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

known to the scientific world arc related IN Il
recent article in the BRITISH Qtatt"IH on An
drew Crosse the electrician. The stories are
told in language ut once so peraplcuous ano
vivid that the most un,Carped cnuot iail toI
comprehend and be interested. Oar readers
will thank us for calling their attention to the
following curious narrationl
Dissection OF ~ Thun Fer CIOud.
In visiting hin seat at Broomdold, the
splendid apparatus he employed for extract,
ing electricity from the atmosphere would
first arrest the attention. Fancy the ELECTRIC
telegraph of our railways stretching across n
forest with its posts mounted TN the tops OF
the highest trees, and the reader Will be en-
sbled TO form some idea OF the scene IN Mr.
Crosses park. Far overhead ran wires sup
ported by poles which rose from the SUBMITS
of the trees, and were provided with an IN
sulatiny arrangement TO prevent the dl5per-
sion of the iluid. The duty OF these wires
was to fetch in the electricity OF the clouds
"A the f,gs, 80 that it might b. examined
at ease by the owner of Il @ mansion. With
in tbs building there was a large room with
an arched roof, originally Intended for mu'
sic hall, but now occupied 10y voltac batter
T.. j
implements Of philosophy It was place
where strange processes were IA progress ana
where subtle streams oi hud, howlng III
silent but ceaseless curronts, were busIy om
ployed in piling up little mineral fabrics, and
compiling the obcdi,nt atoms to fashion
themselves into exquisite t2rm' OF c'yi'a'
architecture. Bat IL was II p ace also VII re
the same element might be seen in its p,dr,
and where it might also be hcardn its wrath;
for all those wires could be made to pour their
supplies into large brass conductor, fixed
and insulated on table in the organ gallery,
and fttingly inscribed with the words NoI'
me tangers. Not far from this con luctor WAS
another brass ball loiming the extremity OF II
metallic arrangement by which the electricity
miubt be conveyed out OF the building into
the mois, ground around. There was cor
triyence too by which the current, when It's
strength became pedlodsy great, or when
its services were not required mi ;ht be turned
off altogether, and discharged into the sol
without entering the np Wtmen'. Bat II The
magician wished to observe the play OF the
fery element, it was easy to increase or dl
minish the distance between the two bras
knobs, and thus to regulate the charge to bt
received by the huge battery cmployed.-
Then, if there were any electricity astir ii
the atmosr ere, those balls would ho sure t'
reveal the fact, and succession of spark
aud explosions, augmentng IN rap'dity as tn
commotion increased, would enable the ob
server t, see into the storm as it were, an,
to listen to its doings related in is own voice
The results 70 surprising. With thu
noble searching apparatus Mr., Crosse sue
ueeded in obtaining an insight into the compo
sition of a thunder-cloud, such rs no one els
had done before him. Imagine dense mas
of vapor approaching the electrical observa
tory on sultry summers day. No soone
does its margin arrive overhead the cXplorlrt
wire than the brass balis beglu 10 announc
the commencement of the fray. spark |
seen. detonation heard, and these herald
of the tempe t are followed by series G
mimic flashes AMI explosions somewhat slow
ly delivered, for they may not perhaps eS
eeed nine or ten during the first minute {
the conv lsion. Then there Is pause, bu
after a while the apparatus gives forth IN
other set of sparks and snappmgs, equal
number, equal also in force to those whic
have inst been exhibited, but differing in thj
particular-that il the first consisted OF neg
atiye electricity, the second will consist {
the contrary description. Another paus
takes place, ana thea the sparks begin TO lea
from ball to ball but WITH greater yiSor an
rapidity than before these are discharges {
negative electricity as at the outset, an
when they have passed, u similar set OF pos
tive eruptions invariably ensues. Again Ii
apparatus becomes silent, but tits only for
short interval. a more numerous and bri
H.. 4
another zone of negative vapor is sweopu
aioft, to be followed, after brief respite, b
corresponding zone of positive eleotrct
The intervals OF rcpose ow grow shor'e
and at length a stream OF fire is seen to pol
from one conductor 10 the other, broken on
bv the change from one kind of nuid to
opposite. Wh,n ;he ceune OF the cloud h
reached Che spot, anI The cxplorating wiz
are sucking the lightuug lron itS heart, Il
effect is ineouceiyab|y Gne, With the thu
der rearing around the building, the wi
dows rafting in their frames, the rain das
Ing against the panes, the electric tire 5oan
ing madly frolo ball 10 ball, and bursting
csssanty, as il enraged at the presumptuo
mortal who dared to drag it from lis ntl
sky, his must b1 u stout heart who oou
witness such a scene without some feeling
awe or even of alarm; for there is death
every discharge. if those conductors We
rasbiy approached, aud thousands OF R'e
mans might perish in the emPrying OF
single cloud But as the excited yapors r
on, the ex ,osious begin to slac6on in nUr
Der AMI series Of twin eruptoRs, alteru
ting with periods ol rcpose shows that
latter half Of the cloud corresponds IN
electrical arrangements with the former.
Finally the lsn guil spark and lazy suap 4
Aounce that the hurly- -bury is nearly doI
or that the storm is travelling with
remnant OF ts wrath 10 some neishbonrg
caliy.