New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-12-21

When Mr. paines discovery waa first an.
Dounced, while conceded it's Importance if
real, we expressed great distrust of it from the
manner OF It's announcement. From the succeed
ing publications. OF those who protested to know
something OF it, and from those of Mr.. Paine him
SELL our dstrust vas increased and ia fact settled
down lnto pretty determined Hkeptlcism, which
was confirmed by the report of certain "scien-
tito committee" Indeed, we entertained much
more decided opinion against il than 9e ever
found occasion to express But we have seen Tor
oursef, and find that we have done Mr. Paine very
great, though not intentional, injustice And we
can hardly find words TO express our surprise ar
the scientific report which was partly the cause Of
our doing So
The operation as we saw it. was as clear and
cllnchlng a demonstration as we ever witnessed
in the range OF chemical science There was A
rapid and abundant evolution of gas from the
water in the jar, with which nothing whatever
communicated save two hat strips Of copper and
the small tube which terminated in the let or
burner, without any possible connection with any
thing between the ar of water and the burner
save the spirits OF turpentne contained in ano-
Their smaller glass jar The electric apparatus be.
ing put in notion as soon the cir over the water
had been expelled and the exit was closed, the
pressure over the water drove the gas rapidly
through the spirits OF turpentine, and the jet be-
yond it being lighted, burned freely and wiki a
high Illuminating pOwer-not ashamed to be seen
i
the jar OF water end of spirits of turpentine was
opened and lighted and we saw the unmstaka-
bic flame OF hydrogen, scarcely visible by day
light. This pure hydrogen was the gas evolved
from the water and could not possibly have come
from the turpentine, for the current was all the
while flowing from the water through the spirits
OF turpentine-and beside how could the spirits
of turpentine possibly give an Illuminating aame
on one side and an invisible fame on the other?
Mr. Paine showed US every part of
his apparatus, including his peculiar heliceS and
elect7ode, not shown to the scientific men before
mentioned We are not at liberty to explain to
our readers the peculiarly of their construction
suffice it to say, that they calculated the subject
very much to mind, and clothed the discovery
with a scientific interest even superior to its eco
nomcal and practical.
The means, and the only possible means, by
which Mr.. Paine exerts an agency upon the water
through the copper ribbons, Is q sort OF electro
magnetic condenser, an instrument different from
these manufactured by the electromagnetic in
srument-makers in this City, only in the interior
construction OF its revolving helices. 1t consists
Of two sets combinations Of large permanent
horse shoe magnets, parallel and opening in the
same direction, between the poles OF which pair
of heliees are made to revolve horizontally. There
is no galvanic voltaic action in the case and
no expense 1ohateUer on these helices but of the
slight mechanical force which is necessary to give
them moderately rapid revolution, they meeting
no resistance but that OF the common pivot and
the slight friction of their poles upon metallic
discs to effect the successive discharges. But the
power of this simple arrangement to evolve cleo
tricity is tremendous. The electrical force com
pared with the mechanical cause, is like that of
the rush of water which carries the wheel Of
great cotton factory compared with the effort OF
child who may hoist the gate. On the
whole, therefore, we feel confident that Mr.. Paine
has discovered the means OF producing an mex
pensve light of the purest and most efficient quail
ity And more than that, we believe he has
opened a new and vast field in science.
Now, this alleged invention of Mr.
Paine's, here testified to by an impartial
and clear headed observer, is only one of
many, all more or less matters Of public
notorety. And in the face of such i'm
provements the New Y ork Gas Company
are so skillfully influencing our Common
Council that the City is in danger of
being obliged to pay for the Gas of
that Company, and pay exorbitantly, for
eighteen years to come. Once more we
protest against such an outrage upon com
mon sense and the rights of those who are
threatened with high taxes in order to suit
the pleasure of this Gas Company.