New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-06-08
p.,,e,. Hy sro-E'ectric Light
ran" ,.x,fos, Mass. Mopday, jane 5.

T@ -. ~. crest and wonderful discoveries and
An"'e ~ no present age, it is believed there
invep'O"' u,,r, approaching the miraculous, or
fou Of benefcent promise 70 |'"N ~ = M n
49, Ia. recently been announced oy nLS"i :"
a'.- - - worces,er, by which be is enaoed almost
We .xrepse or labor to produce, from pure wa
~i'h'"' San, and most brilliant hgh; aud BY
ier, -. he can produce heat and Daot'ce Po'oeT 10
'''s.,,,sd extent--tbus essentially snpersed'ng
.ees,i,y Of using the Ordinary materials Tor the
w .H.hu,en. Of those Purposes, aud 10 great
sc"-t the vast expenses which the use OF '"'se
Hs ave. ,saNty aud practical utility Of Mr. Pane
- ipe ~, a,d invention 40 far Bt least as TIE pro
49, of bQAt is coBcerued-and perhaps 'uo
ssr'e NAV be said Of heat aso-haYe been ms
80 and satisfactorily tested. The pnnciPic' a.
.I.d as prescribed, iDialhbly produces tne PIN,
80 results so that the time may De reg HoSu :;
-, distant when the whale may secHeiy sPo.'
- ra,;ve ocean, when the coal beds OF me eau
-, rest forever undisturbed, and thS io' i'
.,sSose end WAS to be burned, may be sara W "a''
outlived their doom. -. c,al come in.
Presuroipe that your readers ma I re- a.
terest ia knowing the processes y Is Isbis,,
Paine has arrived at the III afo,nstio,
he has announced, submit mr INC" I"'O.
s &c" SI.a';"s, brief history OF his experiments
The 1OllOWlUB DAs~- If
which have learned rom hinisoii' L;.L :. 40,
T. r. conrse OF some experiments WHICH, Ia con-
III VI. Tn The late Col BOmOrG OF the Ordnance
nsrt.,snf. Mr.. Paine was making IN the w inter
rfisl4-5, for the purpose Of preclPitaHng sheA' III
,,;on bv the action OF electricity, he became sat
;ssed tbat so long ss the whole body Of water
a,@,od the poles remained conductive or difusiye
s.sd;un, the action Of the passing currents would
assi;,,i,ed and the results desired unsttainable.-
with this view of the subject, he sought for some
r..bod by which the atoms Of water in contact
vii the poles could be eifectualy barred from
communication with any conducting substance and
vel admit of continual supply Of the water 70 be
decompOseO ,,.
;oster;2Iitv of the electric 1id all efforts 10
ss,nplsh the desired result failed and the expert
,nent was about 10 b. abandoned, when doubt as
totbe truth Of the books on the question Of the nd-
a - Of electfcitv arose in his mind and on the faint
,bose thus suggested the experiments were renew
sa and the results more than realized his most
ehtrished antcipstions-for not only was the insa'
lstion of the water perfect and the decomposition
renid hut the electric fluid was found 10 be suscep-
tibe If accumulation and condensation to an unilnl
tied degree. The ease and rapidly with which
he water was resolved into its component gases
naturally suggested the idea OF applying the dis.
coyery to some practical use, aud that ofhgW was
selected as the simple and inexpensive Ia its
aoplication. But on the very threshold Of the ex-
pertinent an apparently insurmountable obstacle
was met in the inability to separate the gases and
siter lumber of serious explosions he was in
duced, by the entreaties of his family for time 10
desst.
But although his practical experiments were sus
pended, his mental action on the subject was not
barring the Fall of l64s, he came % the conclusion
that the law which demanded an aqueous c0mmu-
Iicaton between the poles or that the positive and
neg atve poles should both enter one body OF water,
was not correct-a conclusion which very simple
experiment demonstrated as true. One pole was
iuxafted into glass of water in the corner of a
large room and the other pole in another glass in
the opposite corner, and electric commun alton
made between them. al the u0ter az one glass
xas decomposed, and hydrogen only o6tatHed All
tie udter toas decoDlpoSed ia the other, and oxygen
onsy obtaiaed. The experiment being thus entire
" successful, a small electro magnetic apparatus,
having it's helices kept in motion by CLOCK work,
was put in operation at Mr.. Paines dwelling and
was found capable nf supplying three burners with
m abundance OF the gases. AT this period, Mr..
PANE publicly announced the discovery, and in
utd the citizens to call and examine for them
selves
In the Spring of ls49, Mr. P erected lighthouse
On an eminence in Worcester, and there success.
5uly tried his experiments on large scale for sew
ara months. He also lighted one Of the stores in
he city, which presented most brilliant exhibi
tpo. exciting the astOnIshment and admiration Of
IL who witnessed il.
The experiments at the lighthouse were contin-
sei til September, when an explosion occurred
which momentarily clouded the bright prospects
Of the discovery This explosion is thus &C
oosnted for: That state or action Of electrici-
y known galUanisn, produces decomposl'
hm; while that known az Intensity causes repul-
sion to take place at the electrodes, and deha-
grsiion OF the decomposing cells is the consequent
result 1t was to this action that the explosion re-
isred to was due, the gases being hired by the
melting electrode. 1t was hence apparent that
some me hod should be devised, other than that Of
personal observance, 10 prevent such explosions in
future The same agent that caused the danger
must be made 10 remove II. But here was Tor
midable difficulty, and TO surmount II required long
and patient thought and labor. The object how
ever was attained, and the apparatus made to
govern ITSELF By the breaking Of as circuits aohes
sn,flHssage IS passing 50 that the danger OF an
explosion is entirely removed.
Ii Is not at present practicable TO go into a me
mute description Of Mr.. Paines apparatus SuiHci-
TO say that the descent of weight OF 81 pounds,
distance of 9 feet, will generate 800 cubic feet OF
the gases from a quart or two of water-beng suf-
fcient to light hall Of the largest size for whole
evening, and at no other expense than the interest
Of The cost Of the apparatus, which may be some
ssoo or $500. And these gases may be used. as
has already been suggested, not only for hgib, but
fcr Porer and for heating purposes. The appara-
tas constructed iVr the supply OF 5000 burners, and
in sc.ion, are now daily witnessed by admring
visitors, at the Worcester Exchange, nothing be.
ing concealed from observation but the interior of
the helices and electrodes The whole process of
me decomposition can be seen, and, if necessary,
felt
Nj Paine has also at bis house subject to view,
the ANAL apparatus, before alluded TO- by which
ne exhibited the strongest white light and so pure
that the most delicate shades may be distinguish.
ed ~ it at a distance of several feet from the
burners. And at the same time, he produces In
aiew moments, an equal aud genial heat through
cat the apartment
Mr. Pane claims to have disc0rered a new prin.
cpls in electricity, viz. ponierabilty materially,
ana obedience TO the laws of gravi.asion. He
cisims 70 have been the first % accumuiate and
s.Ssress the electric iuid aud also to have in.
reH<sa q machine or apparatus, which enables him
10 use the electric fluid for useful purposes. in the
arts and sciences, at other coat than th intr'