Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-02-02
DAILY EVENING STAR.
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE,

ming, DR.. Smith gave another of his course of
lectures on Chemistry the theatre of the above
named Institution being crowded with a verv
large number of persons, many who had come
being compelled to leave for want of room. The
subject OF the lecture was 90 illumination ,,
which the lee urer handled in a very mastery
msnner' The theory Of flame being explained
and its rationale developed
Flame consisted of three separate parts or
layers or circles, in the inner one there was
no combustion in tie second, partial combus-
ton and the third or outer one consisted mainly
ci hydrogen gas. This was instanced by the
flame of a candle, the heat of which caused the
tallow to melt, and the-tallow being melted
entered into the pores Of the wick, as If it were
retort, and became deeomposed, yielding
caTburetted HYDROGEN. This latter was the
fuel that fed the light --a
The many good qualities of carbon were point
e1out, which is the chief promoter Of heat and
light, aud lis properties compared with other
laEammable substances, such as phosphorus
potassium, &c. 1t vas laid down as a funda-
mental principle that all illumination is owing
to the comtustit n of Q solid. Hydrogen gas
WAS cited as an instance, which, when lighted
gave very lite luminatioD, but by intr,du
cling piece Of wire, it gave some light. its
illuminating properties being increased II
was this fast, that gave to carbon its value a.
ar agent of illumination. =
After enlsrgiEg upon the above PRINCIPLES,
which the lecturer illustrated by great num-
berof minute and ingenious experiments. he
passed on to discussion of their practical
application. The history of artificial lsht
was sketehed from the earliest pcrioi, and
piece OF the common pine wood cited as the
original lamp, such as is still used in the
primitive parts OF our country; for a, the lee
turer observed, we have all the stages of civil
ization from perfection down to the nominal
state. The stearine can lie was then mentioned
and the obligations that the manufacturer
owes to the chemist in its fabrication des-
cribed. The common tallow candle, the lee
turer observed was not adap.e to hot climates.
the idea, therefore, of using only the solid
part of the tallow, which is the stearine. was
due to the scientific inquirer. In this state.
however, the candle was crystalline so that
the slightest blow would break it, and a rsm-
edy tor this defect was found by mixing with
the stearine small quantity of arsenic The
poisonous qualities of this mineral were OBJ
Jeclonable, and it was discovered by chem
istry, tina. a small quantity of wax mixed with
the stearine would answer the same purpose.
ihe plated wick Of this description of candle
was used because it unplaited as it became
burnt, and falling 9tf; prevented the disagreed
bieness Of long wick, as is seen in tallow
candles.
Illuminating gas. or carburetted hydrogen,
was then treated upon, and its manufacture
ILLUSTRATED by means of diagram, which the
lecturer explained The most desirable forms
OF the jet for gas pipe were afterwards de
sofieed; the most common burners used were
OF the kind usually known As the Bats wing
the flsh-tall, and the Argand The econoIiy
OF employing only small number of burners
Tor any determined quantity of gas was shown
this was lnstanced at a church in Cincinnati,
where only one burner was EMPLOYED to iIIu
inmate the whole building
Ibe lecture concluded with an exhibition of
the flame produced by the oxy-hydrogcn blow
pipe, which is commonly known as the Drum
moDc light and the electric light This latter
was produced by means of a ga.yapic battery
the wires of wAh were brought into close
proximity, the ends being furnished with car
bon points. The light was produced by the
combustion of this last named substance For
many years after the introduction of this Ii ght.
1T was necessary to have an attendant to regu-
late the distance of the carbon points, but by
recent invention, the battery is made to reg
ulate these points of its own accord and thus
maintain regular and steady light
At the conclusion of the lecture as the aud
renee were leaving, DR.. Smith exhibited both
these lights alternately, so that q comparison
might be formed of their relative briliancy:
the electric light being visible to a great dis
lance, as il shone through the window of the
theatre, Illuminating all that p ,rt of the city.
public meeting on the above subject was
held In Alexandria last Friday, at which the
Mayor OF the city presided; the object being to
take the senses of the citizens of Alexandria
with regard to the two rival projects One
plan being to make a branch of the Alexandria
Loudon, and Hampshire Railroad and the
otner for an Independent Road The principle
speakers on the two sides were MIR. FowIe and
Mr.. Funston, Mr.. Fowle in favor Of the hide
pendent Road and Mr.. Funston in favor of the
other plan. The scheme of an Independent
Road appeared from the meeting to be most
popular IN Alexandria, the projectors OF this
plan contending that 1t would benefit their city,
oy throwing the whole management of the line
into their hands, whereas by making it n
branch OF the Alexandria, Lpudon, and Hamp-
shire Railroad, the railroad would be under
the control Of Washington City.
MI Fowle said: When he went to Richmond
ne found bill pending authorizing Washing
ton City to subs ribe $500, 600 for the construc-
ton Of this road, as branch of the AIexan
dria, Loudon, aad Hampshire Road, !. on such
terms as might be agreed on wi h the Dire
tors OF that company. But for him that bill
would now have been a law and he had right
to believe that the - terms intended weIo
Washington City control of the branch
substitute, however, had now been introduced
excluding such control. FEF.sf
The bill for the Independent Road which he
had caused to be introduced in the Legislature
empowered Alexandria to subscribe in her
corporate capacity. But it was not expec ted tn
call upon he. lie had no idea that it would
be necessary. In four months the stock would
all be taken by individuals. The provision was
only protective in its design.
ELIZA LOGAN, AT THE VARIETE, again de-
lighted another full and very fashionable
audience lasi evening, among them being
scores of the most distinguished men now in
public life. Miss Logan bore herself through
out the entire representation of both her trying
and arduous characters-Mrs. Halter ami
Julia-as though conscious that she was unde:
the eyes of able critics, indeed. Her reaiing
therefore, evidenced remarkable care, being
more nearly faultless than that of any Other
actress now on the American stage. In her
imprisoned scenes she threw all the power
and pathos Of her wonderful electric nature,
playing with the susceptibilites of the
understanding, directing, and completely
controlling them, most astoundingly. She is
evidently indebted for this faculty which SIZE
possesses to so markable a degree, to the
apparent entire absence of art from her school
nature so pervading her representations, as
almost to cheat the audience into the Inomen-
tary belief that reality, rather than the stage is
before them. She was again we'll sustained on
this occasion, capitaily. Robinsoa's Jacques
was great feature of the evenings entertsin-
ment. Every successive representation n this