it would vanish for moment,
and then reappear with new brilliancy.-
In spite oe the ga.-light the shadow Of the
electric light could be clearly distinguish
ed at the distance Of about 500 PAGES, but
further off the ga. gained the precedence.
The battery which delivered the stream
is charcoal battery Of 1876 places, each
of which is one square foot and half in
surface the zinc cylinders are 10 inches
high. 10 inches in diameter, and with at
least one third inch thickness Of metal
A white cylindrical vessel OF size TO
CORES pond, made Of the finest porcelain,
stands within the cylinder, and serves as
a support to the coal which surrounds it.
As there was no room in the vicinity OF
the tower for the erection Of this mon
strous battery, it is put up in two large
halls Of the rear building. 1t is kept
heated day and night the heat and steam
of the acids thus becoming in'olerable.-
From the rear building wires are carried
over insulated posts, as in the telegraph
and run up the outside Of the tower
whence they come in contact with the coal
points, which are square rods one quarter
of an inch thick, and FIVE inches long, en-
, closed in brass boxes, and regulated as t
their distance from each other by screws
The coal burns to the length Of about hal
an inch beyond this glowing poin, larg'
lens is placed, which greatly increases th'
light. The change Of color is caused b.
the burning of the coal. when the tw'
poles do not touch, the light appearin,
s!as s,, @ sslIs-, = sssr.ss, :,
At the negative pole the Goals burn rapid
ly,and must be renewed almost every hal
!. hour this interrupts the light; and is. j
fact, the worst feature in the whole ex
pertinent. A more complete apparatus
now in erection, in which the Goals bur
= in vacuo, and are regulated by clock-wor
instead of by the hands. An enormou
> lantern is also placed on the tower.
The same galvanic light has been al
- piled at Dresden, to initiate the rising
> the sun in the representations Of Meyer
beers Prophet. The disk Of the sun
!. :, formed by paratolic concave mirror
about one foot in diameter, the coal po'n
burning in the focus. On account OF Il
:. dazzling briliancy Of the light thus pr
:. duced, It appears to be more suitable Il
e such uses even than for illuminating Il
8 s,reets.-[N. Y. Tribune.