The New York herald., 1869-06-02
VISION.


tlOn.
VISION.
-,~>>-S~-.-~>-,~~~>--~~~
Lecture I'm Philadelphia Last Night by Pro.
fess0r Henry Morton.
The HERALD published last year, about this time,
a report which was quoted IN many OF our own and
several English journals, Of lecture on sunlight"
delivered by Professor Henry Norton Resident Sec
retary Of the Franklin Institute, before that body at
the Academy Of Music, in Philadelphia. Another
lecture, by the same gentleman, and under the
same conditions Of place and circumstance, but on
the subject Of "vsion," delivered last evening,
and, like the former one was illustrated with ex-
periments Of unusual interest and impresslveness.
Professor Morton, though young man. already
holds q high place among our men OF science on ac-
count of several successful and ingenious nvesiga-
tions which he has carried out and is moreover one
Of our most successful lecturers, combining thor
ough knowledge Of his subject with happy facility
of conveying Information to his hearers and
marked ingenuity in the arrangement and execution
of experiments which at once illustrate his ex-
plantations and secures the interest OF his hearers.
At few minutes after eight O'Clock, the house
being densey crowded as ON former occasions, the
curtain rose and the Professor stepped forward
and began his lecture with an easy and grace
without mannerism He explained the structure Of
the hnman eve. or organ OF vision in its twofod
character o an Ug'G S a orn1ry class iens and
OF sensitive nerve sSAS rsaeiving and appreclat-
ing in many various ways e IN ,rs rays age as a@SsS Sv
the ordinary lens, little aquarium was piaced pe.
hind lens and illuminated M by powerful ann ,e ~ gnt n
mates was projected on the screen which covered
the front Of the stage for space forty feet SQUARE ~
nom thirty Lty fee. n,,I r. length .sy,ngs SWIM
Of onf she 'VUHs %aer clearly dencd was below and
fresh quantity poured ip was seen to stream up,
OF these creatures and their strange fotoka, ZEN.
dered the scene remarkable and amusing in the ex.
the audience, vino insisted upon having the aqua
rum returned to the lantern after IL had been re-
The reason that this inversion did not AFFECT our
sense OF vision was then explained, on ihe ground
that the nerves Of the retna took cognzanee OF the
direction Of the mpinging rays, and that this body
was In fact the seat OF vision, the standpoint from
| winch the observation was made, and not a mere
| screen on which an image was projected and then
the sensitiveness Of the eye to faint impressions
of light was then discussed and In connection with
this Subject was explained the method OF Lockyer
| ana Jansen, by which the solar CLOUDS or names
% seen 'oai hs nr Of fnS NE su
ject was Illustrated by drawings and photographs OF
total ecpses, taken 10 1860 BY De Ia Rue and last
wear BY Dr. Voge projected on the screen. The IAN
tern Is now frequently used for such purposes; but
we have never seen pictures projected of such vast
| used throughout this lecture
The method by which the eye judges as to the dts
tance of objects was then explained, and the very
limited range OF its capacity IN this respect was IL
| lustrated by the phantasmagoria, III which images
always in the same place are re made 70 approach % an
| rancement has been exhibited before, but never, we
| imagine on 30 grand scale or with such remark,
| able success The entire space OF the stage seemed
to be occupied by vast tunnel from the Iar depths
| OF which a locomotive advanced with steady rush,
towering up to gigantic size. until, when some TWEEN
| ty.five feet high and about to plunge into the
orchestra, whistle sounded and tunnel, locomotive
and all melted away into ocean grotto OF the sea
nymphs From the depths OF vast cavern adj
| vanced grisly skeleton, who just when he seemed
foctia. Sd L. wave waved his arms, nodded and turning
| round, sped back into his dreary tomb. Angels n.y.
ing forward from cluster OF stars statues advanc-
galleries. and vast coored balls that rolled and
unrolled their intricate convolutions further Illus
There was next introduced, In further demonstra-
| ton, the shadow pantomime," which itIwould re-
Qulre more space than s allotted to this report TO
describe, but which we can honestly say fully de:
| served the enthusiastic applause which II received
one OF the happiest hits was the Matching OF eggs
by gunpowder, and the vast and rapid growth OF the
ne indurcnse of his audience for any compromise
| OF scientific soemnity and formal precedent which
this illustration might involve ana we ,eel sure ina,
hs venturing from the beaten path In this partcu-
lar We, for our part shall never forget the at once
astonishing and ludicrous effects produced nor the
| principles which they illustrate. The immense size
OF the stage In this building offered for sucn arrange
| ments unparalleled advantages.
The subject Of persistence OF vision was then Illus
rated first by large discs six feet In diameter with
devices OF balls rings, &C, painted upon them, and
rotated, while they were illuminated by rapidly recur
ring flashes Of light. All the erect OF the best
zoetrope was thus displayed 10 the immense audience
with far greater cearness than IN the ordinary
instrument for there was no seeming interruption TO
the yiew The great discs stood directly before the
| house, and were directly viewed with no intervening
object. The same subject was also illus
| traied by several electric wncels, which
| were decidedly the most beautiful things
we had ever seen One appeared 10 be q great star,
nasning countless and ever changing colored rays,
| another was an immense wreath OF scintillating
luminous Jewels No words can convey an idea OF
the beauty OF these things for nothing that has
| seen makes any approach TO them IN their curious
combination Indicated not expressed, by the words
| luminous jewels.
The phenomenon OF subjective colors was then
Illustrated by an arrangement In which one and the
came light was made TO appear OF every color, while
| actually unchanged. This subject concluded the
lecfure which nnx he rccknnnd a fhnronnh succesa-