The Washington herald., 1922-06-11

Is cOld hBnl -pE dCelCol SOiN
light, which man can use-about to
be achieved?
The FREELY and the phosphores-
cent fish Of the sea, which have
been watched by the all-curious eye
of science for generations, nave
finally given up their great secret,
at least in part.
Man has also devised chemical
paint which will give a dim illumi-
nation after dark. allowing II to be
used in a limited way to outline
objects used as landmarks.
And Just at present one announce
ment has followed another of vari-
GUS discoveries that will perhaps
lead to actual cold light. Each is
heralded as a great achievement in
the realm of artificial illumination.
Nevertheless. no scientist of
standing will assert that cold light
after from early times be-
cause its percentage Of efficiency Is
SO tremendously high-has actually
been realized. Seemingly Is has not
yet arrived in any form that can
be used by human beings as a gen
eral illuminant in their daily-oor
nightly-affairs.
Seek Cold Light for Centuries.
Patient pioneers. who have been
experimenting for uncounted years.
hidden away from the public among
the instruments and furnaces Of
their Laboratories. are more opti-
mistir today, however, than they
have been for decades over the idea
TO- DO ra
Perhaps slowly, gradually, step by
step-but coming.
In one such laboratory a stead
fast believer in the triumph to be
has been watching every fresh mes
sage Of the last few weeks that has
seemed to proclaim a new step for
ward.
To William S. Address, a consult
ing engineer of the General Elec-
trio Company, cold light represents
a great goal. yet to be reached, but
sure of eventual attainment. He
has studied the subject for the bet
ter part of a lifetime. He has a
measure of the perseverance and
enthusiasm of Thomas A. Edison.
with whom he was associated In
the "old days"
Although now a veteran worker,
and probably the dean of all Gen
eral Electric men, having given
over forty years of service to Edi-
son and to that company. he is still
following with great mental keen
ness the problems of the labora-
tory-including that of cold light.
at VIII Come"
cold light? Yes. indeed-it will
come! Many active. minds are at
work on means of producing it,
And / believe that the means of ac-
complishing the result will even
tually be found
So declared Andrews upon hear
ing of the recently announced dis
coveries of Prof. f. Newton Harvey
of Princeton. in experimenting with
shell FISH.
MY opinion is shared" he went
on. "by many others who are in
terested in the problem. But it will.
in all probability. be achieved by a
gradual series of improvements,
covering such a period of time that
existing methods will experience 20
sudden overthrow"
He then showed in fascinating
manner. by demonstration and ox-
planation. what cold light means.
Ard what is cold light?
1t Is the sort of light which the
insects are experts at maaufaCtIr-
irG. 1t is TIE Fi-d of iALm; nati"n
iSat certain creatures Of the sea
produce in great quantities and
smear thickly over the ocean waves
as brilliant phosphorescencc. As
exempIifed in the freely an1 the
gov worm, this cold liEn! is -
per cert efficient
E.r,trIc Light Ercicn'y Law.
Mans product, on ire other hand
as rcpr. >,nted by the ordinary cleo
trio light used in household is at
tac trSt only about per cent eth-
cienr. Mans licht IS hot light, th"t
is, incandescent. And 9S per cent
of the electric current that makes
the light is used up in heat durins
the process. So, bright though II
may be, IT nevertheless represents
waste that is exceedingly great
But cold light, or luminescen'
light, as distinguished from mean
descent, or hot light, involves nc
such waste. And il that kind Of IL
Elimination, such as the firef1y and
the glow worm know how to make
could be invented artificially for
human use, it would be the finest
light mankind has ever had.
Tremendous possibilities exist In
more than one direction for the
production of cold light" declared
Mr.. Andrews. Perhaps it may be
produced chemically by the gradual
oxidation of some substance, as in
the hrefy or the glow worm: or
electrically. or by some electro
chemical process.
1t seems to be reasonably GER
tain. however. that some time in
the future people will be using lu-
minescent lamps. and that these
will mark as great an advance over
our present methods as these meth
DDS are better than the flaming pine
knots OF our early ancestors"
Andrews noted that the impress
sion exists in popular quarters that
a laboratory race is in progress to
see who can first bring out the
practical, perfected. luminescent
lamp. He expressed his faith, in