Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-02-14
MISCELLANY.
BLUE GLASS,

A reporter of the Philadelphia But
'ctin claims 10 have had 4 recent in
terview with Gen. "A. y. Pleasanton,
of that city, relative to his discover
les in regard to sunlight. In the in
terview, Gen. Plcasanton remarked
that when he applied to the Patent
Office in Washington, i'll 1870, to OBJ
tain a patent for his discovery, the
Commissioner was so 10th to believe
in the principles involved, they being
contrary to preconceivcd opinions,
that he would not grant a patent I'm.
til the principles alleged had been
properly solved i ThcI Chief Conn
sent a representative to.
the farm of Gen. lleasanton, hear
the city, to investigate the subject
and,report thereon. He visited the
farm, where a grapery about eighty.
four feet long was subjected I'd the
suns rays passing through blue glass,
while one portion was exposed to the
vicissitudes of the atmosphere. Sew.
eral professors of different colleges
were present at the time, and it was
found that the leaves exposed to the
common rays of. the sun were of q
yellowish tint and from three to five
inches long, while those under the in
huence of the blue rays were, eight
and nine inches longsef a dark green
blue color, and velvety2t to the touch.
Specimens OF both kinds of leaves
were taken to Washington and pho
tographed, and the papers were inn
mediately granted. Gen. Pleasanton
said he did not care SO much for the
patent as the Identification of the dis
,covery. ..ua.,. sa,i. Ea15s4f. ,.g
Gen. Plcasanton further remarked
this morning that. he believed the dis
coverics in relation to the blue ray
would produce a change of thought
in relation to certain, theories in as
trOnomy, and said that, while tho
suns rays passing through the com
mon window glass did not impart hny
heat to the latter, yet. in case of the
blue glass the heat was quite, Marked
The experiment can easily Ike, titled
by, exposing. q. cpmmon window. ppne
and endea 4 blqes glass tai the faksiof, this
syn tbs, latter, wall, become ,,heatedl,
/ the othhI Will gqtainf itssGaldlcsR. q
spiTheiyalpe Of THIS fact is easiiy,Mhde
apparent, as it is asserted that rooms
can be heated. in this, manner. willis
out the use of artificial heat even in
the coolest weather. Gen. Pleasan-
ton said hG UHrGsSetl the temperattre
of a hotshonaa "a fEomii thirty -four de
grees't0 overoares hanared; and bN no
other means than l,sing thasufl's rhys
passed through,the, blaei glass. The
suns rays and the atmosphere are III
o negative electrical conditions, while
the glass being vitreous in positive
hence when. the rays strike the glass,
friction and electricity are evolved
and consequently heat and magnet.
ism, and the apartment into which
the rays enter is filled with an iclec
trical atmosphere. il 81 .dsealpftn "
In his. conversation to-day, Gen
Pleasanton also stated the results at
4 tanned by experimenting with til,
blue light upon the propagation D
animal and vegetable life, and main
tanned that a general use of the prin
ciples involved would largely in
creaseI the quantity and quality o
vegetable food, and thus lessen it
cost to. the people, He stated tina
from experiments made upon yariou
domestic animals it was proved tina
they could be rendered productive d
a much earlier, day than at present
and cited instances on his own farl
to verify the statement. 1t is sal
that chickens, ETC., raised where the
can be exposed TO the blue rays are 3
d better quality than raised elsewhere
Il An experiment" was tried recent
with a number of chicks Just matched
and it was found that when they wer
, exposed to the blue light they becam
garmtGntsa with IS, fSath " With b!
are required under ordinary circum
y stah nee !" Many '9thet.. exp'efimcn'