Creighton University

The physical was the second of the scientific departments of Creighton College to receive the existence, and owed this, like the others, to the munificence of Mr. Creighton. The electrical and optical instruments were bought from J. H. Steward, 406 Strand, London, for $3400, and the test of the outfit from F. S. Rirchie & Sons, Boston, for $1659, thus totaling over five thousand dollars. The London consignment was received in perfect condition on May 7, 1884 and on July 23. While during the following September a class was started and taught by Mr. P. J. Mullconry, it was only on April 25, 1885 that the long-expected instruments from Boston arrived.

In his selection of the instruments Father Lambert did his work excellently. As physics was understood in his day, these were intended exclusively for lecture demonstrations, because there was then no thought of a students' laboratory for physics, as there was at once for chemistry. Perhaps the only adverse criticism that may be passed upon Father Lambert's selection, was that in some cases his choice was too showy, as it was in regard to the electrical and optical parts. However, as these were almost all used to great advantage in public lectures, his reason was probably the best in those days. Now that such public lectures by professors and students alike seem to have fallen into disfavor, the showy part of the physical outfit is lying idle, some of it in addition having become antiquated on account of modern progress.

In the enumeration of Mr. Creighton's donations to the scientific departments, and their distribution under seventeen heads in the College Catalogue of 1884, it was said before that nine pertained to physics. All of these are deserving of special mention, because they were the wonder of their day.

"Malden's Triple Lantern, with the Chadwick Steward dissolving system, the first one of the kind in this country." It has no superior for dissolving views and mechanical effects.

This statement is nor overdrawn, although the modern movie lantern now does all that and much more and in a wonderful simpler way. But in 1884 things were different. This Maiden Triple Lantern consisted of two lanterns firmly built together with one over a second one, and a third one which could be placed above the other two or alongside or used independently. The body was of mahogany with an interior metal lining. The light used was the calcium or lime light. This was produced by burning hydrogen gas, reinforced by oxygen, impinging upon and rendering white-hot a piece of unslacked lime shaped like a common candle. As the brilliancy of the light was under perfect control by regulating the supply of the gases, and as the source of the light was also practically a point, this old lime light has never yet been surpassed in the optical qualities, although of course it has been set aside mainly on account of the one great inconvenience of the employment of the necessary gases.

A sufficient supply of the gases had to be stored beforehand, and when in use subjected to the pressure of about ten inches of water. The hydrogen was always replaced by ordinary illuminating gas, and was therefore easily obtainable. But the oxygen had to be prepared by subjecting a mixture of powdered potassium chlorate and manganese black oxide in a closed iron crucible, with a pipe outlet, to the heat of a large bunsen burner. Later on the gases could be bought in high-pressure tanks with a stopcock that reduced the pressure. A few times these tanks were ordered from Chicago.

At first the gases were stored in rubber bags. Steward's bill of December 21, 1883 mentions two 42x30x26 inches. These bags were kept between hinged boards and loaded with window weights. And here an incident is worth recording. My brother was to give a public lecture on the night of October 15, 1885 on "The Royal Work of Oxygen." Sometime before the lecture Mr. Gartland nosed about the gas bag with a burning match to see if he could find a leak. He found one. Those who are acquainted with oxygen can imagine the rest. In a moment the bag was burning with a white hear and dropping fiery rain upon the floor. As Mr. Gartland relates it, he with rare decision threw the burning bag out of the window. Bravo! But what about the lecture on oxygen? History did not record what my brother said, but as I never saw or heard of his losing his temper, the accident surely was a powerful provocation. Of course Mr. Gartland helped at once heroically to make some more oxygen and collect it in glass jars.

Before the next lecture a week later on "The Queen Element Hydrogen," the gas bags were replaced by two galvanized iron tanks with a capacity each of about fifteen cubic feet. The container proper was about two feet in diameter and four feet high. It was inverted over water in a somewhat wider tank. It was counterbalanced by weights, which could be removed, and water added to its flaring top to give the desired pressure. These two gas tanks were set up in what is now the balance room at the east entrance to the present chemical laboratory on the second floor. Gas pipes ran from them along the ceiling westward, with descending outlets in the physics (now chemistry) lecture room, and then up to under the floor in the middle of the large hall where the lantern was generally placed. Modern progress or ideas afterwards relegated the tanks to the attic. In my time I set them up in the southeast storeroom of the chemical department. They then traveled back to the attic. They ended their days, one east of the present law building and the other north of the gymnasium, where they were used as furnaces for burning paper and refuse.

