New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-08-27
NUMBER $50.
An EIectriclnn'. Philosophical Room.

To proceed now into the penetraa Of the mansion,
the philosophical room, which s about sixty feet in
length and upwards of twenty feet in height, with
an arch roof-it built originally music hall
and what wonderful things you will see. A great
many rows Of galpots and jars, with some bits OF
metal, and wires passing from them into saucers
containing some drty.looking liquid, in which, with
much attention, you may espy few crystals 1t was
the invention Of battery BY which the stream of
the electric fluid could be maintained without flag
gng not tor hours only, but for days. weeks years,
that was the foundation Of some of Mr. Crosses most
remarkable discoveries. Crystals Of all kinds many
OF them never made before by human skill, are in
progress
But you startled in the midst Of your observa.
tons by the smart cracking sound that attends the
passage OF the electric spark; you hear also the
rumbllng Of distant thunder. The rain is already
splashing in great drops against the glass; and the
sound OF the passing sparks continue to statle your
trcity is about to come within his reach, Thousand
fold powerful than all those in the room strung
together. You follow his hasty steps to the organ
gallery, and cnriously approach the spot whence the
see at the window huge brass conductor, with
dischargng rod near it passing into the floor and
from the one knob to the other sparks are leaping
with increased rapidity and noise-rap, rap, rap
bang, bang, bang. You are afraid to approach near
this terrible engine, and well you may for every
spark that passes would kill twenty men at one blow
il they were linked together hand in hand and the
spark sent through the circle. Almost trembling you
|
window, and the electric fluid is conducted harm
essy away. On the instrument itself is inscribed in
large letters the warning words Noii me tangere
| Nevertheless your host does not fear. He ap.
proaches as boldly as if the flowing stream of fire
were harmless spark. Armed with his insulated
rod. he plays with the mighty power he directs it
where he will he sends it into his batteries having
charged them, thus he shows you how wire is melted
disspated in moment by its passage how metals
silver, gold and tin-are inflamed, and burn like
paper only with most brilliant hues. He shows you
a mimic aurora, and fallen star, and so proves to
you the cause of those beautiful phenomena and
then he tells you that the wires you had noticed
passing from tree to tree round the grounds, were
connected with the conductor before YOU that they
collected the electricity Of the atmosphere as it oatet
by, and brought into the room in the shape Of tn,
spark that you had witnessed with such awe. An,
then perhaps, he will tell you that the electricity lie
: in thunder-coud in zones, alternately positive an
negative and he will add that be is able at all time
Thus to the electrical state of the atmosphere
and he will tell you many curious facts which he ha
subsequently observed relative to that state at yaror
periods Of the day and night and at the different sea
). sons ofthe year. ~, r. ~t-tl
a memoirs of Andrew Crosse, the Electrician.