New-York tribune., 1911-02-19

THE scientist sat down a small black box
and impationtly pushed aside the power
ful microscope and the delicate bolOmeter.
" Il Is most GiSCouraging, he muttercd, TO
have such a treasure before one S eyes and
still he unable TO grasp it.
looked in the little box, surprised TO ind
nothing but a few brilliant tlretiles. The
scientist began TO explain.
In that box IS the most efficient llluml-
nant known 70 man. The radiant output
from one of those insects corresponds TO
nearly fifty watts a candle. while our very
best artificial illuminant, the flaming arc
lamp. gives only two or three watts 20 the
candle The light from those insects, as re
corded bv the bOlOmeter, radiateS little II
any heat. while the very best lncandescent
lamps waste more than ninety per cent. Of
the electrical energy in useless heat. II
cOuld read this secret of the insect world and
make lamp after its pattern, ! could pro
dr,cc three hundred and elghty-fOur candle
power from the same current that gives SIX
teen candlepowcr to-day. Some day the
secret will be read.
Light and electricity travel at nearly the
same ,Decd. one hundred and elghty-slX
thousand miles a second. Even at this enor-
NOUS speed there are instruments delicate
enough TO measure it. The source OF all hght
levcent the light from fireflics and their KIM
I. a substance raised 10 q temperature sui
fcient 10 set up waves in the surrounding
either which. when falling upon the eye, pro-
d,,ce the sensation we know as light. Llght
waves vary in length between one thirty
three thousand fOur-hundredth and one
sixty-6vc-thousandth of an inch; the llrst
beino extreme red and the second extreme
violet Ravs of white light have a lengtn D. Oh
one fortv-tivc-thOusandth OF an lnch. me
I'm i a GREAT mass Of white hot matter. 1t
T.. the ATMOSPHERE that enables us 10 see
i;gb+ and outside Of our atmosphere II IS ap-
.Ti,,+e darkness. as dark as the interior OF
Mammoth Cave. In an arc lamp II Is lhc
white hot particles OF carbon heating pc
,,,oon The two electrodes that produce hgnt'
In the incandescent lamp II IS the halrplh
flament inside the glass globe tnat' WIicH
heated bv electricity, gives oil hght WaNC,9'
In gas and oil lamps light Is produced by IIIo
beSted n3rticlc, Of carbon in the flame ABOVE
the wick or mantle. Ill
Tbr eve can stand. without ting, Dill
1;a,,,. IF about five candlcpowcr to the s4iaIe {
;,eb If surface. The ordinary candle name
ai,.os only two or three candlcpo#er u
tLeso,,arc inch. while the sun at Zenlth CIV
six hundred thousand. Inc arc HSil1 IL III
next l to sunlight, with ten thousand caIGie- Gi'
Dower an inch, and the best tungs,lc.. i,,,
r,art incandcsccnts give one tlou''IIu
.l,lonnUcr I''glS W. This means that if the sun
canI'PoTfl caIId be changed into bali Of tungsten hit it
,,.o,,1d throw of only one thousand CdIii!.
ror,or of LIGHT from every square lilCI vi ~. -,
Ip,,rf,r.. when the world would be prac'ic''i'y
DARK and we should freeze to death III d
week. ,.:., 1;,,r,t j. com
IN Ine p P'i,'I bappv blend Of all colors OF the
ocCtrum PS.Sn IN ' IKE sun gives the only pure pure
White hit light, with the arc lamps ;,a,1Jc5. Cio5o
cents ceT4i taking third place. Sylight, siTo Ja =
come from the north on oiyc GiS" grccsnish r,s
blush white Gas manuGs si,dd tseroscnc
light. open flame yellow light ana N''''-'
orange light.
No Color in the Dark