The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1850-05-08
From the Scientific American


| had determined not to notice the rcmaks
of anonymous " riters in the public journals, on
the subject of the Hydro Electric Light, deem
ing the fact of it's public existence and action
sufficient refutaton of the many absurd attempts
to dsproye the discovery of a new principle, by
instancing the failure of the same experiments
made under the guidance of old theories Had
at any time asserted that | had produced the IA.
pld decomposition of water by the same means
and process that has hitherto been taught by the
books, should have meritod newspaper ridicule
But have from the first claimed the discover,
of "e'0 principle and the production of new re
suits
During the winter of 1s44-5, the late Col
Bomfort and myself, were engaged in some ex.
periments, having for their object the precipita-
ton of slick lin soution,) by the action of cleo.
trcity; it being expected that glass so formed
would be very dense and consequently possess
high refractivc power. During the course OF
experiments became satisfied that so long as
the whole body of water around the poles re-
manned conductive medium, the action of the
passing currents would be limited, and the re-
suits desired unattainable. With this view of
the subject sought for some method by which
the atoms ca water In contact with the poles,
could be etfcctually barred from communication
with any conducting substance, and yet admit
f supply of the water to be decomposed.
ity and immaterality of the electric fud, all
efforts to accomplish the desired result failed,
and the experiment was about to be abandoned,
when doubt of the truth of old theories of the
nature OF electricity, arose in my mind and on
the faint hope held forth, the experiments were
renewed, and the results more than realized my
most sangune expectations, for not only was the
insulation of the water perfect, and the decom-
position rapid but the electric fluid was found
to be susceptible of accumulation to an unlimited
degree. The ease and rapidity with which the
water was resolved into its component gases,
naturally suggested the idea of applying the dis
covery to some practical use, and that of light
was selected, as the most simple and inexpen-
sive in its application. But an apparently nsur-
mountable obstacle was met in the inability
to separate the gases. [ concluded that the
law which demanded an aqueous communica-
ton between the poles, or that both should en-
ter one body of water, not correct-a con-
cuslon which was verified by simple expert
ment. One pole was inserted in glass Of wa
ter IN the corner of large room, and the other
pole in another glass in the opposite corner, and
an electrical communication made between
All the water in one glass was dccomposed and
hydrogen only obtained. All the water was de-
composed in the other and oxygen only obtained.
The result was known, the experiment was con-
sidered fully successful, and small eectro-mag
netlc apparatus, having it's helices kept in mo-
ton by clock work, was put in operation at my
dwelling, and was found capable of supplying
three burners with an abundance of the gases
1t was at this period of the experiments that |
issued the circular announcing the discovery,
and with it an invitation to the citizens of this
place to call and examine for themselves.
In the spring of 1S49, lighthouse cree
ted on an eminence, near this city, and the ex-
pertinent tried on large scale for several months
at the light house, besides the lighting of stores
in the city, the result being entirely successful
in both places.
The result Of all the experiments up to this
time, are as follows:
The descent of a weight of 81 lbs. distance
OF feet, will generate 800 cubic feet of the gas
es, at no other expense than the interest of the
cost of the apparatus, say $500. You may use
the gases tor light, power, or purposes of caloric.
l receive letters nquring what claim as my
invention: permit me here to reply, that claim
to have discovered new principle in electricity,
viz: ponaerahilityy, materality, and obedience
to the laws of g!avitatiqn. claim to be the
first to accumulate and compress the electric
fluid; and | claim to have invented machine or
apparatus which enables me to use the electric
fluid for useful purposes in the arts and sciences,
at no other cost than the interest of its price
HENRY M. PAINE.