The Express.
London, England, 1868-06-20 00:00:00

ARTIFICIAL. LIGHTNING.

FEw toys are more lilted than electrical ma-
chines. The old revolving wine-bottle, or larger
cylinder, draped in silk and skirted by a metal
comb, formed a never-failing source of amusement
and wonder. Who has not witnessed its powers,
had his nerves shaken by its shock, or, con-
spicuously mounted on a glass-legged stool, been
laughed at while his hair has stood on end ?
And the more modern battery, with its mul-
tiplying coil: who has not, with unwilling
energy, clutched its terminals, or watched its
beautiful spark darting front side to side, as only
lightning can The development of machines
by which to exhibit this grand force for purposes
of usefulness or amusement, seems now to bo only
a question of money. Thanks to CooKE and
WrrEarwrorm the earth will soon be encircled by
electric wires, and all nations be placed in instan-
taneous communication with each other. Electricity
is fast taking the foremost place in our lighthouses;
already its shoots, with incessant flash, are
nightly reflected across the English Channel
or penetrate the haze or fog with a power superior
to that of any other light. From Now York
comes a proposal to light the whole of tho
street gas lamps at the same instant, by turning
on an electric current in a central office ; an ex-
tension of the plan adopted during the last year
or two at our own Royal Institution in Albe-
marle-street, whore the large sun-burners in the
coiling of the theatre require to be frequently
extinguished and relit during a lecture.
The maker of a machine consisting of an ordinary
electric coil, but of such dimensions as to be
capable of giving a spark, or rather a true fork of
lightning, no less than sixty-eight inches long,
is willing to produce any amount of artificial,
nay real, lightning, at the rate of front five to ten
pounds per inch. It was hoped that those coils
would be used in certain bleaching operations, but
at present they have not been applied to industrial
purposes•

Tin Army and Navy Gazette says that the Ad-
miralty lately effected the sale of an old ship out
and out for 2,1801. The fortunate purchaser ex-
tracted copper bolts, &c., therefrom 4,2211. in
value, which sum eventually was subtracted
from the British Exchequer "to repurchase
" the old stores bearing broad arrow mark." The
official comfort from this transaction is that a
clear gain still accrued to the Admiralty of 2,1801.,
inasmuch as the copper bolts, &c., so repurchased
for 4,221/. would fully realise that amount in the
open market. It would seem that, according to
Admiralty arithmetic, a man who buys back a
thing which he has given away, is as well off as
ho was before ho parted with it.

We are requested to state that as the debate in
the House of Lord. on Kr. Gladstone's Suspensory Bill
will take place on the 28th inst., the committee of the
National Club have postponed the conversations on the
church in Ireland, which they proposed to hold on that
date, to Thursday evening, July '2.
The fifty-third anniversary of the battle of
Waterloo was celebrated in the customary manner at the
Wellington College • bet, owing to a variety of aireum-
stances, visitors of 'dietinetion were lees numerous than
they have been on any previous cresaion. Amcmg those
present were Lord Rumen, bird and Lady Brid-
port, Right Hon. Spencer Walpole, Ifir. and Mrs.
John Wiater, Mr. Ocr, Lord and Lady Gilbert
Kennedy, Admiral Sir Alexander and Lady Milne,
Sir John Say-libuttleweeth, Dr. and Hrs. Ba-
sica, Mr. and Mn. Charles Kingsley, Colonel and the
Hon. lire. Wilbraluun, General and Mrs. Lawrence,
to-
The natal prizes were distributed by Dr. Benson, the
head master, the ceremony being diversified b/herreaiidt-.
Bons part mews from Mortere, Gabe, of
" God saand ve the Queen" WOO snag at the end of the sem-
niony, and the invited /sesta then proceeded to lunch in •
a argues erected for the occasion.

Vittrrine.m., JUNE 17.—The Queen has been
pleased to give and grant unto James Andrew Sandilands
Grant, 7EBg., doctor in medicine, her royal license and
authority that he may accept and wear the insignia of the
imperial order of the Medjidie of the fifth class, which
his Majesty the Sultan bath been Oilseed to confer upon
him in approbation of his services while actually and en-
tirely employed, beyond her Majesty's dominions, by his
highness the Viceroy of Egypt, during the repaint visita-
tion of epidemic cholera in that country. —o4ustie.
WHITEHALL, JUNE 17.—The Queen has been
pleased to present the Reverend William Forrie Stevenson,
M.A., to the united parishes of Lf, Logie, Inverggowrie,
end Benvie, vacant by the death of the Reverend Lohlan
MacLean.—Gasetts.