A FINE SPECTACLE

Evening Post, Issue 51, 2 March 1931, Page 8

A FINE SPECTACLE

CTIK LSTCHURCH, FOUXTAJLV

A beautiful city, Christchuicli is more beautiful for tho presence of the Bowker ' Memorial Fountain. Until Thursday night, when the official ceremony was performed,' and the turning of a switch let forth the splendid flow of iridescent waters, people' who had not travelled and seen similar fountains in other parts of tho world had little conception of 'how lovoly such a fountain could be, says the '' Christchurch Times." Then there was •a. delighted exclamation, followed by murmurs ' of applause, when the changing lights gave new beauties. !£ne scene was perfectly set. The night was perfect in itself, the moon over the treetops in the cloudless sky being a pleasure. With tho turning of the switch there leapt to view, as a rocket takes the air leaving a trail 'of fire behind it, a scarlet jet- towering twenty feet up, while miniatures' round its foot threw a cloud of drops that reflected the light like shot silk. The changing colours captured the imagination as well as the eye. Then the scheme changed, three spreading jets, with a bigger volume of water, throwing a cloud like the rolling, smoke from an active volcano, the difference being that the 'cloud was vivid and alive instead of .turgid and forbidding. Each new light effect was ■ greeted with murmurs of delight—red, pink,' green, blue, yellow, and a simple white light that gave a bridal veil-effect most striking of all. On all sides the viewi of the fountain is excellent. Down Colombo street in both directions, from the direction of the Law Courts, and from Armagh street and Victoria street, the fountain can be seen a long way off. With the tree surroundings, the site is ideal. It is doubtful whether a better could be found in the whole of New Zealand. The controlling apparatus is contained in the octagonal concrete base. Under the watertight basin,' containing tho projectors, is the control room, containing the pump and electric controller which controls the water and light effects. The controllers rotated all the time by a small motor on a shaft. By means of segments and contact fingers tho varying effects of water and light are obtained, and the number of combinations is surprising. _ For instance, when the centre jet is playing alone,- it may be ■ illuminated by three combinations of lights—three whites, two amber, and one green; two green, two red, and two amber; and one green, two red, and one amber; and so so with three sprays, and the ring. The water plays in fivo ways—centre jet -and sprays; sprays alone, ring alone, centre jet and ring, and centre jet alone, and then the cycle begins over again. There are in the Bowker Fountain seveutyseven different effects, and these could be1 amplified by altering the setting of the controller switch. |