Does anyone know the answer ?

[Rubyretro]

I was just wondering to myself if policeman carried lights in 1888 ?

They obviously couldn't have battery powered torches...did they carry gas lamps with them ?

If a policeman ducked his head into a dark doorway (I'm thinking of the GSG),
or gave a yard a quick once over, how could he see anything in the pitch black ?

If there was some gas lighting in the street, then the places in the shadow would seem even darker .

Does anyone know ?

[protohistorian]

Yep. Dave

[Rubyretro]

Yep. Dave

I remember seeing that image -but is is contempory or an illustration from a later account ? Is that supposed to be a gas lamp ? -it isn't a lantern, and it
seems to direct a strong light outwards..it doesn't look very realistic to Me..

????

[protohistorian]

from P.C. Watkin's inquest testimony,"Or any person? - No. I passed through Mitre-square at 1.30 on the Sunday morning. I had my lantern alight and on - fixed to my belt. According to my usual practice, I looked at the different passages and corners."

in Scotland Yard Investigates Evans and Rumbelow identify the lantern type as a "bullseye" lantern.

http://www.constabulary.com/mystery/bullseye.htm

Dave

[protohistorian]

In terms of looking realistic, I am sure some artistic liberty was taken. When we consider actual light output consider this. Within the lantern you have a flame. The interior surfaces of the lantern are mirror like and cannot absorb light waves. So you have a constant stream of light rays being produced, none being internally absorbed, and a singular outlet with a lens that spreads the light rays out. A imagine the beam would be quite significant, particularly if the surrounding environment is pitch black. Perhaps someone with some experience with these items will elaborate further. Dave

[Graham]

Policemen (and others, nightwatchmen, etc) used what was known as a dark lantern. These utilised either a candle or oil, and had a sliding panel to shut off the beam. They must have got rather hot... Sherlock Holmes had a dark lantern with him in several of his adventures, and a dark lantern was issued to one of the pirates in Gilbert & Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance.

I remember seeing yonks ago on TV a programme about old-time policemen, and they lit up a typical copper's lantern and it produced a surprising amount of light - certainly enough to see just about anything at short range in the dark. Not quite the same thing, but a bloke I know is into vintage bicycles and still uses carbide lamps, and they really do generate some light.

Graham

[Rubyretro]

Thanks Dave and Graham ! I'm much clearer now !

[Monty]

Ruby,

Ive a fully operating one, let me take some photos.

They were oiled based and held a well. Issued to men on night patrol as used as a torch, signal device and, if needed, a weapon.

Monty

[macknnc]

"dark lantern" .."bullseye lantern"

same thing right?

[Rubyretro]

Ruby,

Ive a fully operating one, let me take some photos.

They were oiled based and held a well. Issued to men on night patrol as used as a torch, signal device and, if needed, a weapon.

Monty

Please do take a photo, Monty!

How could they be used as a weapon ?

How would you signal with one (morse for SOS ? etc ?) (can you do morse code with light ??).

[Monty]

My Bulls eye.

[protohistorian]

Thanks Monty, what are the odds of firing that up and geeting a beam demonstration pic. Dave

[Monty]

Not good Dave as I havent the oil.

There is a photo out there, I believe Jon Rees over on Forums has some images of her from the last conference. I may have on my old PC, will look.

The light she gives is pretty good considering what she is, which is a mere magnified version of a hurricane lamp.

She smokes a lot and can get quite warm if she is ran for a considerable period, bearing in mind the longest Ive ran it is 20 mins.

Can bee seen from a distance (thinking of PC Neill here) and is useful up close.

Monty

[protohistorian]

It never hurts to ask! Dave

[Rubyretro]

Thanks so much Monty ! As well as answering the question, I've become quite jealous of you for owning it...I think it's rather beautiful ; I don't know why -I think that it's because it looks rather Batman-ish.

How would you use it a weapon ? -it might be hot and heavy (as the Bishop
remarked to the Actress), but it would surely go out, leaving the policeman vulnerable in the darkness ?

I can see the sliding window -so DID they use Morse to signal rudimentary messages ??