Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1835-04-23
COMMUNICATION.
METEORIC ELECTRICITY
Use or BALLooNs-No 2

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1t will bc rccocclcd, tina, in former number
(pohhshed IN the Vlrgnun, some weeks ngo,) W.
remarked the necessity of some new movement IN
the experimental branch OF our science The truth
most obviously Is, tina, further progress in II need
not to be hoped for without a vigorous application of
experiment, for OF this 1t IL not less true than of
he Other sciences, that every advance must await
the progress OF research. In a few inquiries which
VIC propose INTO the knowledge OF the electricity Of
The upper regions, will be well 10 compare The re.
suits of experiment with the known hnbits of the
electric fluid. Some Of the most familiar of bcec
are
l. Thatsome bodies, called non conductors, 0p.
pose The passage of the electric iud SO that an nc
cunnlaIed OF positive electricity is effected when
put IN motion by disturbing causes
:. An accumulated electricity in one body will
cause repnlsion of the fluid from adjacent bodies
such bodies are SAID to be electrified by induction
y. Elcclreny possesses an active tendency 10
equilibrium or equal diffusion
These habits Of electricity are assumed as the 10
| suit OF frequent experiment, and may be relied on
They arc finely illustrated by the celebrated Epinl
an experiment of charging plate OF ali by means
| of metallic plates.
If two metallic plates be vertically suspended n
few inches apart, and one of them be electrified 20
sHirclV, the Other will assume the ncgnfire STATE
and SAID 10 be electrified by induction In this
experiment, tho plates conductors, md the air
| non-conductor % Aud one of the plates being
positively ccotfIhej, will cause the fluid to be re-
pell' d from the other (2) and the two plnles now
being IN opposite electrical states, the tendency To
equilibrium a. wall cnust u transfctcnce f,om the
| positive to The negative plate, provided they are
brou2h, within, AHA, is termed, he striking dis.
tdnec, In tina experiment IS presented rcar ann
ogy to the phenomena displayed by the thunder
cloud IN It's march through the heavens The two
plates may represent the earth and the clouds
Then arises the questlon-hoo uro the clouds
electrIhedl IL it by the friction Of currents of air
moving against the surface of the cath or of con
| hctrg winds ! Slgnor Beccarln who ranks high
IN the history Of electrical science, though, j. not un-
philosophical 10 suppose that n powerful electricity
| may lie produced in tho air by opposite and con
| illctlng winds. II he had been Of the cxpo
rments Of Nj. llawksber, made about fifty years
previous, he must hive spoken moro decidedly, for
that philosopher, among his Observations, remarks
hat pieces of glass, wien rubbcl against each
] other, emitted flashes Of light md though he was
| not then aware that the phenomenon electrical
yet he fraished pretty conclusive evil nee tint ar
| from is possessing the electric rtopcrleg Of glass,
IS, as well as lhat substance, an electro, pr 50.
In pnrsulng his inquiries, Beerara has made
| some ncrts ing remarks on the Office performed by
The clouds II the distribution Of Electricity. He re
CARDS the clouds receiving electricity from parls
Of the earth posiln ely electrified and transmitting
1t to parts IN thu negative 5ta,e thus maintaining an
| equilibrium tnrou .holt the whole This may be an
agreeable view Of the subjcct-bai lei US examine
II In the FIRST act II should he Observed, thu, tho
earth IS eyety ~hsre good eon9Hctor, and with
out cxtraneou9 CAUSES, would naturally preserve its
own equilibrium Of the fluid SO that then We have
the clouds laboflng TO pre- erve equilibrium which
themselves interrupt (as we shall see prcscnlly)
and but for the intermediate benefit Of thunder.
storms 10 The AIR we should find powerful agent
employed seemingly, 10 little purpose, and could
hardly recognize in II that sklful adnp'bti cf
means to the end every where so sukngy mani
tested II the grand machinery Of nature
Besides, If The friction pro luced by tie WINS be
considered the pytactpal source of the accumulated
electricity Of the clouds, 1t might be inquired "hc-
thcr we have not the same causes existing IN wtt
Ten, rs IN summer, and TO n considerable extent IN
The higher attitudes Ms IN the warmer regions And
yet our thunder-sotms hafphn IN the warmcst sea
son, and arc much more tnqneot III the fqnn'"rlh'
reg tons but no WHERE are there 50 frequent and
terrific discharges of the celestial artillery, over
the era ers Of active volcanoes Indeed striking
a coincidence has been observed between the habits
Of heat md electricity, that philosophers have
coniecturcd the actual identy Of thcsct ~o AGENTS
If II br replied that the dcscr state Of the ar III the
cold regions or IN the winter season. would require
shorter striking dis0nec for the electricity Of The
clouds We should s expect 10 see hequfn' DIS
chnrges among the clouds themselves. SO, then, It
appears hat the manner IN which electricity IS nc
cumuated IN the clouds IS not yet sufficiently nn
J,rs 90 ; for though many explanations have been
attempted none Of them cnn, IN all respects, be re-
concilcd 10 tho known laws of the fluid.
The diff ,uty Is, we arc ignorant Of the elec'rI-
cal state OF the upper regions. Two facts, with
which we arc acquainted may yield US Sufficient
matter for concclnrc-vlz avery rare state OF the
sir is most favorable TO an easy diffusion Of cleo
uiciy, g. the ar increases in rarity with its height.
Wa have already remarked the conneYion between
he phenomena of heat aud electricity, and the cf
fecs of sudden changes Of temperature have been
observed La Place Lavo sler, and Volta have OBJ
served, that n sensible electricity is produced by the
eysporation of water, and NJ SaIssure has given
us seven tables, evidently the result OF much care,
in which he has detailed great number Of obserya-
lions on the electricity produced by the evaporation
of water from heated cruc blcs OF different metals
the cooling influence Of evaporation IS well known.
Van Marum has shown u.s. too, that sensible
electricity produe ed by freeing, and the increase
of temperature produced by freezing IS familiar
Hoc far these causes r,sy operate IN the production
Of the celestial phenomena OF the air. is uncertain !
and in speaking of them proper attention should
bs paid 10 fnots and il may be observed respecting
them, tina, we are unable to distinguish any pnrt-
cular dependence Of tho phenomena Of THUNDER end