The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-04-22

searchlight can be utilized in the same
manner. a combination of movements
making letters. It is known that the
commanding officer of the Fourth bri-
gade, national guard. state of New
ork, has had his attention directed to
the opportunity presented by the Pan
American searchlights for conducting
signal operations, and the officers may
avail themselves. of these facilities to
obtain practice in the transmission of
signals and messages. while at the
same time they may gain much expe-
Tlence and information as to the dis
tances such signals can be transmitted
A valuable feature of the searchlights
in connection with the Exposition viii
be that they can be used to illuminate
details of sculpture in and about the
grounds, while their rays may be con-
centrated at any spot desired in the
grounds during unusual and special oc-
casions.
The projectors to be used on the EIec-
trio Tower of the Pan-American
grounds as well as the one to be in
stalled on the Observation Tower al
Niagara Falls will be of the General
Electric company make. They will be
of the latest design and will combine
all the very latest improvements. In
general appearance they will be COM
pact and graceful, but built to with
stand more than ordinarily hard usage.
Their simplicity of construction, eff
cheney of operation and dura bility of
service will be very pronounced They
Will be fitted with the Margin ground
glass silver plated mirrors, which type
OF mirror has two spherical surfaces of
different radii, and the reflection and
refraction of the glass will cause the
rays of light to be projected in parallel
beams when the arc is in focus. The
lamps of a searchlight are designed to
throw the grea test possible amount of
light on the reflector. and screen shut
tiers are provided to prevent the direct
rays from leaving the protector, so
that all the rays of light are reflected
and sent out parallel. The 80 inch pro-
1ectorS consume so ampereS of current
with from 40 to So volts at the arc The
searchlights to be used in the display
in question will be hand operated, so
the beam of light can be trained verti-
cally or horizontally by the operator,
who will stand close beside the pro-
Jector and move the barrel in any di-
rection he may desire In the case of
electrically controlled projectors the
apparatus may be operated at a dis
tance. This is accomplished by having
electric motors mounted in the base Of
the protector, one motor operating
train of gears controlling the vertical
movement and the other motor Operat-
ing another train of gears controlling
the horizontal movement of the pro-
jectOr- The movement of the beam of
light corresponds TO the movement Of
the handle of the controller, and both
horizontal and vertical movement can
be obtained at the same time. When
the handle of the controller is released,
it is brought back by a powerful spring
to the neutral position. 1t is worthy of
note that all projectors are very accu-
rately balanced and that when it is de-
sired to have a beam of light covering
ii r. xrr,7-o ~cT7f IL
made up of strips of glass ground piano
convex, each strip being a lens, with
the convex side outward, IS placed in
position, which DIVORCES the beam, but
does not increase its height
There is no doubt that visitors to the
American Exposition will gain a
vast amount OF information about
searchlights and their beautiful effects.
In fancy we can picture the turbines of
the deep Niagara wheel pit in full OPP
Grafton, giving life to the generators
in the dynamo room above. We can
see the current passing to the trans
former station at the Falls and then
speeding at increased voltage to Buffa-
10. there to be reduced in voltage before
passing to the Exposition grounds. We
can imagine still further reductions in
the voltage at points on the grounds
and then witness the bright and won
derful beam from the searchlights. An
other picture to look upon in fancy is
the station at the waters edge at the
Niagara gorge, where the current of
the Niagara searchlight is generated
1t passes from the station to the pro-
5ector, and the answering beam flashes
across the country to meet the beam
impelled to brightness by the turbine
in the mighty pit great, grand and
glorious demonstration of the wonders
of the electric age