The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1881-10-18
LUMINOUS PAINT.
Striking Effects Produced in the
Dark Illuminated Clock
Faces.
New YORK Mail.

=
discovered Il process by which a Dho>phnr
'--ccnt powder could he incorporated will
oil ~ IL to produce paint. which. an
/. Piled To- various substances. would r.uI'.
them not only visible i'm the dark. nm
cause them 1" emit a considerable amouu
~ dirlIi>cd light \ paint oi thi, dis
crIptipn has been Tor >O.Ie time nIanuiac
turr't by well known paint house here
AMI IL ha, been applied To- several r>cir
purpS - IL Is not - we'll adapted I,
general Use IN - great u variety of form,
- II wa~ III first expected. Ii l. believed
however. that improvements can be- mad,
ON IT. composition amt application which
VIII make II Of great value. \ repcrtc;
called III the uilicc oi the house I'm ,ucS-
ton IN order 10 investigate the matter =,
lar - possible, AMI was shown a number oI
interesting experiments with the luminou,
paint. y perfectly dark room ha, been
made III the building for the purpo~e oirx-
hIbitIng the peculiar effects Produced bv
the paint In the ceiling of this room
are trap doors AMI various appliance, for
the better display Of practical tests.
The gentleman In charge Of this de
Partmcnt. after first explaining that the
of this paint was Il secret.
gave u description of the method oi ap-
rl:cttIGn AMI oi the theory Of It's diffusion
al light IL follows
The powder, which i the basis Of the
pigment. IN. v be- m. xed either i'm oil or i'm
di>-c:Hicr. IL l. prepared in the latter
form l"r application to the walls Of rooms.
plaster, bu>t| or statues etc Ii NAV b,.
applied when mixed with oil. To- wood,
>:onc, iron ~ any ordinary substance. The
object painted with il l. first given a coat
III Il chemical mixture which retains the
phO>phur,>c,'nt qualities ii the luminou,
paint "i which three or tour coats are then
applied. B.fore commencing To- ditIu,e
light the paint must he exposed To sum
light for few moments The principal
upon whel II Is SUPPOSED To act : this
Inc solar - are SUPPOSED To- di~intcsrate
or disturb more or less. according to The
time Tor which it Is exposed. the lnolccule,
oi the interior surface. which gives of al
once RAYS OF light. When il j. taken into
the dark the surface gradually returns To-
It's normal condition: hence III. lighC
dimini>he> during the night. becoming
fainter AMI fainter, though still per
cvptiblc just before daylight.
The first experiment wa the lowering
81 large canvas, stretched ON a framework
ana covered with the luminous paint.
through hatchwav i'm the ceiling down
into the perfectly dark room. which i, im-
mediatcly filled with peculiar pIrpli,h
light. VI tirSt sight the impression Given
was Il peculiarly wierI and gha>tlv one.
but H. the exc became accustomed To- it. il
became even agreeable.
The large pane of glass was placed i'm
the hatChway. and covered 80 Al To- exclude
all natural light. This threw down RAYS
III light BY which the walls of the room
ami the various articles i'm it were family
Indicated. Then the hatchwav WAS re.
moved ana the light allowed To enter
through the glass. Bv this means tine
room was almost brilliantly lighted a.
the paint j. remarkable conductor of
natural light, cr rather the light IVA, the
effect Oi exhibiting continually the piioS-
phore>cence of the paint
Next Il plaster bust illuminated Nv the
WAS takeu into the light ior Il
moment and brought into the Room. The
outline was very distinct. and there were
very natural shadows beneath the chin of
the head AMI near the principal features.
which gave II almost the appearance OF
life. Then /: WI, exposed to the light /.
again Tor longer time. and upon all sides /.
equally. After this Its appearance in the |,
lark was remarkably vivid. AMI the head
stood out in bold relief, like that ri fine
cameo. while nothing else In the room
ruuld IL seen.
The effect III such an apperition upon
burglar. or upon Il stranger unaccu>tomed
To- anything of the kind, coming upon q
bust Ur statue treated in this way i'm
lark Room, would be horriiying. The >pir-
ituaiist> might Use the paint in their in
vacations and naturalization OF departed
spirits, in highly startling man.
nrr. Next u small elevator COW
rred with sliding box was lowered into I
the room, aEd a group of >tatuary nearly
III life size was cxpoSrd to view. The sur
lace exposed was 50 large. however. that
the i"rm WAS less clearly defined than that
Ut the bust. ON account of the light dirius- 7
rd through the apartment
IL has been suggested that the paint be |.
used on posts along the sides nj roads; on
Lille ami moving buoyS, and in the interior
If powder magazines, cOlIieric>. or wher- I.
ever ii l. unsafe to carry an ordinary
light For out-oi-door uses. however. the /,
reporter was informed that IL was of no
great value. a the diffusion OF light Is 81 |
general, even at night, except on rare oc-
ri>IOns, that the paint would have no ef- !
ieCt. For domestic use il NAV be applied !
io number of small articles with con-
venient results. For match safes it Is |
useful, a, indicating the precise location. |
Watch faces painted with it enable the |
searer to SEE the time in the dark. In I
'ick rooms ii might be used with advant- /
iSe from above, Il in the second expert /
nent mentioned. Ii is actually being /
employed in pilot houses to illuminate the /
and in the steamers Bristol and /
Providence to show the indicator, which .
gives the position OF the helm. When /
used in the pilot house in this way, to the !
- LII, hat