New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-01-30
LIGHT FROM WATER.
LETTER FROM HENRY N. PAINE.

10 he Editor Of The Tribune
DEAR SIR: A writer in your journal calls upon
DR. Doremus for certain information concerning
the Hydro Electro Light. The writer well knew
that DR.. D. was averse to being tagged into a
newspaper controversy, and therefore presumed
on that vantage point to pen his nsiduous article
It seems to me very singular that all the at
tacks made against the veracity Of the discovery.
with one exception are anonymous, or over TIC
titious signatures; while the statements made
in its favor are signed by real responsible names,
among which are to be found some Ct our first
mechanics, and best chemists.
Whatever may be the cause Of the malicious
efforts to discourage my progress, one thing is
certain that the movers in it feel the necessity OF
some energetic action, honorable or otherwise, to
protect their interests; and thus, unfortunately
for the required results, show conclusively that
there is something to dread in the discovery, If 1t
is a humbug. But so far they have been fairly
met with their own weapons, and propose to
answer your inquirer in such a way, that while
truth only will be used, he will certainly be very
much dissatisfied.
Some few weeks since, Mr.. Young, President
Of the Manhattan Gas Co together with DR.. Dore-
mus, called at my workshop for the purpose OF
critical examination Of the apparatus for evolving
gas from water and burning the same.
This was their open aud avOwed purpose and
when it is known that Mr. Young framed or made
the Scientific Committee" which reported last
Summer on the light, in such luminous manner,
it will be understood that keen investigation
took place. There was no secret box" or sub
terranean pipes; all was mOrabie, and subject to
their own personal action, and raS lrorked 6ythem
at their pleasure; all ~as taken 10 pieces that they
required, and the toGteT and turpenttHe examined
BIZ temselues DR. Doremus was entirely at fault
to account chemically for the results he wit
messed but both here and elsewhere fully admit
ted the fact
And here l would remark that the scientific
world seem to be trying TO make my facts coincide
with their theories, which l submit is not only
very difficult, but utterly impossible.
If DR.. d. or any other chemist can account Tor
the results they witness in new discovery then
there has been discovery made, they having
knowledge before hand
have mentioned, that there was one exception
TO the general attacks | have sustained in the
matter of signatures. You OF course are aware
that refer to the scientific Csmelling) Committee,
and as Mr. Thomas Antsell, NJ. ID. No. 80 City
Hall. has been pleased to bring them from their
obscutity again, and now particularly as Mr.
Youngs visit to my shop has something to do
with them, l would remark that areperusal OF
their report will inform you that they saw only
the process of Catalysis, that they first based
their impression of secret pipes on the pre-
sumptions that hydrogen would not acqre a
lumineierous quality by passing through turpen,
tine, and second, that the Gas had the "oder OF
Resin or Oil Gas" Now the experiments OF
Mathist, of the Coast Survey, Puff, Frost, and
numerous others prove their first position wrong
and consequently we must fall back on their nasal
test, without stopping 70 critlclse the TACT that
BODY of chemists and 1" Gas Engineers sat In
judgment on the nature Of Gas with their
olfactory nerves as tests IN Analysis "lii
pass 10 the too them, bitter fact, that both
Mr. Young, and DIR. DOremus pronounced the
Gas artthOm sufficient oder 10 render a safe,
and when / required them to remember the
words Of the Committee" they without hes
itation pronounced the Committee nasal organ
out of order. Says Mr.. Young, " II you can make
sour Gas IN The required quantities. y0u still hare
n great djficulty 10 Orerc0met IS not safe, beiRg
nearly inOdOrousi you cW Jlor mp # your pipes
leak"
Perhaps Dr. Antisell will now PROFOUND some
questions to Mr.. young, and perhaps gas stocks
will go up, or down, and perhaps certain con-
spirator to break down the only safeguard the In.
ventor now has against piraticsl corporations will
be handled as roughly as his friends OF the Sci
entifc Committee" yvvnvu DAME
n We publish Mr.. Paine's communi
cation, though we think he mistakes the
drift of DR.. Antisell's letter to Prof Dore-
mus.
Meanwhile, the silence of the last named
gentleman seems to indicate that he is
either at fault upon the matter, or is con-
vinced that the discovery is true one. II
he knew certainly that it was humbug, he
would probably let the public know it also
But why don't Mr.. Paine bring his ap-
paratus to New York and convince the
world If he has a light, why does he
persist in hiding it under a bushel