Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1913-12-18

NUMBER Nine.
| m0NTRAV|LLE WOOD
|. IN 1ST LYCEum NO.
INTERESTING SCIENTIFIC LEG
TURE ON THE ULTRAVIOLET
RAY AND GYROSCOPE.
In the first number in the lyceum
course held at the new Armory FRI
day evening, Montraville Wood, as
sisted by his daughter, entertained
a large audience with some novel
and interesting experiments with vio-
let light rays and the gyroscope, one
a new, the other very old, inven-
tion. ia
The speaker was introduced by
Rev. James Anderson, who congrat-
ulated the city on having lecture
course in which men Of Mr.. Woods
reputation appeared.
The lecturer kept the audience in
terested in happy vein Of comment
during the explanation of the sci
entific experiments which ne gave
He has worked with Edison in the
.. laboratory and is familiar with many
of the latest practical results in the
application of the great wizards"
inventions. Among those is the use
of the ultraviolet light ray, shown
through specially constructed lamp
made in the Edison factory. The
more recent theory of light, known
as the electromagnetic theory makes
light to consist in electrical oscilla-
tions of the seven primary colors of
ray of light, as shown through a
prism. The slowest in oscillation or
movement is the red ray, the swift
est the ultraviolet. The speaker
said that if the vibrations of the vio-
let ray were produced rapidly enough
the sound could be heard the same
as vibrations from a sonorous body.
The lecturer declared that in the fu-
tufe it will be possible, and very
probable, that the interior walls of
rooms would be constructed Of a MA
terial which would absorb light dur
ing the day, and reflect the sarce at
night, SO that person could read
or be lighted In the room without
any other artificial light.
3. Several- interesting experiments
were made to illustrate this The
violet rays being directed upon discs
of paper, showed flowers and various
colors,' according to the material
upon which the rays were thrown.
The rays remained steadfast and did
not blend and make a combination
color, as with other light rays. The
speaker said that the northern lights
were evidently electric in their ma
ture and afterwards remarked that
he had held conversation with DR..
Cook, whose observations in Arctic
regions gave him opportunity to OBJ
serve the finest auroras, and who de-
clared they could be heard with
slight swishing sound on certain fav-
orable occasions.
The scientific world is searching
for new materials, from which to
construct a surface that will absorb,
retain and reflect light rays that may
be thrown upon it, and a great for
tune awaits the inventor who can
discover such material. On some
of the discs in which experiments
were made last night, the soft glow
of the blue rays, absorbed by figures
of flowers and by plain surfaces, re-
mained long after the direct ray had
been removed, and showed beauti-
fully in the darkened room.
The gyroscope, or old spinning toy,
was used with entertaining effect.
Mr.. Wood has had much experience
lin demonstration of the mono-rail
system, also in aeroplaning. He de-
clared that the principle Of the gyro-
scope as shown in the fly wheel of
the automobile, was responsible for
the breaking of axle bars in many
cases; when going into depression
in the road, and other times, the force
set up by the gyroscope action of the
fan wheel, hindered, the progress Of
the car. This he said might be
avoided by running the fan wheel
with small motor, by which the ac-
tion Of the gyroscope could be made