Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-07-23

find the way as quickly as any others
Already one American achievement
in this field is on record. McFarlant
Moore, of the General Electric com
pany. has produced a signal lamp tina
gives an illumination which is little
else than cold light. 1t is remarkably
efficient at low -candle-power. In this
lamp a gas known as neon is used to
produce a cathode glow around a spiral
of iron or aluminium wire.
The light given forth is a rich pink
ish-red glow, but the illumination is
not sufficiently intense for general use
in the lighting of interiors. The lamp
is used to designate localities in the
dark. and is adapted for use in ordi-
nary sockets connected to 40 or 300
volt circuits. Yet this is practically
cold light, for the heat produced in
this lamp is insignificant. The spirals
of wire remain comparatively cool and
the light comes from a thin layer of
glowing neon adjacent to the wire.
Among many other American inves-
tigators of biological luminescence.
Prof. F. Alexander McDermott of the
University of Pittsburgh has done valu-
able work. as we'll As Professor Harvey
of Princeton. whose discoveries are
now before the public.
Organic and inorganic
The whole subject of the production
of cold light naturally drops into two
divisions-organic and inorganic. Or
ganic cold light is that produced by
nature in living organisms. This sort
of light has already been weakly imi-
tated by man. as will be seen. The
second, or inorganic. type of cold light
is light emitted by different compounds
under various treatments both chemical
and electrical.
The cold light of the future may be
produced by either of these methods
or by both in combination. Both are
under close scrutiny.
Experiments. familiar to the scien-
tific student. but astonishing to the
layman. have been performed in Mr..
Andrews laboratory Mt Schenectady
\. y, TO show the character of in
organic cold light phenomena. Ultra
violet rays-which cannot be seen by
the eye were back of some of the
curious sights produced.
These rays are peculiar both IN ef-
fects and in characteristics. Glass.
which is so transparent to ordinary
light rays. is an impossible barrier to
me UitTd-N L ~ Il ~ NF'NS
an electric light which produced a mix
ture of both the visible and the in
visible rays. in conjunction with a piece
of glass, Mr.. Andrews wrought some
seemingly magic color changes.
Substances that displayed flat gray
tints. light buff or white by daylight
or ordinary artificial light were literally
transformed BY the ultraviolet rays.
Vivid colors leaped instantly into life
the moment the glass was removed
from the lamp and the invisible rays
were allowed to touch them.
A piece of natural willemite. which
is an ore of zinc. looked k mere stone
by the visible light rays. but assumed
a brilliant green under the invisible
Compounds of salicylic acid
were pure white in the visible rays.
but became bright blue by the invisible.
How a Painting Changed
A small painting. done in certain sre-
cially prepared chemical paints. was
exhibited. 1t was n winter scene
snow on the ground. leafless trees. a !
leaden sky. This was what the
saw when the picture was
by the light of the electrical
amp streaming through the piece of
But the m the glass was
taken away. the whole scene mango
than the flick of an eyelash,
than the wand of a Merlin or a
kellar could have worked. The wintry |
aspect vanished; in its place appeared
/ gorgeous summer picture. The grass
the fields and the leaves of the
.rees became a deep green. the zenith
bright blue. and on the horizon
vas seen a splendid sunset with rich
ed tintings.
Similarly. a revolving star. painted
With fluorescent chemicals. showed
a blur of black. gray and white
~ the visible light rays. But the
rays changed it into a
vhirling blaze Of beautiful colored de- |
signs that rotated and flickered like a
Kaleidoscope. These were
Of fuoreseence.
To exhibit phosphorescence. Mr.. An
induced an artist friend, J.. Lcx-
Rawbon of Kingston, Ont. to paint
life-size copy Of Murilio's Virgin
3elvedere," using phosphorescent
,aints which he provided. The pic
ure hangs in a dark room Of tie lab-'
t -