New-York tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1841-1842, 1841-12-22

ture prompts 10 discovery, and notice the slo~ness
OF man IN following out her suggestions There :,
scarcely discovery Of modern times Of which tie
sure prompting. OF Nature cannot be trac Tor
many, many age backward and we may thus
learn no" truth, which appears in the end so clear
and BEAUTIFUL lies Tor long while buried and con
ceaed.
Al an early period in the history Of physical
science, tie property possessed BY AnJer had been
observed Amber srbs,ance remarked by
the ancents from this circuns' ance--tar hen
rubbed ii had the power of attracting light sub
stances. This mysterious power appeared to them
similar to ;, that they We're accustomed TO say
thar Amber had a soul This was the extent to
which the knowledge of this principle had been
earned until an early period in the Christian era,
when We ind indications Of slight advance In
Ciesar's Commentaries we find mention made ~
Roman sentinels who had seen, in southern lali-
tudes, flames upon The points Of their lances-
Whe her this is 10 be regarded a TACT in the his
tory OF electricity may well be doubted We now
know, what wa not then suspected, tina, this phc
nomenon arose from principle similar to Thai Oh
served IN Amber Selmen had for long while
been acquainted with the Singular Appearance OF
flames Apont tops OF rasts-known by the names
OF Castor Il PoluN but they were not possessed
billions o; the eeciIic influence. These fac;s az
pear to be bat tuc cropping ont OF science-torc-
ing her way up through the surface. ard intruding
her precl.ss upon the notice OF man We
next find ii record that certain Gothic chei.
tain on drawing of his clothes perceived his flesh
TO be fire. We know now that the atlrtion oi
cloths upon natsral bodies deveopes electrical
light.
These slight f,-i7 may be passed over as mer-
Indications which might have afforded TRACES for
discoveries in Electricity. but which were utterly
UNDECIDED. Ii was not sill about hundred year,
ago that facts accumulated upon the attention as
10 aequre certain general character and lead to
the principle, ii Eiecuiciy The experiments of
two individuals in England, GRAY and WHEELER,
afforded Tie first SCI arhc information possessed
concerning ta4 mysterious hIii. The first great
law winch they established was the division of bo-
dies into conductors and non-condsctors. Up TO
their time the main fact, known were, that If GER
ain substances be- rubbed win CLOTHS they became
electrified and would attract iea'hers and show
other indications OF oiec,nci;y Graz and Wheeler,
IN r.penins and Observing their experiments. hap
pened on one occasion to rh.usi piece of cork
the mouth OF the elas. tube ih y were using on
applying the lisnt subs ances they observed vJh
Infinite surprise hat they al racied by the cok
winch had rot been rubbed as well rs by the gias
which had. With iho -pir OF philosophers they
determined 10 carry the matter farther, and aScer
tain whether longer cor, wolld exhibit the SAM
property; they tred d, and ;aun tia 1t did. They
,hen attached d, al rod two OF tlrce feet in length
10 the cork, and rubbing the glass they found |
that the cd shared in the electrical power They |
a once concluded That here was a, work some in
hlence before unnoticed, and determined to pursue
the experiment until they could reach more gen
ernl law.
They procured hcmpen cord as substitute Tor
the deal rod fastened to the end of the tube and
suspended at its other extremity ivory ball.
Now, said they. il the hud flies along the rod, it
nay along the cord; and upon holding light sub
stances to the ivory ball. truly enough 1t attracted |
them jus, as the rod had done. This was most
jmpo iant step. 1t Was clear the fiid passed along
the co,d, and they resolved to carry their expert
ments sill farther. They accordingly retired to a
country house, owned 10y Wheeler. and miles
FROM London where they could have more local
conveniences tor their nvc -tigalions and proceed
ed thus Not finding a sufficient hight from which |
TO suspend their cord, they had recourse this
ped enl-which affords another iorcibe Illustration
OF The important part accident often plays in the |
discovery of truth We shall indeed lind, if we |
watch the progress OF physical science, that
iargc proportion of her immortal principles have
owed' their discovery solely to accident, and thus
shall ind ii vith this great principle OF clnduc-
ZION Gray and Wheeler suspended iheir hempen
cord but they wished to make /, longer than
nv hight they possessed would allow they carried
along under long gallery. supporting it by s'len
hreads--which they chose merely because they |
we're fine and strong, and like, 10 proven, the fluid
from escaping by their enui,y. Al ne otuer end
If The hempen cord they suspended their ball OF
metal; sad rubbing The glass, and presenting
light ,absances the ball, they touut tina; they
pumped up 10 il. You all know would &c the
case. Tncy Wee. o: coarse, highly pleased with
the result, and proceeded 10 carry the experiment
-nll farther
Tuey procured much longer cord; but now their
silk cords would not support it, as its weight was
TOO great. Let Us tho1.' said Wheeler take
tue wire, which VII be 'rongerand inner and there
fore les, likely to carry oil our mud than the Silk
Wire tScy accordingly did take and on rstbing the
glass. aud applying hsh, bodies 70 the ball. found,
70 their great surprise that there not the >ligh;
est symptom OF attraction. ih,ir trsi suspicion
was that The cord was TOO iong. sad accordingly
they restored it 70 IL primitive length still keep
ing their wires a supporters; hut even then no
.isns OF electricity could be elected What IL
the reason # this - said they; when we suspend
ur cord by silk, the experiment succeeds, but
when ,ve use wire we lose all our ELECTRICITY
There must be some remarkable difference between
these two Substances. They followed this point, and
,aw plainly enough that the electricity escap ed
along the wlre, ou; would not along the silk The
result OF this was he grand di>covery-a discoy-
-ry OF the first order in phy,ics-tha, the metals
arc good rluctors while silk, and then all
nbrous bodies. wall not transmit the fluid al all or
on, imperfecily. rniS was the first srsa; discov-
eiy in ELECTRICITY, aud YOU see the accident from
which II arose.
ssh after the Investigations OF Gray and
Wheeler were undertaken, French philosopher
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