The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1879-05-15
THE ELECTRIC LIGHT.
A Brilliant Scene Under CaHvas-Saue
Facts boat the Wonderful Machine.

The electric light at Cooper & Bailey's
circus has proved wonderful thing. On
night, when the people entered
the first menRgeTie tent, it was as light
as midday, and q mans shadow reflected
on the ground Was as clean and clear-cut
as if it were done in silhouette, Hold
ing up the hands, psntomime fashion,
every curve and motion of the fingers
could be seen with the distinctness and /
clearness of an illuminated picture. |
Above the head burned what seemed to |
be two balls of fire, without any fame |
or smoke, and of such dazzling briiliancy /
that the naked eye could hardly stand |
the glare for an instant. A million |
little needles Of variegated light seemed |
to be perpetualIy shooting out from the |
body of the fire, giving each the appear
ance of a small chestnut burr. Looking |
at the light through smoked glass they |
took on an entirely different appearance. |
The little needles were not there, and
the eyes saw simply a round ball of
white fire, about the size OF small
marble, seeming, in its Whiteness and
the intensity OF its heat, like a drop of
molten metal. Two of these small lights
burned there, rugged on the poles, about
thirty feet apart, in the large menagerie
tent, lighting up the place in such way
that colOrs in cloth or anything else
could be distinguished as completely as
by the light of day. Passing on to the
next menagerie tent, the same sight was
presented. Here two electric lights pro-
duced the same effect as in the first tent.
The brightness was wonderful. No
moonlight ever sent out teLth part of
such brilliancy. 80 completely were
the tents illuminated that from the out.
side could be plainly seen on the white
canvas the shadow of the animals and
wagons, and even of the men walking
about inside.
| But the great scene was in the circus
| tent. It is large enough almost to con-
tain both the menagerie tents. Here
/ were six electric lights. There were also
some gasbghts The gas must have
been there for the sake of the contrast.
| The difference was remarkable. The
electric lights were of the purest and
softest white; the gas>light, though
burning at a full head, seemed faded and
yellow. Although the electric lights in
this tent had globes on. as the naked
glare of them all must have almost
blinded the audience, every nook and
corner of the immense tent was as brig ut
as day. An idea of the power of single
light of this kind-which Is said to be
the largest electric light nlade-may be
gained when it is known that when all
lowed to burn without a globe it will
make shadow out of 8 gasrlight
There was great curiosity and no little
anxiety among the circus people and
electric light men to see the thing work.
The intention was to have it, if possible,
in operation on the opening night, Mon
day last, but when the time came it was
| -,1LE - =
four experienced men were sent on by
the Telegraph Supply company, of Cleve-
land, the manufacturers of the machine
to get it in order. On Friday night
everything WAS in readiness, and the
machine was put into operation. This
is the first time the electric light has
been used under canvas, and its success
has been a great card to the manutac.
tureTs as well as to the circus managers
The latter have bought the exclusive
right to use it under canvas. The COST
OF the machine alone was $4,000. It is
the largest machine of the kind made
, 1t is known as the Brush dynamoeeIec-
trio light, Charles Blush being the In
, Ventor.
Anyone who understands ANYTHING
about telegrRphy will be able to form an
: idea of the way in which the machine i
run. There is a regular battery, worked
, by thirty horse power engine, with s
foTty'horse power boiler. This engine
has been built expressly for this electric
| light by the FitchbUrg Engine company
of FitchbuTg, Mass, and is constructed
on wagon, occupying one end, while
the battery occupies another. The bat
terry seems simple in its construction
, but all powerful in its effects.
. g Have apvr of Won oscv% vgoFoI.e
in your pockets !" asked one of the
electric light men on Saturday night
J as a party gathered round the wagon
/ where the engine was putting away, to
| examine the battery.
J One voice answered in the affirmative
} Stand back, then" said the electric
, light man; "don't come within two
feet of this battery, If you don't want
your watch spoiled"
4" What ?"
T "It will magnetic all the steel il
, your watch, draw the springs toward
t any steel screw it may have. It's the
2 attraction of the magnetism. I've had
two watches spoiled in that way"
All this time a revolving shaft be,
. tween four blocks of steel was whirliDe
with lightning rapidity. The fouI
8 blocks of steel and the revolving shaft
: were the all>powerful elements in pro
ducing the electric light. These five
} simple things, with one or two Other
5 simple things in the way of copper plate
, and wire, were producing such tre'
/ mendous current of electricity that, IL
3 the words of one of the electric light
; men, eff you were to stand ten miles
off and touch that revolving shaft-ol
8 commutator-With a piece of electric
t wire, the wire would burn up like 8
! fash"
/ "Touch that copper plate" said the
electric man, pointing to a harmless
piece of copper on the edge of the Wagon
J near the whirling shaft One of tbs
+ party did so, and jumped back, jerking
his arm away as if he had been shot.
D The four blocks Of steel are the mag
2 nets. They are oval in shape and GOV
t cred with copper wire, coiled tightly
! around them. The commutator reVolv
/ ing between them is what generates thu
g electricity. It is run by q belt connee
q ing its one end with the beItWheel of the
? engine. 1t makes $50 revolutions
g minute, snd with every revolution tht
e current of electricity travels once around
! the circuit, or, In other words, around
g the wire which connects the electri,
g lights in the tents with each other. anC
finally comes back to the battery. Tx
' principle is that OF telegrsphy. Twenty
eight hundred feet of insulated cable
wire does the work, This is sufficien
to conduct the electric fluid through the
three large tents and half a dozen
smaller ones and back agsin to the bat
J terry. At intervals on this circuit are
/ the electric lights.
A 10 oil "a 4 81 -