The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1858-02-25
Exnlorntlon OF n rog.

Exploration or n Fog.
Il does not, no wever, require prof3ssed
thunder. storm to produce supondous elec'ri-
cal displays. Mr. Cross5's apparatus en-.
abled him to read tha secrets Of "a November
mist, AMI those who have frequently pushed
their way through these cold, raw, drcary
phenomena, will be surprised to learn how
often they may have been shsetod in tire,an
how calmly they have passed through fur
mace more deadly than Nebuchadn, zzar's,
bat without hair Of their head being slnged
ia ths Il ,ne Ono day, ring tho dism .
month which Hood cclebraes il a series ol
| Notes, the philosopher was seated in his hall
of thunder bolts whiit a thick driving fog
was darkening the air. For som time NJ
symptom, Of excitem M were manifested by
| the exploring machine the insulators were
dripping with wet, an consequently carried
off all the electricity the wires received. But
suddenly q smart dstona ion was heard be-
tween the two balls; others shortly followed,
and then the cxpo ions succeeded each
other 80 sR fly thai tbs ear coall detect
nothing but u continuous crash. This was
interrupted by the transition to the opposite
bind OF electricity, after which similar tor
rent of llul was poured from one ,olduc,or
to the other. 50 vivid was the rush of fire
thai the eye could not bear TO survey IL for
any length Of time. To have touched enc oil
those balls whilst the liquid lightning was
| gushing forh with such Jury, would have
caused inst mt death. For upwards Of five
hours this splendid but nppali g spectacle
continued, without any ia'ermissioo except
when tho positive full WAS exohan 5e1 for
the negative. /" Hal il no. been for my e1-
plonng wire," said Mr.. Cro3c, :" should
not have hai the slightest ilca Of such an
electrical accumulation in the atmosphere
the stream of fluid far exceeded anything !
ever witnessed, exclpt during thunder.
storm. Had the nsuators zen Day what
would have he II the effect? In every acre
of fog there was enough OF acc lmu'atad
electricity TO have destroyed every ANIMAL
E within that acre" Who cDuil have sup
posed that u simple mist c nttinel such po
tent lgI Things, ready 10 be issued whenever
the word OF command was given, and yet Sc
masked and sheathed that but for the tel
tale apparatus YOU wou d as soon have i'm
= agined the gentle dews TO be saturated with
fire This, however, is no solitary exempli-
fcation of the skill with which the Grea
Forces of Na,ure are curbcd and mutll {
wheU their activities would be Injurious tt
man. Tho sea consists Of two gases, which
if released from their combination, woul,
produce the intcnsast nAme. ana burn every
: combustiblo thing on the surrace OF the globe
The atmosphere is formed Of clements which
, might easily be transformed inlo COM pound
capable of poisoning madlcnog OF suifoca
= = ting every creature that breathes. The cload
i which now discharge their contents in sucl
harmless dropl might pour out their burden
, in deluge, a. if soma huge reservoir ha'
. burst in the sky, and crush every ohj ct tina
= lay benea.h. The winds might som times b
expected to break bose, AMI forgetting thei
:; prescribed pace would gallop round tn
. globe, tearing mp our towns by tAe roots, AM
. driving men and trees before them like dus
" in n gale The ties of chemical afini y Nigh
! relax or the cohesive forces nigh. occasion
~ ally fail, and then the enr,h would crumhl
into IA heap Of sand. The internal fires c
- the earth might muster the resistance of tn
II external shell, and shntter the surface at
u !, stroke f; or, co'lapsing in their fury, the Gel
- lag of the gulf might give way, AID whol
" bingdoms 50 down into the burning abyss
.' Half an hours sumbtr on the part Of tn
/ Almighty would ib,rata all these great pow
~ ers from their present restraints, aud in thS
u half hour the world would be reduced to
: wreck But ho who holds the winds in h
III fists, hides his thunderbolts in the drftin
W vapor, AMI chills the very lightnmss, SO tn,
> men walk unsoethod through The deadie
magazine Of mist.