St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-09
WORKING STAGE LIGHTS.
How Incandescent Lamps Of Taeater
Operate.
HANDLING THE "GAS PLOT"
Every Flight Occurrences Which People
See But Do Not Compye-
bend.

You nave often wondered, no DOUBT,
| as you sat in your seat at the Grand OF
Peoples, how the electric lamps on the
| stage and in the body of the theater
were controlled. They always go out
just at the right moment, when the vii
lain enters to carry away the sleeping
| girl, and bur It into view again, like the
| sun coming from behind cloud, when
right and justice triumphs and vice and
crime are punished. But as long as the
lights were worked properly, it is not
probable that you troubled yourself
| greatly over the matter of how they we're
| worked. 1t is an interesting study. all
the same, and well worth description.
| The plant, consisting of big dynamo
| driven by steam, is situated in base
ment some $50 feet away from the the
alter building. From the power gener-
ator electric wires run to the theater
and enter huge boX-like structure just
at the right of the stage as you face the
| audience. In this box, as it may be
called, are all the switches, regulators,
keys, wires and the like, and to an un-
though things were thrown in promiS-
cuouSly. At the top of the box are a
number of
REGULAR ELECTRIC SWITCHES,
each having big lever. Running from
| these switches are wires, wire from
each switch furnishing the electricity
for one circuit of lamps. For instance,
the box lamps are all on one circuit, the
foot lamps ON another, the balcony
lamps on another, and so ON. By turn
ing all these switches the power is let
on to every circuit, and every lamp in
the circuit shines forth bright and
dazzling. Any one can be shut off at
the pleasure of the operator, who sits in
front of the light box with 'gas plot"
as it is called, before him. This .'gas
plot' shows him what lights are wanted
during the play, and Just how much
light must be given.
Below the switches connecting with
the various circuits are the same num-
Der of 'regulators' as there are
switches. These regulators are all
marked, say ''footlights," balcony"
''boxes," "bunch lights,'' etc. Each
one of the regulators corresponds with
the switch above it, and is used in con-
nection with it. Suppose that one
scene in the play demands that all the
light In the theater, except those in the
gallery, be eXtiEguished, and those be
burned very low. the operator simply
turns all the switches except the one
connecting the gallery circuit, and cuts
Off the power from the other circuits.
ones burning. and those he desires to
burn only at half force. He drops his
hand to the regulator" marked "gal-
lery lamps and turns the lever until
nearly all the poWeris shut off from that
circuit, just enough remaining
to keep the lamps burning
a trifie. By means of key,
which drops into a slot, the ''regu-
lator" is fixed so as to remain station
airy as long as desired. By pulling the
regulator" back to its original place
the circuit is thrown completely open
again, and the lamps burn brightly
again. The same plan is pursued in
regard to every circuit in the theater.
But what becomes of the power when
the electric current is thrown off, and
the lamps are extinguished? This is an
important question, for any one at all
familiar with electricity knows that
were not the current disposed of in
some way all the circuits would soon be
burned out. But this has all been pro-
vided for, and in the basement, directly
under the Light" box, is
A BIG RHEOSTAT BOX.
or rheostat coil, speaking more prop
erly. The ground wire from each cir
cult runs down to this rheostat coil, and
into the coil all the current is turned
while the lamps are not burning. This
rheostat coil consists of thirteen frames,
with two wooden posts, heavily
wrapped in mineral wool, or some
other non-combustible material, in each
frame. Each post is wound. at stated
distances. with heavy iron wire, and
in these wires the surplus electrity is
stored, or held in reserve. The current
is transferred from the circuits into
this rheostat coil by turning switches,
and once the switch is turned, it can
not get back into place again unless the
operator puts it back. Of course, the
variouss switches and regulators are
handled with the utmost care, not be-
cause there is any great danger in
handling them, but because there is al
ways a possibility of danger. Each
circuit has safety wire attached, and
should by any means the current be
thrown on when the lamps are shut Off
by the regulator the safety coil would
be burned out instead of the lamps on
that circuit.
Following is copy of the ''gas plot''
of ''Harbor Lights" No matter what
the play, the light operator always has
similar plot before him as he sits as the
light box, and by it he gauges his lights.
By this it will be seen that the operator
does not have particularly soft thing"
during play which requires much
shifting of the lights. He must keep
his eyes open and not lose his head,
for the trning of wrong switch OF the
non-turning of a 'regulatior'' might
spoil the whole effect:
HARBOR LIGHTS GAS PLOT.
Act I.-Scene l: Borders full up IN 5 ;foots
up full; bunch lights, 7 g. / 2 and 3; ground
rows y stage at back of Waters, each row
feet higher than the others.
Act II.-Scene l: Borders full 1 and 2;
borders full down 8, 4 ana 81 foots up full;
LIGHTS ALL DOWN QUICKLY FOR
CHANGE. Scene 2: Borders three-fourths
down up 10 5; foots three fourths up.
Act III.-Scene /: Borders all up to 5;
foots full up; punches, II 2, 8 and 4, l. and
B; ground row 6 feet from Stage in 5. Scene
2: Foots up; border full up in 1 LIGHTS
ALL DOWN FOR CHANGE. Scene 8:
Borders full up to 5; foots full up.
Act IV.-Scene l: Foots full up; borders
half up in l and 9; LIGHTS ALL DOWN
FOR CHANGE. Scene 2: Foots half
up: borders all down to 5: LIGHTS ALL
DOWN FOR CHANGE. Scene 5: Foots
fourth up; borders up little; LIGHTS
DOWN FOR CHANGE. Scene 4: Work up
Green Foots slowly when Sea Cloth IN mo- |
ton.
Act V.-Scene /: Borders down; Green |
Foots to change to White at Cue: White |
slowli up during Scene till full up at cue; |
WORK REVOLVING LIGHT. |
-