The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-28 00:00:00

ELECTRICITY AND ITS EFFECTS.

It will be remembered that on the anniversary of
Shrewsbury show, this year, the town and neigh-
]) ,urliced was visited by a terrific thunderstorm,
whi.,h injured, among other places, the spire of the
o,metery Chapels and the tower of St. Chad's
Church. The eminent firm of Lewis and Hibbert,
Manchester, thought this a fisting opportunity to
tender their services in fixing conduct-n upon ele-
vated buildings, chimneys, &c., by a most inexpen-
sive mole. Their services were accepted by she
officials of St. Chad and St. Alkmund, the Asylum
at Bicton, the railway works at Colehani, and vas i-
ous places in the neighbourly-sot The means used
to fix the wire; being a kitr:, of very large dimen-
sions, which is flown itnmed ately over the summit
of the olject, upon wisio the string of the kite is al-
lowed to rest, and by ancther st m ing the kiteis lowered
and a cs•rl orawn up, by which a lager rope and.
pulley is drawn up. Through this pulley a strong
rope is run, at the one end a seat is fixed 'sufficient
fora man to sit comfoitably in, and securing himself
there he may freely use his arms ' • at the other end.
ere attache t weights t coun'erbatince the weight
of the wan, and thus enable him to remain station-
ary, or draw himself up or down at pleasure. The
conductor is a copper rop-, consisting of seven
strands of seven wises each, giving a conducting
surface equal to a rod three inches in circumference.
This being once fotened at the top, is secured by a
number of insulators, is which arts fixed glass
" holders," so to speak, through which the wires
run, thus effectually cutting off communication with
the stone-work ; the wire is then stink several feet
oai
itself
ft stoao ntt
dhoaoesokei
iiatdtirier
ate:
opportunity
while
iostlrl ]taitithnTteihh
tiyeec
oeolafe officialsdchttaircitei conductor
fln,talshsaeyr.
btvAeha.
lea:;:ne
aipxrekiednec:nds.
During the time they were engaged at St. Alkmuud's
Mr. Falkener tried a few experiments with two of

ki!es, both being fled from the same string,
which practically proved the amount of electr:city
in Itheatmosphere when there was not the slighte,t
appearance of a thunder cloud. The string with
which the kites were fled bad a small copper wire
zunning through it, and down this came the electri-
city in such quantities that smart shocks were expe-
rienced by those who touched the rope. In order,
however, to give a few scientific gentlemen as
opportunity of witnessing the experiments, it
was determined by Mr. Falkener to raise his
kites on Kiugsland, on Friday last, and try- -
soma more extentiavn operations vith a Lava An iar..
bat -Being without tus own extensive apparatus these
were comparatively limited. The air was found to
be well charged,sand instead of two kites three were
mounted,, all, as before, from the same string, Le.
ing about 50 or 69 yards apart. After the whole of
string, amounting to 1,000 yards, had been
payed our, and it was calculated that the kites were
about 600 yards high, several very smart shocks
were felt, which became very much stronger when
the jar was put into requisition ; the company pre-
se.it form-d themselves into a circle, and received
the shocks in that position. After some time it was
determinei to try if the electricity was strong
enough to fire gunpowder, a quantity of which was
exposed; after a short delay the experiment suc-
ceeded to the admiration of all present. It being
now late it was found necessary to haul down the
kites, and the assemblage, which included several
scientific gentlemen, disper,ed. Alas, whether
from old age, or a jerk, or too hard pulling, we -;
know not, but the string broke and the kites fled
away with the speed of the birds whose name they.
be tr, and were found late 'at night in the neigh-
lourboed of Copth,rn, we believe uninjurA. .We
need not say that Mr. Falkener received the thanks
of those present fur permitting them to w•tnels
s-zme of the effects of electricity. Shrewsbury
Journal.

A CURIOUS BIGAMY CASE.

(From the Boston Traveller.)

In the police court, on Thursday, • Mr. John
Henry Bate, an English gentleman, was arraigned,
and waiving au examination, was hel l to 600 doll.
to trial ou a charge of bigamy. The complaint
was made at the instant of Mre. Gaorgiaana M.
Bate, whose is somewhat singular. The case was
about two years since before the lower tribunals
of New York City for examination, and at that
time form,ld the subject of a large number of news-
piper paiagraphs. It finally died out, however,
and was not heard of again until its revival, within
a few days, in this city.
The lady, Mrs. G-orgianna M. Bate, alleges:that
Mr. Bate, the party defendant, was lawfully marrie
to her in England, some 22 years since ; that '
he subsequently martied another woman in Eng-
land, and was convicted of bil'omy there, and
that in consequence of her efforts his punish-
ment W.IS only one mouth's i nprisonment. These
efforts in his behalf were made, as Mrs. Bate
says, upon his promise to live witui her, and to
give up his second wife. The promise was not
kept, however, and the next that was heard of
tl case was about nine years since, as Mrs:
Bate represents, she caught her truant husband_
in Canada, and obliged him, in the language of
the papers of the day, "to pay handsomely _o
allowing him to go at large."
dead, and the
Mr. Bate was reported. toforbe
Mrs. Bate,
The story is now, that after leaving England,
family went into
widow, married again,
and was, after a while,9rnl lastonished by the re !urn.
reminded of the nature
judicially inflicted
of her conjugal vows by a
inent for bigamy. The twain were now
puiiis 1
it even, but the lady soon recovered herself,
owfhohesruspppOoLlsesde, herself
was
LIT following Mr.. Bate to this country, again
procured his arrest in New York as above stated.
Mrs. Bate says that the case against ber husband
has filled each time in consequence of the absenceof a witness of her marriage with him, and now,
having crossed the Atlantic for a third time, she
lcaocieypllveates.GeTohrgejamunaaidmenatniladmaeo oarft
alleges that the case is, in this particular at least,
o ands e cu tt
Ina!
wtbreighPtr,
of the second wife, to whom the defendant is slid
to have ben married in Suffield, England, in 1838, -
was Elizabeth Chapman:
Such is the extraordinary and almost incredible.
story of Mrs. Ore )rgianna M. - Bate, and her state-
ments are backed up by papers purporting
to be
copies of records. Mr. Bate, for his part, . denies
sto
any acquaintance with the lady
who thus
e of her
be his cot iginal wife, and says he only knows
by reason of the persecutions to whichhe has
Mr. Bate, we !"
sub-
jected him for the past tein. years. Mr.
in this city ; he
believe keeps a sort of pub,ic-
h°
u,.ho is the m Aber of
is living with tho second wife,
be likely will
14 of his children. The case•
some interest should it ever reach a trial before a
jury. '

THN FATAL ACCIDENT TO MR. COT.—Yesterday
afternoon Mr. Wakley, the coroner, resumed, at the
Railway Hotel, Southgate, the adjourned inquest on the
body of Mr. George Cox, the publisher, who was nn
f,,rtunately killed at the Colney Hatch station, on the
previous Thursday evening, while alighting from the
train. A verdict of "Accidental Death," was returned,
accoxpanied by an expression of dissatisfaction at the
insufficiency ut the arrangements of the Great Northern.
Railway Company for passengers at the Colney Hato!
station.