Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-02-18

Ills natigeGty-he fOunceu ti.sIe huSeuui
named scr him, endowing it with about
four .s.EQsfed. statues, bes-relefs, busts;
= u.s ID = hlr--s-,s.ss. A-4,sss End
plastef-sY Tribune.
Dissection Of a Thunder-Clo
Some Of the most surprising results yet
known tethe scientific world are related IN
a recep, article in the British Quarterly, on
Andrew Crosse, the electrician. Our read
ers will thank US for calling their attention
to the following curious Larrations:
In visiting his seat at Brooomieli, the
splendid apparatus he employed for extract
ing electricity from the atmosphere, would
first arrest the attention. Fancy the cleo
trio telegraph of our railways stretching
across forest, with its posts mounted on
the tops o. the highest trees, and the reader
will be enubled 10 form some idea OF the
scene in Ne. Crosses park. Far overhead
ran wires supported by poles which rose
from the submits of the trees, and were
provided with an insulating arrangement to
prevent the dispersion of the fluid. The
duty Of these wires was TO fetch in the elec-
tricity of the clouds and the fogs, so that
it might be examined at ease by the owner
of the mansion. Within the building there
was a large room with an arched ROOT, origi-
ualiy intended for a music hall, but now oc-
cupied by vol!aic batteries, ealvanic piles,
electrical jars, and other implements of
philosophy Ii was place where strange
processes were in progress, and where sub
tile streams OF fluid, flowing in silent but
ceaseless currents. were bu>iiy employed ia
piling I'D little mnera' fabrics, and compel
ling the obedient atoms TO fashion themselves
into exquisite forms of crystal architecture.
But it was place also where the same ele-
ment might be seen in its pride, and where
il miqht also be heard in its wrath; for all
| those wires Could be made 20 pour their sup
plies into i large brass conductor, fixed and
insulated on table in the organ gallery.
and firlingly inscribed .yi,h the words NOLt
me tan0ere. Not far from this conductor
was another brass bali forming the eXtrem-
| ity ola meta lie arrangement by which the
electricity might be conveyed out Of the
building into he moist ground around
Is,es= w,.sas eonFiganSs, too, by which the
! current, Nhen its strength became perllOusly
great. or when its services were not re-
qureJ, might be TUNED of altogether, and
discharged into the soil without entering
the apartment. But if the magician wished
to observe the play of the fiery element, 1t
was easy TO increase or diminish the dis
| tanca between the two brass knobs. and
| thus TO regulate the charge 10 be received
! by the huge battery employed. Then, If
there were any electricity astir in the at
mosphrre, those balls would be saIe 10 re-
veal the fact, and succession of sparks and
explosions, augmenting in rapidity as The
/ ccmmotion increased. would enable the OBJ
server 20 see into the storm As il vera, and
to listen to its doirgs related in its own
voice.
| The results were surprising. With lhrs
noble searching apparatus. NJ. Crosse sue
ct.eded in ebta,ning an insight into the
| cumpo -ition Of thund"r-clnid. such as no
on, else had done before him. Imagine a
| dense mass of vaPor approaching the cleo
| trical observatory on suitry summers day.
| No souaer does its margin arrive overhead
the exploring wire than the brass balls begin
! 20 announce the commencement OF the fray.
A spark is seen. detonRtiun heard, and
these hera Ids Of the tempest are followed by
a series of mimic flashes and explosions
somewhat slowly delivered, for they mag
not perhaps exceed rine or or ten during the
! frs. minute of the convulsion. Then there
is n pauss, but after while the apparatus
sives forth another set OF sparks and snap
pings, equal in number, equal also in force
to those which have just been exhibited, but
differing in this particular-that If the first
consisted of negatibe electricity, the second
will consist of the contrary description.
| Another pause takes place, and then the
sparks begin to leap from ball to ball, but
with greater visnr and rsPidity than before;
these are discharges Of negative electricity,
as at the outset, and when they have passed.
a similar set Of positive erup'io"s invariably
ensues. Again the apparatus becomes silent,
but it is only for short interval. more
numerous and brilliant succession of flashes
snnp- a uounce that another zone OF mega
,is,s1st,or is sweeping a!oft, to be followed,
after brief res?i'e, by corresponding z1ne
of positive electricity. The Intervals o! re-
pose now grow shorter, AMI at length
stream Of fire is seen to pour from one con
ductar TO the othrr. broken only by the
change from one kind of fluid to its oppn-
site When the center of the cloud has
reached the spot, and the exploring wires
| l. bor-'
the effect is incoEceivaay fine. With the
.hunder roaring around the building, the
windows ra,tline in their francs, the rain
da>hing against the panes, the electric hre
bounding madly from ball 10 ball, and burst
inr lncessanty, as il enragcd at the pre-
suun,uous mortal who had dared to drag il
from its nstive sky, his must b. Il stout heart
who could witness such scene without
some feeling of awe or even of alarm: for
there is death IN every discharge, il those
conductors were rashy approached, and
,h,usands OF Richmars might perish in the
, emotvinp of a single cloud. But the ex
cited yspors rolled on, the explosions gin
IN slocken in number aud 4 series of twin
erup,i ions. alternating with periods of re-
nosp show that the latter half OF the cloud
r corresponds in its electrical arrangements
, with the former Finnly, the languid spark
, an, law snap ammo nee hat the hury-lurly
r il ,esrlv done, or that the storm is travel
4 inc with the remnant of lis wrath to some
: ne.ghborrg locality
$ ImMoRrALrrY.-The better men are ne
), mare terrible it would make death ii there
IL hnt. IL