On the 3rd of April, at about two o’clock in the afternoon, the great
mirror was mounted on its stand, and was found to be capable of setting
a plank of wood on fire at a distance of 138 feet, when 128 glasses were
used, although the light was weak at the time, and the sun was covered
with mist. In pursuing these experiments great care had to be taken to
prevent the by-standers placing themselves within range of its terrible
power, for several were nearly blinded by looking at the brilliant focal
point of the instrument. The next day, at eleven in the forenoon,
although the sun was still covered with mist and fleecy clouds they were
able to produce such a heat at 150 feet distant, with 154 glasses, that
a pitched plank began to smoulder and would have burnt into flame had
not the sun disappeared at that particular moment. On the fifth of
April, at three in the afternoon, with the light much in the same weak
condition as it was on the other days, they succeeded in igniting at 150
feet distant, a heap of shavings of deal mixed with charcoal and
sulphur, in less than a minute and a half, with 154 glasses. When,
however, the sun shone with its natural power, a few seconds were
sufficient to effect these results.
On the 10th, when the sun was shining pretty powerfully, a pitched pine
plank was easily fired with 128 glasses, at 150 feet distant. In this
case the ignition was very sudden, and extended over the whole of the
radiant spot forming the focus, which at the distance named measured 16
inches in diameter. The same day at half-past two, a pitched elm plank
covered in some places with chopped wood, was set fire to with extreme
rapidity, and burnt with such violence that it had to be dipped in water
before it could be put out. In this experiment 148 glasses were used, at
a distance of 150 feet.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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