Hello, friends. This article is a logical continuation of this one, but this time we managed to collect a lot of old photographic material.
The photo shows that the secret of those very greenhouses is hidden a little deeper than we ourselves imagine. If only because near these greenhouses there are absolutely no buildings and structures that at least somehow resemble boiler rooms for heating them.
Unidentified greenhouse, USA, 1905
Greenhouse at Walbridge Park, Toledo, Ohio, 1900
Conservatory at Bell Isle Park, Detroit, Michigan, 1901
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Greenhouse in Washington Park, Chicago, 1905
Woodwards Garden Conservatory, San Francisco, 1908
What can you say looking at all this? Well, probably at least the fact that the heating in these greenhouses was obtained in some non-traditional way, which we do not know now. As you know, the average winter temperature in the latitude region of the Great Lakes in the United States is from 0 to 10C, and frosts are frequent, which completely excludes the operation of greenhouses without external heating. How did you get out of the situation?
Schenley Park Conservatory, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1900
The average temperature in Pittsburgh in winter is also about freezing, and frosts are not uncommon, but as we can see, cacti grow well. How is the temperature maintained there? As you can see, there is a pipe running along the entire wall inside the greenhouse. This pipe has nothing to do with the window opening mechanism, which drives the transmission from bottom to top.
Bell Isle Park Conservatory (interior view), Detroit, Michigan, 1901
Such incomprehensible pipes come out of the walls of the Bell Isle Park conservatory. Let's take another look at this greenhouse from the front.
As you can see, no pipes enter the greenhouse from the outside. Obviously, all pipes run in the sinuses of the greenhouse structure from some central place. Where can it be? The answer suggests itself. This location is a domed installation that generates something going through these pipes. But how?
Of course, no magic, ordinary hot water or even steam goes through the pipes. But what is just heating them up? The photo shows the very device. Actually, it is the very same mysterious water heater in pump stations, which is described here. Energy in this case comes from above, through a pipe, which is an ordinary electrical conductor. The modification of such a boiler not for heating water, but as a conventional heater, has already been given earlier:
But these are far from all the secrets of the greenhouses of that time.
Greenhouse Presidents, Washington, 1900
Note that to the left of the light bulbs from the ceiling of the greenhouse to the plants (and most likely to the ground), electrical wires go down. Why are they there? Obviously, not for tying plants, for this at that time they used cheaper ropes. Most likely, plants need not only heat and light for growth, but also some additional conditions for growth. And in this case, the flow of electric current in the soil layer. As everyone knows, an electric ring current flows in the soil of our planet, which decreases from the equator to the poles. Maybe because of its absence, it is just that it is not possible to grow southern plants in greenhouses, in which there is even heat and light in the required quantities?
White House Botanical Garden Greenhouse, Washington, 1891
As you can see, in this case, the design of the greenhouse is even more mysterious. Generators of atmospheric electricity are located here on all tiers of the structure. And judging by the photo, it's winter outside. How did everything work here? But if we imagine that the circled structures could somehow attract caloric, then the picture becomes clear.
In general, the new generation after the elections in the next six years has something to work on-).
Until next time.