The Chadwick-Steward dissolving system consisted of a stop cock on each lantern inter-connected with rods and levers in such a way that by the mere turning of a handle the flow of the gases and the brilliancy of the light was under perfect control in each lantern separately as well as conjointly with one or both of the others. Dissolving meant, in its general definition, a replacement of one picture by another without sliding them, as must be done with a single lantern. This was done very easily by having two slides, as they are called even today, one in each of two lanterns, one light burning brightly and the other off, and then turning the light off the first and on the second. The first picture would then fade on the screen and the second appear in its place.

In a more restricted sense dissolving meant having two pictures on the screen at the same time. For example the first picture showed a mother by the deathbed of her child. Then the light was turned on the second lantern and an angel appeared. He looked like a spirit because the furniture of the room could be seen through him. Of course, great care had now to be taken to remove the angel first, and then to replace him by the next picture in the series.

Father Lambert bought a great number of such dissolving views, which were always colored, in addition to hundreds of the ordinary kind on the Old and New Testament, and many other subjects. One of the finest of these dissolving sets was the Mill. There was an old mill, a creek and a bridge. Then the wheel began to turn. This was done by having the wheel alone centered on a circular piece of clear glass and turned by a special crank. Then the scene darkened, night came on, the moon appeared from behind a cloud, and there was a ripple on the water in the means employed. The creek was painted on opaque black in this night scene, and then with a pin somewhat parallel, but by no means perfectly parallel, scratches were made in it. A second piece of clear glass on the same slide was painted black in the same piece and scratched in the same way. When this last piece of glass was raised and lowered at one end, the interference of the two sets of scratched lines produced such a natural rippling effect that one must needs see it for himself and be delighted at its apparent reality.

Father Florentine Boudreaux, who taught chemistry for 29 years at St. Louis University, and indoctrinated me into many of these devices, used to tell me that when he was a boy he was so much interested in these lantern effects, that he would willingly have allowed the operator to cut off one of his little fingers if he but told him some of the secrets. He said he often looked quickly from the screen to the operator to see how he did things. But he invariably found the operator looking at the screen but moving his hands and fingers in a mysterious manner, so that such detective work never netted him any results.

After the lights had been turned on in the mill by merely sliding a third piece of glass with its opaque shutter aside, and then turning them out again and hiding the moon behind a cloud, the scene gradually grew lighter, and spectators began to realize that they were looking at a winter scene. The creek was now frozen and the wheel at rest. A man crossed the bridge, came to the house, opened the door and walked in, closing the door behind him. Then there was a fall of snow. This last effect was produced by an opaque rolling curtain in the second lantern with a large number of pin holes punched in it in an irregular way.

With three lanterns still more marvelous results could be produced. Thus the Emigrant Ship, after leaving the harbor enjoys a gorgeous sunset with superb cloud effects, their "fleecy skirts being tinged with gold." Night approaches, a storm comes up, lightning strikes the ship and sets it on fire. The sailors and passengers save themselves on a raft, and are finally picked up by a passing ship.

A good collection of these high-class dissolving views is still to be found in the College cabinet. But as the modern movie lantern now produces all these effects and more wonderful ones besides, the old pictures like the old operators have passed our of memory. Now the operator may be a child, as all that is required is to insert the film and turn on the switches. Then the operator may sir down and enjoy the pictures like one of the audience. He gains enormously in convenience but loses in knowledge. He does nor know, or at least need not know, how the effects are produced. His greatest loss is the satisfaction of having done most of the work himself.

The second physical item in the College Catalogue of 1884 is "Steward's Improved Lantern Microscope, with double spring stage and three extra powers." This was the best in the day, but has now been superseded by modern forms, whose superiority, however, is very questionable to an old timer who has used both. One defect of the present make of lanterns is that too much light leaks from them into the room, thereby calling for greater brilliancy in the projecting apparatus to offset it.

Besides the many and various microscopic objects that could be shown by the lantern, the Silver Tree, or Arbor Dinaie, never failed to elicit the admiration of the students. A tank containing a solution of nitrate of silver had a platinum wire in it, which looked like a stumpy post on the screen. When this was made the cathode of a two or three volt current, silver was deposited on it in a way that resembled perfectly the growth of a tree with the branches and leaves.

There was also a slide ruled to tenths, hundredths, and thousandths of an inch, so that the magnification could easily be measured.

"A very large Oxy-Hydrogen Polariscope, with large nicol prism, crystal stage and extra fittings." This also was excellent and is not surpassed today. The light from the lantern was polarized by a series of parallel thin panes of glass. There was a fine series of natural and artificial objects. Among the latter were especially a dolphin, a tulip and butterfly whose colors could be beautifully varied. In ordinary light these were only white and black.

