Early Electric Lighting in Caves - Postojnska jama, Slovenia, 1883-1929

Abstract

Po prvih poizkusih 1863 so Postojnsko jamo prvič električno razsvetlili 1883, ob obisku cesarja Franca Jožefa. Najprej so poizkušali z različnimi močnimi svetili (“apnenčeva” luč 1852, plinske svetilke 1878), vendar se zanje niso odločili. Stalno električno razsvetljavo so vpeljali 1884, kot tretjo na svetu. Najprej so namestili 12 obločnic, kasneje pa so razsvetljavo razširili. “Izboljšan” sistem so namestili 1901, vendar je pogosto zatajil in so ga morali nadomestiti z drugim 1906. Popolnoma nov sistem so namestili 1929. V prispevku so popravljene napake iz prejšnjih objav, vsebuje pa tudi podatke, ki so prvič objavljeni.

After some preliminary attempts in 1863, electric lighting was first used in Postojnska jama in 1883 for a visit by Emperor Franz Joseph. Alternative forms of bright light (lime-light in 1852, gas light in 1878) had been considered but not adopted. The permanent electric installation of 1884 was the third anywhere in the world. Its 12 arc lights were increased in later years. An ˝improved˝ system was fitted in 1901 but failed so often that it was replaced in 1906. An extensive new system was fitted in 1929. Errors in previous literature are corrected and much information published for the first time.