♦ KNO\VLEDGE ♦ 



[Sept. 18, 1885. 



weight, he was not -without hope of being able to reduce 

 it. The lamp did not, like others now in use, indicate 

 the presence of fire-damp. 



Mr. Jamfs N. Shoolbred gave some facts bearing 

 upon the electric lighting of the Forth-bridge works. 

 The electrical plant employed in the lighting of the 

 works consisted, he stated, of thirteen dynamo machines, 

 100 large arc lamps of 2,000 candles each, 500 incan- 

 descent lamps of 200 candles, and about twelve miles of 

 mains. Among the many interesting operations which 

 had occurred was the lighting of the deep-water caissons 

 for the main piers, in some cases from 70 ft. to 80 ft. 

 under water. Those at South Queensferry were lit by 

 incandescent lights, while at Inchgarvie, owing to blast- 

 ing operations being necessary, arc lamps were employed. 

 The tiring of the blasting charges was also performed 

 from the same dynamo which was providing the lighting. 



By Richard A. Proctor. 



Feosi all sides we receive promise of good support for 

 Knowledge in the monthly form. The weekly Know- 

 ledge will continue till October 16th, on which day the 

 last number of the old series will appear. The first 

 number of the new series will bear date November 1st, 

 and be called the November number of Knowledge, a 

 Monthly Illustrated Magazine of Science, Literature, and 

 Art. Science will as heretofore be our chief subject ; 

 but we wish to be free to introduce Literary and Artistic 

 matter when occasion may arise, withotit seeming, as 

 at present, to act inconsistently with our announced 

 purpose. 



During the next four weeks our plans in detail for the 

 new series will be fully indicated. 



A LETTER by " Kolokol," in this week's issue, touches 

 on a question of some interest. It does seem a pity that 

 musical power should be so often wasted for want of 

 fingering skill, or some other matter of technique. Of 

 two musicians one shall have the true musical faculty, 

 the power of bringing out the real thought and meaning 

 of a great composer, but so little manual dexterity — for 

 want of time and opportunity for practice, that he shall 

 be unable to produce music worth listening to, when he 

 attempts anything at all difficult ; the other shall possess 

 marvellous skill in execution, the result of thousands of 

 hours of practice, yet wanting the soul of music his per- 

 formance shall be far better worth watching than worth 

 being listened to. The number of those who play 

 skilfully is great, the number of those who if they had 

 manual skill could play movingly, is considerable. But 

 those who combine both qualities — and both are abso- 

 lutely needed, as musical instruments are at present 

 constructed — are few and far between. To one who like 

 myself may not have an hour per month for musical 

 practice, the trouble touched on by " Kolokol " is trying. 

 I am not thinking of music as preposterously employed 

 for display. The " little bit of music " asked for at 

 social gatherings is generally a great nuisance with 

 little music in it indeed. But to those whose 

 work engrosses their attention closely while they 

 are engaged on it, music — if they love music — 

 would be a great aid were not the necessary skill so 

 difficult to actiuire and retain. I would certainly be 



willing to pay a long price if I could have, without in- 

 cessant practice, the power of rendering sueh music as 

 I love, in such a way as would correspond with my own 

 idea of its meaning. I do not want to hear some one 

 else play, still less to have an automatic rendering of 

 the piece I love ; nor do I want to play it for others to 

 hear ; I simply long to dwell on its melody, to enjoy its 

 harmonies, to feel the emotions to which it appeals. 

 And I want to do this at some moment of weariness or 

 anxiety, — not to put off the matter to such and such an 

 evening when, — in evening suit, in a gas.sy atmosphere, 

 and in the glare of too much light, — I may hear Von 

 Bulow, or Rubinstein, or some other performer, render 

 that music to the accompaniment perhaps of chattering 

 fan-flipping idiots who go to musical entertainments 

 because it is the fashion, and have taken, unfortunately, 

 some neighbouring seats. 



But however one may love music or in particular some 

 special movement, one may be utterly unable to render 

 it. A few lines, and some awkward passage comes, — 

 one stumbles — and ere many miuutes are over all power 

 of enjoying the piece passes away. 



We do not get from music one-hundredth part of what 

 music might do, even as it is, — even with instruments 

 requiring more practice than most men can afford to 

 give. We use music, indeed, oftener for torture and 

 annoyance than for pleasure. Nine out of ten of those 

 whose music we have to hear have learned how to play 

 with considerable dexterity — or ambidexterity — but have 

 no more idea of rendering the conceptions of the gre-,t 

 composers than they have of angelic flying. 



Speaking of angels, I want to know why I was seized 

 the other day with a fit of shouting-laughter, at the sight 

 of a very lovely angel, with the conventionally graceful 

 though impossible wings, the usual evidence of excellent 

 diet, the customary Greekish costume, and differing only 

 from other angels in ivearintj hoots. They were very nice 

 boots, fur-lined and slightly Balmoralish in shape (I 

 could not see if they were ftishionably high-heeled) : but 

 why should I be compelled to laugh consumedly at an 

 angel in boots, more than at Guido's angels with violins 

 and triangles ? There are many angels in braces, — at 

 Pugin's Catholic Church in Clapham the angels have 

 really excellent braces, — and braces seem as funny for an 

 angel as boots, if not funnier. Yet I have refrained even 

 fi'om smiling at the braced angels, while the Balmorally- 

 booted angel overcame me at once. I find nothing in 

 Herbert Spencer's " Philosophy of Laughter " to explain 

 this. 



and one would gladly hear that schools of art were 

 teaching these angels the proper shape of feet, and the 

 superiority of walking over tottering. But Mr. W. M. 

 Williams has certainly described the only proper way to 

 get shoemakers to fit one with comfortable boots. I am 

 not so much adopting his idea as commending it, on the 

 experte-credo principle. I wear always a thin sock over 

 a thick one, or even two thin ones, when I go to be 

 measured for boots. For the average shoemaker seems 

 to think himself bound to pinch you, and then to repeat 

 that standing lie, "They will soon wear easy. Sir." Most 

 assuredly that is a proposition of which one may say 

 Solh'itur amlulando : it is resolved into the falsehood it 

 is, when you try walking. (This is an entirely new 



