Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1853-08-09
From the Athenaeum.
Prof Farnday on Table Moving.

pursued and the results Obtained by Prol
Faraday in The investigation Of subjec
which has taken such strange occupation o
the public mind, both here and abroad. hal
been Communicated 10 our columns By tina
agh scientific authority. The subject wa.
generally opened by Mr.. Faraday in The
Times Of Saturday, il being therein inlima
ted that the detas were 10 be reserved Ioi
our lo.day's publication. The communca
ton is of grea, importance in the presen
morbid condition OF public ihough when
as Professor Fnraday says, the effec. pro-
duced by The tabe-lurnsrs, has, without due
inquiry, been referred 10 electricity, TO mag
nelism, 10 attraction, 10 some unknown OF
hitherto unrecognlzed physical power able
10 affect mammals bodies, TO the revolu.
ZION of the earth, and even 10 daboical or
supernatural agency; and we are tempted
10 extract a passage from Mr. Faraday s
letter 10 The Times, which we think well
worth adding 10 the experimental particulars
and The commentaries with which he has ia.
vored ourselves
81 have been," says the Professor, great
Iy startled by The revelation which this pure
ly physical subacl has made of The condi.
ZION OF the public mind. No doubl, there
are many persons who have formed right
Judgment or used CAUTIOUS reserve-lcr |
know several such, and public communi.
cations have shown il 10 be so /; bu, their
number is almost as nothing compared 10
the great body who have believed and
borne testimony as think. in the cause OF
error. do no! here refer 10 the distinction
Of those who agree with me and those who
differ. By the great body, J mean such as
reject all consideration Of The equality OF
cause and effect--who refer tho results TO
electricity and magnetism, yet knowno, a
thing Of The laws Of these iOrces-or 10
attraction, yet show no phenomena Of pure
attractive power-or 10 the rotation OF the
earlh, us if the earth revolved around the
leg Of table-or 10 some unrecOgnized
physical force, without enquiring whether
The known forces are not sulficienl--or who
even refer them 10 dabolical or supernalu-
raj agency, rather Than 10 suspend their
Judgment, or acknowledge 10 themselves that
they are not learned enough in these mat.
ters 10 decide on The nature Of the action.
think the system Of education that could
leave The mental condition Of the public
body in The stale in which this suble has
found ii, must have been greatly deficient in
some very important principles"
EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF TABLE.
. ... -... MOVING
.lssThe.o object Bhich~l ~lshad-i8,N ,Niew4ia,eshis.
enquiry was NIL 10 satisfy myself for my
conclusion had been formed already on the
evidence Of those who had turned tables
but that ! might be able 10 give strong opin.
ion, founded on facts, TO The many who
applied 10 me for ii. Yet The proof which
sought for, and the method followed in
the inquiry, were precisely Of The same ma.
ture as those which should adopt in any
other physical investigation. The parties
with whom have worked were very hon.
orabe, very clear in the intentions, success.
iul tablc-movers, very desirous Of succeed.
ing in establishing the existence OF pc.
cuIiar power, thoroughly candid, and very
effecIual. Ii is with me clear point, that
the table moves when ,be parties, though
they strong y wish it, do not intend, and do
moi believe that they move it by ordinary
mechanical power. They say, that the Ia
ble draws their hands; lha, it moves first,
and they have 10 follow it-that sometimes
il even moves from under their hands.
With some the table will move 10 the right
or left. according as they wish or will it
with others The direction Of The first motion
is uncertain but all agree that the table
moves the hands, and no, the hands the ia.
bio, Though do not believe The parties
do not intend 10 move the table, bu. OBJ.
tain the result by quasi involuntary action
still had no doubt Of the inhuenc Of ex.
peclation upon their minds, and through that
upon The success or failure of their efforts.
The first point, therefore, was, 10 remove
all objections due 10 expectation, having
relation TO the substances which might de-
sire TO use 80, plates Of the most differ
enl bodies, electrically speaking-namely,
sand paper. millboard, glue, glass, moist clay,
,inloil, cardboard, guua percha, vulcanzed
rubber, wood, &c.,-were made into bun.
die and placed on table under the hands oil
turner. The table turned. Oher bundles
Of other plates we're submitted to other per.
oOho a. 1tutIeW NueS-anu lU6 ldDles
turned.
Hencelorih, therefore, these substances
may be used in the construction Of appar.
alus. Neither during their use nor al 9TH
or times could the slightest trace of elec.
irical or magnetic effects be obtained. Al
the same trials il was readily ascerained
that one person could produce the effect
and that the motion was not necessasily cir
cular, but might be in a sraigh. line. NJ
form Of experiment or mode Of observa
sion that | could devise, gave me iht
slightest indication Of any peculiar natura
force. No attractions, or repulsions, o
sigus Of Iangendal power appeared, nor any
,hing which could be referred TO other thai
mere mechanical pressure exerIed inadver
ieudy by the turner. therefore proceed
ed 10 analyze This pressure, or that part Q
il exerled in horizontal direction - doin
SO in The first instance, unawares TO III
party. A soft cement, consisting oil wa
and ,urpentine, or wax and pomatum, wa
prepared. Four or FIVE pieces of smooth
slippery cardboard were attached one owe
the other by lule pellets Of the cemen
and the lower Of these 10 piece Of san
paper resting on the table. The edges c
these sheels overlapped slightly, and on tn
under surface pencil line was drawn owe
the laps so as 10 indicate position. The up
per cardboard was larger than the rest, so q
IA HI f.asN tuIl