Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1851-01-30

The talent for inventing new modes OF
employing forces is great, but that of dis
covering new motors, and applying them to
the general purposes of engineering, is far
greater. Que is somewhat common, the
other rare. A new power is now wanted,
is looked for and what field of enterprise
vii ITS introduction open Every depart
ment of mental aud physical existence will
/ be benefited by IT, Steam has wrought glo-
rIously aud equal changes for the better
will be wrought by that agent which displa-
ces 1t, or which takes place beside it.
ATMOSPHERIC OR COMMON ELEcTRIcITY
+ There are indications ola law by which ev-
cry motor must come IN its own order. If
It appears before ITS time, II will take more
or less of the character of an abortion. 1t
will be lmperiectly developed, It's hlbltudes
not understood, aud the means of control
/ ling them wanting. This was the case with
steam, whose mechanical properties the an
clients detected, yet they were not prepared
for It. In their hands us application was
confined to triles, aud even for them soon
laid aside. Such was the case with explo-
sive compounds also, and to some extent it
+ Is the case now with electricity
That this piercing aud potent energy is
ordained 10 play apr0inlneni part in the arts
as II does in nature, is all but certain per-
/ haps as muluiarlous IN lis operations too.
Already 1t separates metals from their ores,
aud guilds our plate; IN telegraphs, it anui-
hiates time, aud IN electric clocks, meas
ufes II; as an element for artificial l1min-
alton, it is now being courtod, and may. at
no distaLt day, be used to light up the at
mosphcre over cities, IN place of myrlads of
petty tapers For other purposes also, the
most sagaclous OF spirits are endeavorlug to
subdue it,
But, if inorganic motofs are to come, in
their turn, that is, according as preparations
are made To- receive them, or, ia other words,
not until a previous familiarity with their
natures has hued US properly to apply them,
1t Is hardly to be expected thai we should
soon realize what seems to be the highest,
and which, of earthly things, we. as yet,
know least about 1t is the part of philoso-
pliers to reveal priuclples--of mechanics to
apply them; but philosophers, as yet, know
hide more about electricity than do artl6-
GERS.
While some are sanguine Of soon yoklng
this invisible steed IN material traces, and
compelling it to work as do grosser motors
Others incline to the opinion that the chief
of earthly conquesis is not to be made SO
steadily Certes, when electricity is brought
into mans service as a common worker, all
that may come after must need be subordl-
nate. When this ubiquitous, eXh-ustless,
mponderable, hcolruptlble something-a-
gent or spirit, substance, or whatever 1t
becomes SO far subdued, men will have pro-
crossed, one would have supposed, beyond
matrial, and entered upon Celestial physics.
The pursuit Is, however, Il legitimate one,
and neither repeated nor long continued fail
ures can be attended with dishonor. Sue
cess Is matter of time-lf not now to be
attained, it will be-must be. The difficult
ty with ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS short dis
lance through which the force is felt-he-
longs, not to the ordinary phases of the 1u-
id in Natures exhibitions She causes ii
to act through greater spaces than can ever
be required in the arts and as further III
ducement for Us 20 perseyere, she shows lis
energy under circumstances where II might
have been least suspected -crcumstances
it were well for inventors to study; We must
first understand her operation. before we
can successfully initiate them.
Peryadlng all things, nothing is, and no
thing moves without It, Recently, it has
been detected issuing IN showers from rush
ng steam while thmblelul of water is
known tn contain enough 10 shake both
earth and heaven. It's dynamic effects are
seen IN leagues of prosIrated forests
other times in unrooiug and overthrowing
dwellings its expansive power in splitting
....I tt.tn
too. in forcing outward the sides of build
Jugs Three years ago, the stone steepIe of
church was burst asnnder during thun-
der-storm, the walls being dispersed in eve
nv direction. One hundred tons of stone
were blown to distance Of thirty yards, IN
three seconds--eXhibniug mechanical
force calculated to have exceeded that of
over twelve thousand horses
A power that does these things, and grea-
ter, only wants to be understood To- make II
turn our carriage, paddle, aud mill wheels.
There is enough TO turn them for ever, can
we bat find out the means to tame II. 1t
is sound philosophy, that all the mechanical
. performances of nature (not excepting that
of lightnng) are imltable, and also applIca-
bic To human purposes.
I To show US what else it can do Nature
diyersIhes the experiment thus; thrustIng
down portion OF a cloud in the form of an
elongated tube, lill the orllice approaches
the surface OF the sea, tons upon tons OF wa
ter vIsibly ascend into the uebuous resef-
yor above. When this is filled, the strange
duct gathers itself up TO its parent body
aud, then the whole is borne away Ia I'LL the
pitchers of Aquarlus Here we have the
phenomenon of water beginning to boil aud
leap as the hose desceuds, impatient as it
were to rush through II. When engineers
become da fat IN repeating similar expert
meuts, oyershot motEe-whees may become
as numerous in deserts, as by the sides of
rivers. In water spouts, the process is open
to observation from beginning to end-sIlll
it is an unsolved problem.
To conclude notwithstanding those OF
! bygone and the more successful inquiries OF
recent days, but exceedingly few OF her Sc
crels have yet been drawn out OF Nature.
Enylroned by her, il is but lille that IS COM
pretended of what she is doing above. be-
MEATH about US yes, with US aud within
us-hitle of the grand scheme of creation
and of the principles aud processes at work
ia it. Our wisest men are bat pupils IN
] kat IL