Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1835-03-16
Your Fellow Citizen,
u, A A &, IL i, a L
February %, 1885.
METEORIC ELECTRICITY OF

BAlLOONS-No. l.
Expc, ment is the way to science, saysa dis
Greet writer ani he mig ht have added tho snly
one. The recen, successful researches in the phys
lca sciences originated in an attention TO this ruth
Philosophers have learned to turn their attention
ON tseories 10 facis, and the result i, that the
dream. of tina Alchymist have given place
to the sober ind1clons OF science. While, on the
ono hand, analysis and synthess have been assu-
med as the successful weapons of science, tho amb
tious Theofis has boen busly collatlng and arrang
ing tho fscis which resulted SO that now, instead of
only " hypothesis built on hypothcsls,' we have
theories laid in facts, and supported by long con'in
ued induction Propositions unsupported ny any but
hypothetical evidence have come to be resaidcd ell
thor with sus ,icon or contonpt, and the mare thee
list is casJed with the empire. THIS is a
COOL state of things, AMI promises well for science
But after all it may be doubled whether, for u
few years past, the researches OF scientific men have
ennaed the facilities offered by Tho experiments
and observations which have preceded them. The
truth 49, that Philosophers are becoming 100 content.
ed with only repeating tho experiments OF others
This assertion will be sustained by examination,
but is intended to apply TO the present stale Of SCI
encc, for we must certainly except the brlaa: re-
searches and experiments of such men as Sir Hum
phey Davy, Otto Guericke, and Dr. Wall, Ga repe
tition of which is indeed tho labor of almost life
time devoted TO the sciences and which, as often
as repeated are the rehcarsals of their fame y Nc7c
experiments arc new sources of ndnctios and, by
them the foundations of science will be broadened
and deepened, that II may attain lis proper ee-
walton and permnnencc. Every successful expert
nleHt is mcnC stone n,cety hHed TO me edytce
By natention TO these particulars, numerous theo-
RES at first dazzing perhaps, but which had more
tic fame of their authors in view tn IN the bench; of
science, have tumbled to the ground and buried the
hopes of their visionary projectors a DISPOSE
ton to theorize properly atempered by the cnHipa-
lion Of faets may be well enough SINCE of itself,
is the most efIcctua spur to research yet the cu'-
livaor of science should be aware Of the inclination
TO suppress or neglect whatever m ght not seem to
corroboratc or strengthen preconcciued opinions;
and, though he may make a theory the conuer-
ginp point of his observations, still rigid COM
parison of facts and frequent institution OF new ex'
periments should be strictly insisted on. "A want
of experimental research has left some Of the sci
cnces stationary for few years past and, OF none
does this seem more true than the one DIVISION oil
which we havo taken the libcrtyto introduce, ms
nicortc Elcetrictv-i including such electrical phc'
nomena come within the range OF MeIeor'1oen
In adopting this term there will 20 more compIe'
henslvc division Of the science, especially as Metoo'
roogy is made to include phenomena usually pa
ecd above the altitude of the air and, moreover INC
limit of electrical agency to the atmosphere ooes
not appear to my mind sufficiently clear
In this science we have a remarkable instance Of
too much theorzins for, notwithstanding the nu
merous and respectable experiments OF h'ec'ff
clans there can be little doubt after pcrus'ng tho
abors Of Cayendlsh EPinus, Franklin ann Do
Fay bur that theoretical electricity has received 'he
greatest attention. The consequence is that we
have science possessing almost the inherent SUP,
Unity of Astronomy, resting on two distinct ana
opposite theories and, what is more remarkable,
nearly all its known phenomena are equally exP'i-
cable by both these theories Circumstance
| which may well make US donb, whether we nave
vet any eortect theory. 1t is not surprising per-
hans that fluid, as electricity (from the Greek
work for amber) is maintained to be, so subtle as
in its ordinary state to elude the senses, shouo
present so many dffcultl's; but the true business
| Of science is observation and experiment. and can
ADM, of nothing less than patience and perse'
yerancc and IL the pursuit, the lover OF science
knows his reward aud, al every step OF his course
new facts will be presented, calculated to swake'
the profoundest rehection-We have 'nsens'o'1
llcnothened our remarks SO much, that our suo)ec
mus, wait another number, and, IN the mean Tune
we intend some remarks OH the experimental brancf
of our science.