The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-10-03
Will Be Rivaled by the Brilliancy
OF Electric Lighting at
Chicago.
The Edison Float Will Be an En-
during Dream OF White
Light.
To Represent tho Genius Of Edison Com
trolling the Hydra of Electricity
Magnificent Rejects.

TGV-AHEN MADISON QUAhE dAH-
A1N4, den, ablaze with electric lights
CvSxD looked resplendent in the most
dazzling and brilliant of unique designs.
there were those who believed that . oil
max had been reached in the ornamental
ends Of inoandssesnt lighting.
The displays at the Actors Fund fair GER
tainly surpassed those Of the Lenox iyosum.
but it remains for the marvellous outdoor
effects of the Columbian celebrations in
New York, 81. Louis and Chicago to make
memorable the year and the csntury's
greatest achievement.
1t is TO New York the nation will look for
an electric climax. and il will certainly not
be disappointed. for the splendor OF the
Edison loaf will be without parallel. l
have caught a glimpse of IL. a glimpse OF a
thing so rare, 80 rich, 10 fanciful that 1t
seems almost like a dream, like the irnagin-
inRs of q god run riot.
Capt. Alfred Thompson. the designer.
calls il 1.-THE Genius of Edison controlling
the Hydra of Electricity" 1t was drawn
with no definite end in view almost a year
ago. and when ii was first suggested that
the design could be effectually brought
out" even the experts in the Edison COM
pany smiled and said. "Impossible!' Then
a few slight notifications were made and
the project began to take shape. II was
Capt. ThOmpson's idea TO have motor
attachments so arranged that the great
dragons would appear to be drawing the
heavy float. But the granite pavemsnts Of
New York put that part Of the idea ont Of
the question, and so the usual Qayly cepar-
isoned horses will do the motor" act. As
1t will weigh seven or eight tons the horses
will number sixteen. each with it's electric
torch bearer.
Blu a test had to be made, and 30 q 1oat
was constructed on the general plan of the
Thompson design, the lights were attached
and about q dozen people saw the first il
Elimination in q dingy storage room down
town. And it was a success. So the work
went merrily on. Then il was found that
there was no wagon strong and large
and some one suggested getting Big
Tom" of Paterson. the only available
truck in the vicinity. This also was an
easy matter, and nothing now stands Ia
tho way of fair Dame Genius and her CON
Quered dragons.
Four thousand globes will light the great
design, every line of every form on the
float being brought out pnrely by oolored
globe light effects. Forked lightning will
play startlingly along the course Of the
great dragons. These are four in number,
all held in check by a winged Minetva-like
figure. The genius hold a wand Of light in
her hand and rests on a cloud, under which
two idyllic figures hold the picture of Edi-
son. Back Of his rests q massive sphere
filled with myriads of incandeseent globes
and resting on a group of mythical figures.
Beneath circle the genii of commerce.. agri-
c,lkpra urt alto Rack of thiq md M tho
end of the float, f~air-fgured Fames trumpet
the great naua to the world. while q circle
of great electric lighted phonograp h tubes
are ready to herald the work that is yet to
come. The electric globes circle through
every part of the wheels and great beads OF
light will hang from all its sides.
But even the white and the colored GEN
tlemen who made glorious the pageant of
Ell Dorado will be electrified for the ocoa-
sion. They will wear armor, underneath
which and cut from which globes will illu-
inmate the sides of all the floats. In every
case these necessary human adiuncts will
be attached by wire to the floats.
But the street illumination and the five
arch designs will be resplendent with cleo
trio lights and the work everywhere is pro-
Guessing finely.
The west ia, however, the frat in the field
With it's marvels and St. Louis is just now
wondering if it is possible to do still better.
The great pieces in st. Louis include a
representation of the caravel Santa Maria
stretched across two great pediments on
which the words America and Spain"
stand out in livid letters. The masts of the
ship and its complete outlines are fixed by
dots of light, while varicolored electric
globes bring out the wordH "Santa Maria"
underneath. Then there ia a fine painting
of Columbus, illuminated by electric lights
in unique effects.
Perhaps the most impressive sight is the
great globe, weighing 10000 pounds. and
with a diameter of twenty-five feet, sus-
pended between she great buildings at the
corner of Broadway and Olive st eet. Two
sets of electric motors revolve the globe on
its axis and control switches giving varied
effects in turning lights on and off. The
globe is a representation of the earth, the
continents and islands being shown by
banks of incandeacent lamps, and the water
by a dark background. Three Thousand in
candescent lights are used to produce the
effects.
One of the unique effects to be produ ced
during the New York festivities in October
@ill be that at Madison square, and which
during the summer has been utilized for
advertising purposes | am told that it
will be changed to contain a number of in
teresting facts connected with tho celebra-
ton. But iss arrangement is worth moro
than a passing notice. The great sign CON
sists of letters of galvanized iron, on the
face of which are apertures which give
place for the lamps. Seven circuits are
used, and in the first line there are 302
frosted white lamps. The letters are six
feet high. In the second line 225 red lamps
are used on letters three feet high. In all
1,4b7 lamps are used. and the switching
producing suoh magnificent effects IL in
control OF an operator in an ad build
ing.
incidentally il might be interesting to re-
fer to one of the marvels of effective cleo
trio lighting produced this fall in Cleye-
land. From the skylight of the Arcade
building six Brush lamps, each of 1000
candle power, are suspended. Along a rail
ing in front of the first gallery are finely
wrought iron standards supporting large
coloted glass shades inside of which are the
small bulbs of incandescent lamps. Over
the top gallery these lamps are suspended
from tho mouths of ions and tigers. whose
bronze heads are placed at the ends OF the
iron Orders supporting the skylights. and
rows of lamps follow the iron arches, above
the arch lamps, presenting the appearance
of stars afRr off.
At the Worlds fair the preparations for
wonderful effects in electric lighting are
we'll under way and the building set apart
for electric displays will be resplendent in
designs and colorinRs. The work of light
ing the administration binding has finally
been approved. On the ground floor eight
stands will be set up, each about eighteen
feet high and carrying fifty ineandescent
lamps. In each of the four entrances to the
building will be two clusters of twenty-hve
lights. Within, at the level Of the mezzan-
-