The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1853-08-10

cessarily circular, but might be in a straight
line No form of experiment or mode of
observation that | could devise gave me
the slightest indication of any peculiar
natural force. No attractions or repul-
sions, or signs of tangential power, APP
peared--nor anything which could be re-
terred to other than the mere mechanical
pressure asserted ina advertantly bv tie
turner. therefore proceed to analyze
this pressure, or that part of it exerted in
horizontal direction doing so, in the
ilrst instance, unawares to the party. A
soft cement, consisting of wax and turpen-
tine, or wax and pomatum was prepared.
Four or five pieces Of smooth slippery
cardboard were attached one over the
other by little pellets of the cement, and
the lower of these to piece Of sand-papcr
resting on the table: the edges Of these
sheets ovcrlapped slightly, and on the un-
der surface pencil Was drawn over the
laps so as to indicate position. The up
per cardboard was longer than the rest.
so as to cover the whole from sight Then,
the tabIe-turner placed the hands upon
the upper card, and we waited for a re-
suit. Now the cement was strong enough
to offer considerable resistance to mechani-
cal motion, and also retain the cards in
any new position which they might re-
qulre-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 so true result
was obtained, | took up the pack. On
examination, it was easy to see by the
displacement Of the parts of the line, that
the hand had moved further than the ia
ble, and that the latter had Jagged behind
that the hand, in fact, had pushed the
upper card to 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 not moved, still the
upper card was 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 it
moved simultaneously with the hand
The hand had left all things under it be-
hind, and the table evidently tended con-
tinually to keep the hand back.
The next step was TO arrange an index,
which should show whether the table
moved first, or the hand moved before the
table, or both moved or remained at rest
together. At first this was done by pla-
cling an upright pin fixed on a leadcn foot
upon the table, and using that as the full
crum of light le"er. The latter was
made of slip of foolscap paper, and the
short arm, about quarter Of an inch long,
was attached to a pin proceeding from
the edge of slipping card placed on the
table, and prepared to receive the hands
OF the table-tuner. The other arm, of
II l-2 inches long, served for the index
of motion. A coin laid on the table mark
ed TIC normal position of the card and
index. At first the slipping card was at
tached to the table by the soft cement,
and the index was either screened from
the turner, or the latter looked away:
then, before the table moved, the index
showed that the hand was giving a resul-
tant pressure in the expected directon.-
The effect was never carried far enough
to move the table, for the motion of the
index corrected the judgement of the ex-
perImenter, who became aware that, mad
vertentIy, side force had been exerted.
The card was now set free from the table,
i. G., the cement was removed. This. of
course, could not interfere with any of the
results expected by the table-tuner-for
both the bundle Of plates spoken of and
single cards had been freely moved on the
tables before; but now that the index was
there, witnessing to the eye, and through
4 10 hn nf ha faI Iln u
slightest tendency to motion either Of the
card or Of the table occurred. Indeed.
whether the card was left free or attached
to the table all motion or tendency to mo-
ton was gone. In one particular case
there was relative motion between the ta-
ble and the hands. believe that the
hands moved in one direction; the table
turner was persuaded that the table moved
from under the hand in the other direc.
ton "a guage standing upon the floor,
and pointing TO the table, was therefore
set up on that and some future occasions,
and then, neither motion Of the hand
nor Of the table occurred.
A more perfect lever apparatus was then
constructed in the following manner =
Two thin poards, v IL inches by inches,
were provided a board, 8 by inches,
was glued to the middle of the under side
of one of these, Ito be called the table.
board) 50 as to raise the edges free from
the table; being placed on the table, near
and parallel to its side, an upright pin was
fixed close to the furthefedge Of the board.
at the middle, to serve as the fulcrum for
the indicating lever. Then, four pIass
rods, inches long and IA in diameter,
were placed as rollers on different parts
Of this table-board, and the upper board
placed on them the rods permitted any
required amount Of pressure on the
boards, with free motion Of the upper
on the lower, to the right and lef. AT
the part corresponding to the pin in the
lower board, piece was cut out Of the
upper board, and q pin attached there,
which being bent downward, entered The