Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-07-16
PROFESSOR FARADAY ON TABLE MOVING.
FROM THE LONDON AruEsauM.

The following accounts of the method pursued and the
results obtained by Professor Faraday in the inyesti
on of subject which has taken such strange occupac
on OF the public mind, both here and abroad has been
communicated TO our columns by that high scientific au-
thority The subject generally opened by Mr. Fara
day in the Times OF Thursday it being therein intmated
that the details be reserved our this DAYS pub
cation The communication is Of great Importance in
the present morbid condition of public thoughwhen as
Professor Faraday says the effect produced by the table
turner's has without due inquiry been referred to cleo
ricity to magnetism TO attraction, unknown or
hitherto unrecognised physical power able to affect in
animate bodies the revolutions of the earth and
TO diabolical orupernatHl agency and we are tempt
ed to extract apassage from Mr. Faradays letter to the
Times, which think well worth adding to the expert
mental particulars and the commentaries with which he
has favored ourselves
have been says the Professor greatly startled
by the revelation which this purely physical subject has
made Of the condition Of the public mind. No doubt
there are many persons who have formed right judg-
ment or used cautious reserve for know several SUCH
and public communications have shown it to be so but
their number is almost nothing the great body who
have believed and borne testimony think the cause
of error do not here refer to the distinction of those
who agree with and those who differ. BY the great
body mean such reject all consideration Of the eouali
ty of cause and effect who refer the results eectrc
and magnetism yet know nothing Of the laws of these
forces or TO attraction, yet show phenomena of pure
attractive power the rotation Of the earh revov-
ed round the leg of table, to unrecognised
physical force without nqurng whether the known for
not sufficient; who refer them to daboi
cal supernatural agency rather than suspend their
judgment, acknowledge to themselves that they
learned enough in these matters decide the
of the action think the system of education that could
leave the mental condition Of the public body in the
state in which this subject has found it have been
greatly deficient in some very important principles
EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF TABLE MOVING.
sThe object which had in view in this inquiry was
to satisfy myself for my conclusion had been formed
already the evidence of those who had turned tables
but that might be enabled to give strong opinion,
founded facts to the many who applied for it,
Yet the proof which sought for and the method follow
ed in the inquiry precisely of the nature
those which should adopt in any other physical nves
tigaton. The parties with whom have worked were
very honorable very clear in their intentions successful
very desrous Of succeeding in establishing
the existence of peculiar power thoroughly candid and
very efectua 1t is with clear point that the table
when the parties though they strongly wish it, do
not intend and do believe that they it by ordi
nary mechanical power They say the table draws
their hands il moves first, and they have to follow it,
that sometimes it even moves from under their hands
With the table will to the right left accord
ing they wish will it with others the direction of the
first motion is uncertain but all agree that the table
the hands and not the hands the table Though
believe the parties do not intend to the table but
had doubt Of the nfuenceof expectation upon their
minds and through that upon the suQsrss fsiure of
their Efforts The 6rls point therefore, tas ozrsmoye
al oh}ectio,s due o1nectAtou having relation 70 the
substances which might desire So plates Of the
most different bodies electrically speaking-namey, sand
paper, mboard, glue, glass, moist clay tinfo, card
board gutta percha vucanized rubber wood, &c-were
made into bundle and placed table under the hands
of The table turned Other bundles Of other
plates submitted to different persons other times
and the tables turned Henceorth therefore these sub
he ruad IN thu 30
Neither during their at other times could the
slightest trace Of electrical magnetic efectbe obtained
At the trials il readily ascertaned that
could produce the effect and that the motion
necessarily circular but might be in straight line
Nofom Of experiment mode Of observation that could
devise gave the slightest indication of any peculiar
natural force No attractions repusions, signs Of
tangential power appeared, any thing which could
referred to other than the mechanical pressure
eIerted inadvertently by the turner. therefore pro-
ceeded to anayze this pressure or that part Of It
in horizontal direction doing in the first instance
unawares TO the party soft cement, consisting Of
and turpentine, or wax and pomatum, was prepared |
Four five pieces of smooth slippery cardboard were
attached the other by little pellets of the
ment and the lower Of these to piece Of sand-paper
resting the table, the edges Of these sheets overlap
ped slightly and the under surface pencil line
drawn over the laps so indicate position The
upper cardboard larger than the rest cover
the whole from sight Then the tabeturner placed the
hands upon the upper card and waited for the result
Now the cement was strong enough TO offer considerable
cards in any position which they acquire, and
yet weak enough to give way slowly to continued force
When at last the tables, cards. and hands all moved to
the left together and true result obtained,
took up the pack On examination il easy by
the displacement Of the parts Of the line that the hand
had moved further than the table, and that the latter had
Jagged behind-tha the hand in fact, had pushed the
upper card the left and that the under cards and the
table had followed and been dragged by It, In other
similar cases. when the table had moved still the up
per card found to have moved showing that the hand
had carried it in the expected direction 1t was evident
therefore, that the table had not drawn the hand and
person round nor had 1t moved simultaneously with the
hand The hand had left all things under Il behind, and
the table evidently tended continually to keep the hand
back.
The next step to arrange index which should
show whether the table moved first the hand moved
before the table, both moved remained at rest
gether At first this done by placing upright pn
fixed leaden foot upon the table, and using that
the fulcrum Of q light lever The latter made Of
slip Of fooscap paper and the short arm, about quar-
ter Of inch in length, attached to pin proceed
ing from the edge Of slipping card placed the table,
and prepared receive the hands of the table turner
The other arm Of Ill inches long, served for the index
Of motion coin laid on the table marked the normal
position Of the card and index At first the slipping card
was attached to the table by the soft cement and the in
lex was either screened from the or the latter
looked away then before the table moved the index
showed that the hand giving resultant pressure in
The expected direction The effect carried far
enough TO move the table, for the motion Of the index
corrected the judgment Of the expermener who became
aware that inadvertently sde-force had been exerted
The card was now set free from the table the ce
ment was removed This of could not interfere
with airy Of the results expected by the abeurner for
both the bundle Of plates spoken Of and single cards had
freely moved the tables before but now that the
index was there witnessing to the eye and through
Iof ttrp a1..