The Washington herald., 1911-04-19
THE LIGHTING OF
A. GREAT SHOW
Buffalo Bills Wild West Night
Performances Brilliant IIIumi-
nation Wins PIaudits
of Vast Thr0ngs.

Few people who enjoy the perfor-
mances of any of the big modern shows
realize the great organization and the
vast equipment necessary to run these
shows. One of the greatest problems
the shows have to deal with is the
problem of successfully lighting their
night performances. Thousands of dol
lars are expended by them in expert
menting with Self-generating electric
plants and gasoline systems, and a
corps of men and wagon loads of par
aphernalia are daily employed to at
tend to this work.
Our attention was especially called
to this question at the opening per-
formance of Buffalo Bills Wild West
and Pawnee Bills Far East Show. The
first principle to be considered is a
lighting system that is absolutely safe,
simple. and effective. 1t must be easily
transported, set up and operated, and
must give light which will withstand
wind and weather. and at the same time
it must not menace the public in any
way.
Until recently. portable gasoline
lights were employed, using tens of
thousands of mantles in a year for the
lighting of a single show. such as Ruf-
falo BilTs Wild West. Last year this
show used as many as 1900 mantles
on the portable gasoline lights. which
were then used. Imagine the labor and
skill required to set up and use this
number in a period of about twenty
one weeks-the usual period of "a sea-
sons performance, A simpler and
more modern system of lighting by
acetylene gas was employed last night,
lighting the entire arena with a bril-
liancy equal to daylight and greater
than any other lights hitherto used All
the approaches to the side shows and
Sf,,,
public. rs well as President Taft and
some of his stan. were particularly i'm
pressed with the results achieved
The lights used are known as the
"Milburn" lights, manufactured by the
. Alexander Milburn Company. of Bal
timore. These lights are operated by
calcium of carbide and water working
under pressure automatically made.
that absolutely defies the wind, weather
and water. and giving from 1000 to
5000 candlepower at each burning,
the lights in the arena each being
1900 candlepower and the open lights
at the side shows giving 1000 candle
power at each burner. Owing to their
intense brilliancy these lights can be
elevated to a greater height than any
lights hitherto used. thus diffusine the
light more uniformly over the arena
and also removing the glare from the
eyes of the audience and the perform
ers. These lights are widely known
throughout the United States, as they
have been exclusively adopted by the
United States Life-saving Service, who
are equipping all their life-saving service
stations, and have recently placed
orders for lights aggregating 5000, 900
candlepower. These lights are also
adopted by the Panama Canal, Reclama-
ton Service, and the leading railways.
contractors. and circuses other than
Buffalo Bills and Pawnee Bills, above
cited
1t is an interesting sight to see these
great performances being dismantled
under the glare Of powerful lights
done in almost an hour or two, pre-
paratory to embarking for a new city.
1t is also a wonderful thing when one
realizes how quickly a large vacant
space is transported into a city of tents.
alive with an army OF people, all
moving with perfect. precision to fulfill
the different duties they have to per-
form. and how quickly the darkness
of such a spot Is illuminated brighter
than day. This modern method of
acetylene lighting Is evidently ideal
for all outdoor illumination which
has to be transported from place to
place.