"Patent Aphengescope for pair of lanterns." In modern terms this would be called or opaque lantern, that is, a lantern for projecting opaque objects. These objects, however, had to be small. With one lantern only the apparatus was easily attached, but with two the connection was awkward. Modern apparatus is more convenient. I used the old one frequently for projecting the face of a watch on the screen.

"Patent Lantern Kaleidoscope." This was very good for projecting kaleidoscopic colored objects. The angle between the mirror, however, was only 45 degrees, instead of the customary 60, so that the many reflections made parts of the pictures comparatively too dim.

"A full set of slides for the Lantern, Microscopic and Polariscope." The adjective "full" is very elastic. Still the collection of slides of all kinds was very great, and one might say that it sinned in its abundance rather than its penury. For the microscope especially there was, and is yet, a mahogany case with twenty-eight drawers, each of which contained about fifteen mounted objects as an average, thus making a total of about four hundred. This collection has been pronounced by experts to be very comprehensive.

A Magnificent Binocular Microscope, with the highest powers, and complete outfit for dissecting and mounting." The College Catalogue of `85`86 on page 13 says that this microscope was "pronounced by members of the London and American microscopical societies the completest in the market." And this appears to be the truth.

There were (and are) three cases. The first with a glass front contains the instrument itself without accessories. It is mounted in the usual way. The tube bifurcates near the top so that one or both eyes may be used. By turning a milled head and, when necessary, also inserting extension pieces, the eyepieces may be separated to the exact distance between the eyes of the operator. By then pushing with unequal pressure two opposing buttons near the objective, a prism may be moved in or out and one or both eyes used at pleasure. The slide or object to be aimed may be held securely on the stage, and moved in any direction and rotated by milled heads. The tube is rather long according to modern styles. There is the usual double mirror below, plane on one side and concave on the other.

The second case contains the attachments. There are three sets of eyepieces and ten objectives, each properly marked and kept in its own dust-tight metal box, so that there are thirty combinations. Three Lieberkuhns may be fastened to these objectives, that is, concave mirrors for reflecting the light upon the top of opaque objects. There is also a polarizing sub-stage arrangement, and an analyzing eyepiece, as well as a camera lucida for sketching. Then there are tanks of all sizes and shapes for holding live objects in liquids or in gases and for light filters. There are forceps and other tools for manipulations. The lower drawer has places for quite a number of them. But I saw only a few, even as early as 1886, so that they had either never been ordered or had been purloined.

The third case contains the slides mentioned before with everything necessary for mounting objects. While by far the greater number of these slides show objects flattened in the usual way so that light can pass through them a few are three-dimensional, just as if a common fly had been killed by a gas, set with its feet in some sticky substance, and then walled in with a glass cover over it.

It may be well to answer here the question that everybody asks, and to say that the highest power of the microscopic is 1500 diameters.

This magnificent microscope, as may well be imagined, was for a long time the envy of the professors in the medical department But as it was a kind of heirloom in the college physical department, there was no prospect whatever of their getting it, at least, during the lifetime of John Creighton. But when in 1917 a large 16-plate Toepler-Holtz machine was discarded by the doctors and brought up to this college, the old question was reconsidered. For the reason that this large electric machine would be very much more serviceable for the class of physics than the microscope which not one of our professors here ever had the leisure to use, it was judged best to offer the microscope in exchange. But after the doctors had had it for some time, they returned it because, in spite of its many points of superiority, its make was so different from the ones they were accustomed to, the tube was too long, and well I did not care for more reasons. I now had both, the microscope and the electric machine. The microscope, however, is usual, has always been idle, except once for a few months when it was used without success.

"A complete set of Electrical Apparatus comprising three induction coils-the largest giving a spark of twenty inches-also a full set of batteries, Geissler tubes, Rurora tubes, etc." As the electricity in those days was practically all static, as it was called, or high-potential is we might call it now-a-days, and as dynasts or current electricity was yet in its infancy, it is no wonder that almost all the apparatus was designed for the first kind. The Geisslertubes, barely mentioned in the above enumeration, were very numerous and varied and beautiful. There was a five-gallon Lyden jar, with its inner and outer coating arranged in the form of lozenges or diamonds, which did not touch each other, but sparkled beautifully when the jar was being loaded.

All this rich outfit is now practically gunned [ruined?]. The large induction coil or Ruhmkueff coil, as it used to be called, was said to have been used by Hyndal, although I could nicer verify the statement. It was abused by separating its terminals beyond the sparking distance, and had to be rewound. The longest spark I could ever get out of it was eleven inches. It seems to be in good condition, and is kept under a special glass cover and on a special support. The coil next in size is first class and has always given the best service. The third was a diminutive one with a quarter inch spark.

