Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1837-09-07
GENERAL sNTELLrGENcE.
Frrm the Mar York Ersning Star.
DAVENPORT, THE AMERICAN
BLACKSMITH.
The Electro .usg.esie Ds.eocerv.

The Electro .nsgsesie Df,oocerv.
i. THOMAS DAVENPORT, n native OF
!. Vermont, where he has resided as a
blacksmith al Brandon, Rutland coun-
~, until within few months past. IN
} July 1891, after a years experiment,
IN electro magnetism, procured for the
hrst time ever knoWna Rotary Mo-
TIoN, with that power, the machinery
OF which Is now being exhibited gra.
tultously in this city, and exciting the
astonishment Of every individual who
has seen IT in operation.
or the origin ofihis wonderful disco
very, which threatens 10 make a. entire
q revolution IN the mechanical world
as that Of Fulton in steam navigation
which IT may possibly entirely super
sede. the public are naturally curious
10 learn some particulars. We com
municate them in q more authentic
and detached shape than they have
hitherto appeared.
! In the first place il is necessary to
premise, that neither the works of Far.
raday and Sturgeon Of England, who
have made much advances IN electri-
cal science. nor those Of Ocrstcd of
Cope nor NELLIE of Sweden,
nor of Hare aud Henry of America.
nor of Ampere OF France, can convey
any notion OF the extraordinary devel-
opmeut and application Of electro nag
netic power discovered by our native
American mechanic, Davenport. His
name probably in n. few years will
stand out upon The annals Of history a.
wright. or Fulton, as they do now
above the most ordinary inventors:
Nor, let us add, can even the inter
esting and well written descriptions in
Silliman's Journal. and e.Sew here in
our newspapers. possibly make inicIli-
gible the nature OF Mr.. Davenports
discovery. In fact the technical Ian
guase Of science requires an entire
new glossary 10 furnish words to eX-
press the thoughts which have sprung
up in this new world whose door has
been burst open BY the genius of one
Of our citizens.
Up 10 the age Of 80. Mr.. d. steadi.
~ followed his profession of black
smith. In the summer Of 1893. he
happened TO go. as was his custom, from
B.andon to forge al Crown Point
on Lake Champlain, where he was
in the habit of purchasing his from
He there saw a revolving cylinder
with magne:ised points, for the puf-
pose of separating the particles Of iron
from the pulverized ore. - How is
this magnetized said Mr.. d. To the
owner. By Professor Hcniy's horse
shoe magnet, which you sec there"
was the reply. II was one Of very
7 small description. weighing about three
pounds, and had been purchased Of pro-
fessor Henry himself at Albany. On
an exhibition Of ITS powers, IN connec-
ton with the galvanic battery, Hare
Mr.. d. was so struck with iiIs. 60 him.
entirely novel agent, that b. I'nTcdi-
ately demanded the price Of the whole
apparatus, and purchased ihe earr.
going home absorbed ,gi;i tho useful
purposes 10 which he immediate con-
icctured il might be applied. and too
much enerossed with The dor iran'
thought 20 remember the load of IRON
he bad come in pursuit Of. II - pro.
pert5 say that previous 10 this Mr. D..
had become acquainted with the nature
Of the permanent MAGNET ~ hi- cXcut-
S!ons with that ard the cowpls, anon.
the IRON regions ol lis native State.
On bis return, he explained 81 a friend
his conviction that the magnet could
be made 10 procure a rotary motion. -
THIS friend engaged with him in Sc.
iics Of experiments. which proved abor-
tive. and Mr.. ID. was shortly after
bandoncd a. visionary The same re-
suits precisely then soon followed, with
two other persons. lie was thus 6H0k
? " aud foriuaqisiy thrown upon his own
resources, and himself was the sole
d.scoveTer Of his great invention. and
the architect Of his own reputation.
While proceeding his researches bc
read nothing. bot aent onV ard boldly
under tie strong inpnlses of las oNn
native genius. iiil be struck out The
light which as We believe, Will enter
ulzc lis name and that Of bis country
In allusion 20 BE-, want q al pr,ilm.
mary education and brak knowledge.
we are convinced viHi him. OIL h4a
us thoughts been rnnagl,d and co.
tramm,lod with 'uc idea 20 other mrn
HI mind never Wus'lh4se been suan
cipaled into lne region. 81 bounIl,-s
discovery. where Il hls now reached.
The discovery took place o. Jul,
1884 Ne frsl went a. Middlehsry
College. ". and e2hihi'ed DO, pr3.
. ducuon where n met general t,rr,ba
ton Thence be- came fo Tfey and
exhibited % - Prot. Ea.fon 90 Prince
ton md showed II o. Puf iirnr. DO
bad himself. without ST. Davenport
kn0wicige procured a sboti fi1r b.
fore Iibr1'orV motion up snd doe %
With he horse shoe magnet Mr Ia
.cupoit nov made -ore marked CO.,.
protrments 10 the cOuFirucinn a bis
machiue-pun0paily iu changing 'he
poles 81 the magnets. de then cane