Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 80, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 January 1918 — MAN UNABLE TO OUTDO SUN [ARTICLE]

MAN UNABLE TO OUTDO SUN

Greatest Artificial Light in World, Installed at Niagara Falls, Far Short in Illumination. One of the biggest artificial lights In the world is the 50,000,000 candlepower light installed at the Falls of Niagara. When this gigantic installation waa made it was claimed to be the nearest approach to real sunshine ever devised by man, and that may be true. But ft is interesting to ascertain, if possible, how much it fell short of the actual output of light by the earth’s great luminary, and, strangely enough, there are figures in existence which enable a comparison to be made. Yet it may be stated at once, observes a scientist, that these figures are so stupendous as to leave the human mind absolutely “in the dark.” Scientists have made calculations, based upon careful and repeated experiments, of the total quantity of sunlight given out by the sun, and found it to be a quantity represented by candles running to 28 figures—candlepower being the official unit. How many lights equal to the Niagara Installation would It require to match Dame Nature’s big installation which appears above the horizon so regularly day by day? More big figures’ It is estimated that it would require 31,500,000,000,000,000,000 lights just as powerful as the biggest man has accomplished. So Uncle Sam will have to try again. The Niagara illumina- ; Gori is “some” light, but old Sol is ual to 31% trillions of them I