New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-26
THE WHIRLPOOL ILLUMINATED'
A STRIKING USE OF ELECTRIC Lluhi'
WHITE AND COLORED, AT
NIAGARA FALLS

magnificent sight vouchsafed to the mempei >
attending the convention of the Edison eIecric
Illuminating companies. held at Niagara rams re-
Gently. afforded by an experiment arra"s'u
between Superintendent j. X. Brooks. OF the norse
Road. Luther Stieringer and the General Eiecric
Companv II was the illumination OF the Wniri-
pool r pids at Niagara Falls by powerful search-
lights. The idea originated with Luther ouerihso''
whose experience with searchlight etects OH INV
ing waters gained from the e.ectric FOUNTAINS At
the Worlds Fair at Chicago. which he designed
enabled him TO gauge the probable success OF the
experjment Mr. Brooks arranged the car and the
lights and provided the current. while the Genera
Electric Company furnished the searchlights ana
cOlorcd
The illumination was to demonstrate the FEAST
blity OF realizing Mr.. Sterngcr's idea, which coH-
prehends the Illumination of the Whirlpool Rapids
nightly during the season on a larger scale. Inc
methods adopted in this instance were somewhat
crude owing to the shortness OF time in which ar
rangcments had to be made. Six searchlight lamps
were employed They were set in six pam "oou'"
boxes painted dead black inside. In front OF edoh
arc attached the back Of the car. were poiishe"
silvcrcd refectors The boxes were placed u" o''o
Of the fiat cars OF the Gorge Railway. and the
lights were controlled by rhcostat' also on '"e
car start was made from the Cataract House
at $50 o'clock y. IN. in special cars. Many oil inc
party had no idea of what they were about 10 s''
Arrived opposite the point in the "i''ipoo
Ranids where the movement OF the water II '"'''
turbulent the lights the cars were sudd'hE 'N
tinguished. The small switch on one OF inc up
rights OF the car being suddenly closed the o'"''
of light concentrated into one flashed our uPo" wv
rapids The effect thus produced evoked gasp
OF admiration. The intensity OF the VIII rs
upou tine masses of tumb.inG waters WAS indbI,d
They seemed TO be endowed win new me- wae \
and Interviewing IN white. hcocy foam. Il "hS Il
new view OF the rapids and conveyed perhaps ="
better idea Of the force and violence OF IN" c"'-
rent than can he gained under the lght OF uaE.
MIR Siieringer had provided a series OF coIofr1
screens 10 see what effect colored beams "I"u
give 10 the water. The red screen was IoweItn III
front Of the ref,ectors and the wafer asSntr" ar
almost blood-r hue. such as Is loulu !" NV
depfhs Of a furnace OF molten metal .
The Iarlps were left lighted during inc ictuii
tourney and there no part oil ne w M 49, ~
Eauids that was not momentaflN hlIihil'' ~ ~
tho concentrated beams OF white HEh'' ~
light was the concentrated rays OF ~ S'' II
lights. II would. OF course" hc lmloSSlpI' ~ w W..
Inc exact strength. but 100000 candlc-po"rtt u
considered conservative The electric currcnt "nIcn
opcratcd the lamps the trolley curt"h' laNcn
or thc wire AS the car moved along me current
is 90 volts In strength and exceeded me N"'tis
rcduir.d for tho lamps. but q resistance I" 81.
mis- was provided well as an aIioinh nc S"lue',
when world uroVrn: the destruction al u" amps
bv one going ont and throwing the surplus power
on tho other five. ,, 49,. tia,
The mon in charge Of the experiment say 'h''
had il been posshle 10 secure 'iN glass mirror ~
noctors instead of svcrod r"ncciors. the erect
would have been greatly intensihel'