Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-09-20

Recently made BY Prof. EsPY to the Secretary o
the Navy, as to the IneOrefic deductions fheTei,
advanced, by DR.. HARE being the substance O
| verbal communication to the Association fol-
| the advancement Of Science, at their late meet
ing at albany.
have seen report made to the Secretary Of the Navy b.
Prof. EsPr, which, far it correctly records the pheno
of various storms be honorable the author
worthy Of the Department Of Government under who's
auspices il has been made Doubtless in this in othe
publications originating from the there may be
great exhibition Of ability, science, and zeal nevertheless
question the propriey Of making any particular hypothesis
the Of official report by its author and sfdent sd
vocae unaccompaned by fair summary Of the objections
which have been made to it any notice Of any other by
pohess which may have been advanced as preferable Will
Prof Espys opinions far as to agree in the in
ference that hurricanes and ornadoes are the consequence
the ascent Of air from focal intermediate space by
which confluence from two opposite quarters te
supply the deficit thus arising s induced yet we differ as Il
The Of the of the air in such cases. In the yea
1885 advanced before meeting Of the American Phioso
phcal Society that the Of the in question was
discharge Of electricity between the earth and sky. Th
explanation made the subectoa memoir published in the
transactions Of that society in 1885.
will endeavor give sketch Of the views which now
/
y and forcby than did at that time.
Every person familiar with the phenomena of electricity,
produced by electrical machine be aware that there
modes in which discharge may be effected between
the opposey charged surfaces Of conductors Of coated
electric. In case, simultaneously with the discharge
vivid spark is take place in the other case some
movable body, such beIl-elsppo ph-bal or blast
Of air issuing from projecting point, j. made to convey
electricity from surface to the other, until discharge
accomplished The latter process has been designated by
Faradsy the connective discharge from conyeo to carry
while the former is designated duptve from dirumpo
break through SINCE hs case the opposite break
though the air. conveying the whole charge while
in the other process the opposite excements gradually
neuazed BY successive contacts with the matter passing
from to the other Notoousy either of these dischag
ing processes may be substituted for the other by slight
ration Of distance.
Thus in the experiment in which ph- balls are made to
resemble hail. by dancing between oppostey electrified disks
approximation of of the disks towards the others
duces spark drupve discharge and thus causes dane
ing cease In Cshberon balance elecomeer the move
able ball approaches that which is stationery in obedience
the connective process but the distance between
the balls reduced within the striking distance rupve
discharge ensues, indicated az usual by spark.
It follows that by slight variation distance the same
degree of electrical excitement may be productive either of
connective of diruptive discharge. Excepting prodi
gous disparity in magnitude the dupve spark discharge is
universally recognised perfectly similar lightning Both
admitted to be due to discharges electrical accumula
tons differing only TO magnitude. Since, sgreeably
this exposition, susceptibility Of Communication exists
specs druptve discharge in its minute forms, and
tive discharge upon the SCALE does not follow that the
former produced by the gigantic processes Of nature should
be commulabe with connective process OF corresponding
immensely But if the spark dupive discharge is
exemp6ed BY lightning, how the latter to be exempled
Where there any gigantic meteorological process which
supply the deficiency excepting that Of the tornado hu
cane which last may be viewed tornado scale of
pre-eminent grandeur
If from point electrified by machine blast of air may
proceed strong from bow-ppe supplied BY bellows,
may blast be emitted from every terrestrial
prominence electrified by the powerful apparatus Of Nature,
much greater than that of blow pipe spark light
ming of mile in length exceeds that yielded by excited
conductor or charged jar SO long there ascent Of
air consequent to electrical convection, there must be
fuence of the fluid from opposite quarters
supply the deficit thus created and the air follows
the electrified column being excessively similarly electrified
that enduring trunk column formed and sustained which
characterizes tornadoes waterspouts
Within this travelling trunk, which, in its form,
tions and deeious power resembles that of
elephant mschevous gigantic bodies not only sub
ected to the connective influence the air but
also exposed to the upward force arising from vertical blast
On each side Of the track which marks the progress Of the
trunk bodies subjected to the continent blasts which rush
in to supply the upward Hurricanes may be
sideed as the consequence of connective electrical discharge
vastly extensive scale than tonadoes. Evidently
there be conceivable limits the which such
electrical accumuatons may have. All that is essential to
accumulation of electricity analogous to that which may
be secured by of coated pane Leyden jar that
there shall be suitable electric to fill the Office performed by
the glass in those instruments and two conductors competent
to act coaings
Experience shows that the dense portion of the atmo-
sphere, which lies between the storm clouds and the EARTH
competent to electric, otherwise there would
be hundergus NOR any atmospheric discharges dis
played in the form of lightning That air. raried
tain degree, becomes capable of acting coating does in
the Of the Leyden jar proved by the that the
inner surface of glass GLOBE within which the air is ra
fed BY exhaustion, may be charged like Leyden jar if to
the outer surface conducting body be applied aud due
communication made with electrical machine in operation
1t well known that the earth is conductor 1t follows
that in the earth and the raed medium above the denser
subsraum of the atmosphere competent
ings, while in the air which lies between them have
competent electric Using the language of the Franknian
theory urged that in the concenc spaces occupied by the
earth, and that occupied by the conducting medium
above alluded to, there be of electricity
which could not fail from mechanical chemical
be in different states. But assuming that electricity is
suit Of the polarization of the ethereal fluid the unduaon
of which light is ascrbed led substitute for
of specific fluid the idea of boundess ocean Of ethereal
matter, which BY peculiar affections may become competent
perform within tho concenrc spaces alluded to the part
assigned by Franklin fud by Dufay to two fluids
Consistently may be inferred that atmospheric change
may extend all around the GLOBE make great bat
terry analogous that above described of the exhausted glass
gobetho rarefacton being in INTERNAL in the other
external Agreeaby to these considerations there
limits the possible Of atmospheric accumulaons OF
electricity, while the apdiy with which discharges pervade
conductors is such render distance obstacle Agree
ably the lowest estimate of the velocity of the electric
produced BY gavsnc apparatus very low in