In the early days, in fact almost during the first twenty-five years, visitors to the college were always led into the physical department, and its professor called upon to enlighten and entertain them at times even with experiments. I remember during the hard times under Father Pahls, a certain Mr. Ward came who had arranged the scientific display at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. After I had pointed out the fine microscope to him and discoursed upon its excellence, Father Pahls remarked with a sigh "I wish I had the cash for it." "Yes," rejoined Mr. Ward, "and if you had the cash, you would turn it back into instruments."

It is worthy of record to state that almost the entire physical outfit with many minerals was taken down to the Exposition Hall on 15th and Douglas streets on September 1, 1886 and placed on exhibition for two weeks. Students were at hand to explain the apparatus and perform experiments, and at night there was a free outdoor display by the lantern upon a screen on the other side of the street. At frequent intervals a slide was inserted hearing the words "Creighton College Exhibit.' A twelve page catalogue, half if it giving a detailed enumeration of the physical outfit, had been printed and distributed gratis. This display by the College of its scientific apparatus met with universal praise. The Omaha Herald lauded it, the manager of the Exposition, says the College historian, "gave $25.00 to pay for gas of magic lantern besides other favors, and to crown success, John A. Creighton offered to pay for a new transit instrument for the Observatory, to cost $1600."

When I came to Omaha in 1896 to take charge of the physical department, the only modern electrical measuring instruments that I found here were a poor pendant ammeter for ten amperes, a fine voltmeter with scales of 5 and 150 volts, and an excellent Wheatstone's bridge. That was all. There was not even a rheostat of any kind. With practically no funds, times were hard. The students were supposed to pay ten dollars a year for scientific apparatus and supplies. Whether any effort whatever was made to collect this, or whether the income went into living expenses, I could never find out. I know I was dependent absolutely on the good will of Father Dowling who was by no means liberal in the cause of science even after his means had increased. The result was that I appealed to my classes for donations. I am thankful to report that after the first year their contributions began. It was only in this way that I could procure large and necessary apparatus, such as three arc light regulators for the lantern, a surveyor's transit, a grating spectroscope, a motor-generator. Individual students also lent a hand. Then as prime necessaries had been procured, the purchases ascended to an electric gyroscope, a gas meter, wireless apparatus.

I could write a book on the struggles of a pioneer and his fight for the necessaries of existence. When I came in 1896 the only electric current in the house was the diminutive one produced by salammoniac batteries and employed to ring the bells. There was not even a telephone, much less electric light. I could narrate many an incident connected with the gradual introduction of modern conveniences and opulence. But the modern generation that expects to get everything by the mere touch of a button will take as little interest in the struggles of a scientific pioneer as now-a-days a speeder will care to know anything about an ox-drawn prairie schooner.

"A complete Physical Cabinet, bought from the old and reliable firm of E. S. Riechie and Sons, Boston, Massachusetts." The set embraces all that be desired for illustrating lectures on any part of physics. Although this part of the physical apparatus cost $1700, the foregoing electrical and optical parts by Steward having been $2800, it has ever since proved to be much more serviceable in its entirety in the classroom than the other. Almost every instrument of it is in use today, but of course it has been added to so largely that it would be impossible to identify the original pieces, as is so easily done in the case of those purchased from Steward. The chief reason is, of course, that the Riechie outfit was not by its very nature as showy.

The above nine headings were, as said, taken from the College Catalogue of 1884. The original purchase of those days has been added to very liberally of late years when the students' fee was devoted to it and when individual students and whole classes made donations, the latter generally leaving their breakage fee unclaimed.

A physical laboratory in which the students themselves performed experiments and wrote reports on them, was begun on October 1, 1911, in the high school, and two years later in the College. Both have continued without interruption ever since.

From 1884 when the outfit was first acquired, until the great building expansion of 1902, the physical cabinet was located in what is now the eastern half of the students chemical laboratory. With apparatus cases along the east, south, and west walls, and three wide so-called show cases for minerals in the middle, together with things too large for the cases, the room 25x30 feet was pretty tightly crowded.

The lecture room adjoined the cabinet the south. The arrangements were rather primitive or none whatever. The lecture table hardly deserved its name, and while there was illuminating gas in the room, there surely was no water, no drainage, and no electric current, no tiers of seats.

