The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1894-09-29
SCIENTIFIC MATTERS.
iTNF0RMATION CONCERNING THE
USEFUL. ARTS.
FT0 .Use Artificiai Light scientifically
-Detecttng Electric oscillations
Protection Against Lightning.

we hAOW, dAtcI NIAs very AAeeAC "a aAC
science Of lighting. We are accustomed
to believe that In the illumination of
any given apartment or space, all we
have to. do Is ito secure more light and
plenty of 1t. There Is q certain fas-
| cination about brilliant points or lines
of hight, which ,captivate the eye, AID
in striving to produce them we have
been ignoring the first principle which
| should guide US lin the development Of
artistic, effects in lighting, namely, that
while a proper and sufficient illumina-
ton Is thrown upon the surfaces to be
illuminated, the source of light must be
itself, $50 far as possible, concealed.
DIR. j.. A. Fleming has treated this sub
ject very fully lin discussing the decor
atives use, of. glow lamps. He says, and
truly, that the eye has hitherto been
brutally treated, End the lighting of
the future must be not only ample but
kindly. When we enter q o in
which there are q number Of bright
lights, such, for instance, as q room
in which incandescent lamps are being
employed, the ilaments of which can
be seen, the moment that the eye is
turned upon these bright lines Of light,
muscular contraction of the pupils sets
in. and on turning the eye again to
other less illuminated surfaces, the
'retina' OF the eye does not receive SUI
fcient light'tot observe details. In COM
mon language, the eye Is daZzled, and
the, excess, OF light actually has the ef-
feet Of impairing the powers of vision.
Some eyes r especially sensitive In
this respect. If the lamp globes are
made, of frosted glass, or in other way
protected 50 that the image Of the
lamp filament, cannot be directly thrown
upon. the retina, the actual visual effect
may be increased in spite of the fact
that such frosted globes or screens
II ay cut Off from 80 to SO per cent of
the light. AS DR.. Fleming shows, this
is a common experience with every
hcdy who tries to read in ! neigh
borhccd Of a brilliant incandescent
lamp. We cover the globe with tissue
paper or ground glass or a porcelain
shade, and although we thereby d.
minish the light, we see better and
more comfortably. This commonly
adopted plan, however, Of cutting off
q large proportional light by a semi
opaque globe, is both illogical and waste
full, because there can be NJ object in
making light merely to absorb it. DR..
Fleming;s idea of the proper method
of placing the 'incandesce1t lamp is
that no light from the filament shall
directly enter the eye; but that all
the light thrown off from the filament
shall be reflected to the eye from the
objects to be seen, such as the walls
and the various features Of the room.
Bare or uncovered lamps, especially
III suspended half way down a room,
or on a level with. OR a little above
the eye, are q crude and offensive
method Of illumination. The best, and
the only legitimate effects are pro-
,duced by observing the guiding princi-
,ple Of so placing the lamps that the
whole of the light emitted from them
reaches the eye only after reflection
from surrounding surfaces. This can
be insured in a variety OF ways. The
lamps may be placed in shades, which
throw the light upwards upon the cell
ing or upon the walls, from which,
it is reflected down upon the room.
This is now a favortte plan OF lighting
large workshops, where the arc light
ia used. I~ncandescent lamps can be
protected in groups'or lines by metallic
or other ornamental shields, and a nat
,ural shell, properly supported, forms an
effective screen. The white, peariy
interior of the shell acts as a rejecting
surface, and it's light rtranslucency gives
a toned and diffused light which Is very
DIeaSing.