The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-19
THE ORIGIN OF LAMPS.
Primitive Methods Of Making and
Using Artificial Light.

Exhibit at the National museum
Curious and Artistic Forms of An
cient Light vessels-The Torch of
the Indian.
From the Washington Star.
The evolution and development Of
artificial light" is new object lesson for
the national museum. OF all the myriads
of new exhibits which have continued to
pour into Uncle Sans curiosity shop
since the removal of his great exhibit
from Chicago there is no group Of objects
which more thoroughly inpresses the
common beholder than this new
creation which Mr.. Walter Hough,
the assistant curator Of the department
of ethnology, has but just Low COM
pleted, after many days Of study and
toll. In the east hall, among the vari-
Gus tableauX showing the rise of man,
this new collection occupies several cases
on the main aisle. For many years Mr.
Hough has made careful study of the
interesting subject, having collected many
relics in its line during his travels in the
old continent, but not until the confusion
OF the recent reorganization had passed
DID opportunity appear when he could
get together in series the many torches,
various departments and combine them
with the new acquisitions.
In the long series which has led up to
our present lighting systems America APP
pears at both ends of the string Just as
The American arc light is the highest
conception OF the daylight maker, the
torch of the Indian has been found TO be
the crudest effort ever made by man to
count the inches before his nose in the
darkness These torches were naught
but fat pine twigs, twisted together and
set on fire by sparks created by the fric-
ton OF two pieces of bark or board. But
as the savage broiled his meat on wooden
splts over his bonfire he noticed that the
rat clipgiug to the wood caused it TO fame
more brightly, so he made the first step
toward candle making by greasing pine
WOOD, and afterward by sticking torches
through the bodies of fish or birds, Gus
ION which still prevails among the ma
yves OF the northwest coast and the Es-
quimaux Of Alaska.
THE PRIMITIVE CANDLE.
string oily nuts on sticks, which are kept
burning during their religious per-
lormances, and the Malays 60 further by
Using bundles of resin wrapped in palm
leaves, while the early English and Scan
dlnaVlaus dipped rushes in heated fat aud
dIterward wrapped cloth fiber in rolls of
WaX-hence the growth of the tallow and
wax candle. The first use of the candle
10 China and Japan, however, is lost in
ooscurity. The use of the candle in most
Countries may be dated from the intro
uuction OF domestic animals and honey
bees into the territory.
Likewise, the lamp is found in its crud-
est form among the sborigines of this
country. The Esquimaux found on the
ueach stone with a natural depression
10 u, which he filled with seal rat. and
USED moss wick. This is also repeated
among the earliest tribes of other coun-
Irles, the next step in the direction of a
giooular vessel for oil being the irregular
tarthen saucer, while in America turnips
nave been found followed out for this
purpose, aud among the Pennsylvania
dutch the primitive form crops up to-day
w me use Of tue tin pan, with tallow
wlcK. Mr.. Hough traces the genealogy Of
'ue lamp next through a long Roman an
tesVriy, beginning with the rough clay
O'"Is hIled with oil, with a wick hanging