Project Gutenberg #57532
Passages from the Life of a Philosopher
Charles Babbage
1864Babbage's autobiography and account of his calculating engines, prepared chapter by chapter from Project Gutenberg HTML.
Project Gutenberg #57532 Public domain in the United States Cover source Local typographic cover created for MojiMori from public-domain source metadata
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is in the Sun. The accurate map he gives of that luminary renders it highly probable that the red flames so well observed and photographed by Mr. De La Rue during a recent total eclipse have a real existence.
The night proposed for the experiment of the dance at length arrived. Two fire-engines duly prepared were placed on the stage under the care of a portion of the fire brigade.
About a dozen danseuses in their white dresses danced and attitudinized in the rays of powerful oxy-hydrogen {258} blowpipes. The various brilliant hues of coloured light had an admirable effect on the lovely fire-flies, especially as they flitted across from one region of coloured light to another.
〈COMBUSTION THE ENEMY OF GENIUS.〉
A few days after I called on Mr. Lumley, to inquire what conclusion he had arrived at. He expressed great admiration at the brilliancy of the colours and the effect of the Rainbow Dance, but much feared the danger of fire. I tried to reassure him; and to show that I apprehended no danger from fire, added, that I should myself be present every night. Mr. Lumley remarked that if the house were burnt his customers would also be burnt with it. This certainly was a valid objection, for though he could have insured the building, he could not have insured his audience.