At my advent in Omaha in 1896 I found that the lecture room had been transferred farther east, no Room 241, over the south parlor. It had no conveniences of any kind. But where there is a will there is a way. In spite of the hard times, it did nor take me long to introduce into this room the 500-volt direct trolley current, the 110-volt alternating current now universally used for lights, and also gas, water, and drainage. The so-called lecture table was 3x6 feet and very low. With this in the southwest corner, a glass case in the northeast, and at times nearly forty students in or outside a room only seventeen feet square, affairs were almost as packed as in a box of sardines. To darken the room for some optical and electrical experiments, black curtains had no be hung on the windows over their internal burners in a way that dissuaded one from doing it often.

At the great building boom of 1902 the present quarters on the third floor along its entire eastern front became available in the north wing. The lecture room, No. 368, measures 33x26 feet. It has eighty-one seats arranged in tiers in five rows. The lecture table I 2x3 feet is twice the size of the old one. It was extended no twenty feet in. 1910. It has every convenience that could be desired. It contains a water tank 3x3 feet wide, 2 feet deep for about one-third of its width, and 6 inches deep for the remaining two-thirds. At its front is a large plate glass, through which the experiments can readily be seen by the audience. An inlet pipe near the top may be used to supply the water as well as to drain it off. This tank has proved to be especially serviceable in hydrostatics. When nor in use, it may be covered up so completely that the very existence may not be suspected. The rest of the space under the table is filled with drawers of all sizes and with shelves. By the mere turn of a valve or a switch, the professor can operate water, drain, blast, suction and gas pipes and direct and alternating currents of electricity of any desirable voltage.

Back of the lecture table is a thirty foot blackboard, over which a screen may be lowered and pictures projected. The six windows have the old-fashioned internal shutters, but these are backed up with thin slabs of wood, so that it is the work of a few moments only at any time to darken the room.

Back of the lecture table a door leads into the cabinet 33x54 feet, whose entire south, west, and north walls are lined with glass cases, already crowded with apparatus. Their construction is an enduring example among many others of how Father Dowling spread his money. The glass doors of half of the north and south cases and of the middle west one were transferred here from their old quarters. This was quite right. But those of the upper part of the entire west side used to be the windows in the glass partitions between the classrooms on the first floor in the main building, as described in the chapter on The Library. In these cases as well as in the lecture table, an observant visitor cannot fail to notice the entire absence of all ornamentation.

There is now an excellent wireless receiving outfit which uses inside or outside antennae or a 1oop at pleasure. It is operated by Father Schmitt and is thoroughly up to date. In my time, that is as late as 1921, the only wireless communication was by means of the telegraphic dot and dash system. I was too old to learn that. But my interest was aroused by the time signals, especially those of 1913-14 that were being exchanged between Washington and Paris. After that I used to get the Arlington time signals frequently. After I had dropped out of the ranks, the modern broadcasting stations begin to operate, and music and human speech could be heard. But I doubt if I would now spend much time at listening in to them.

In the middle of the cabinet there were at first the old mineral show cases, and three upright ones on the east side between the windows. When a laboratory class was begun here for the College students in 1913, three long tables were introduced at the north end and the minerals crowded to the south. There were then also two large Toepler-Holtz machines, one the sixteen-plate mentioned before and the other an eight-plate. During my second absence in the hospital in November, 1921, all the minerals and electric machines were relegated to the attic by my successor. A number of laboratory tables of a new design were introduced, and then the old ones cut in half and transferred to the high school laboratory, which has since the beginning in 1911 been over the present chemical lecture room.

My last lecture in physics was on October 25, 1921. It was on surface tension with its interesting soap-bubble experiments. Two days later I was carried to the hospital. At my return I realized at once that I had become an old fossil.

Adjoining the physics lecture room on the west a workshop was built 12x18 feet. The tools and material from the old one in the frame chemical building were brought up here, new things were gradually purchased until the variety and abundance and excellence of both tools and materials made this place a veritable paradise for one who was fond of mechanical work. Very efficient work was done in the course of year; in repairing apparatus and in constructing new instruments, especially with that king of all tools, a screw-cutting lathe, on which I would never connect an electric motor for fear of maiming or losing my fingers. Thus to pass over hundreds of smaller things, the heliostat was so improved that it is even now placed fifty feet away and adjusted in one minute, without a knowledge of the time or the sun's declination, to hold a beam of sunlight steady for hours. The crowning glory of this little workshop was, however, the Compound Harmonic Motion Machine. With an outlay in material scarcely over fifty dollars, this machine will draw over seven thousand million curves. For its description, illustration and products the book on "Harmonic Curves" must be consulted.

On May 8, 1911 a large fire which burned away the entire roof and the attic over the physics department, threatened for a while to annihilate it entirely. It passed safely, however, through the ordeal, and emerged more vigorous than ever. As the particulars of this great fire are given in a special chapter, it is needless to repeat them here.