The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-08-10
Atmospheric Electricity.

ture delivered by Professor Henry, of the
Smithsonian Institution, on the I'd instant.
during the sitting of the American Scientific
Association at Newport, Rhode Island fur
nshes the chief points of a discourse of grea,
value and interest. The conclusion as to the
causes and accompanying phenomena of thun-
der storms crafty by their simplicity and dis
tinCtness .---4 s-... ...-a. ..-.... -.. .a
Professor Henry gave an exceed ncIy. int
esttng lecture at Aquidnock Han on atmos-
pheric electricity. He first stated the many
theories which from time to time had been
given relating to the origin or source of the
subtle huid or element Ii had been supposed
10 be produced by the friction of the currents
or air In motion. Ii had also been attrihu ted
to growing vegetation; also. to evaporation.
II was well known that boiling salt water pro-
duced electricity. Steam blown of from To-
eomouve was source of electricity, but 1T
was frictonal. Upon the whole, the origin of
atmospheric electricity was not conclusively
aseertained There Is q theory that the tmos-
phere is not electrical per Sc, but only by in
ducflon that the earth is electric, and the air
only electric under certain conditions. This
was Peicher's theory. 1t had been adopted by
some European physicists, and he must say IL
had not received the attention IL deserved
The late DR.. Hare, of Philadelphia, entertained
similar thaory-that the earth was plus eiec-
trica, and the air minus
Ii was certain that the amount of electricity
in the air varied with the amount of vapor
present. On clear, dry, cloudless days there
was ouj little elec Lriclty 10 be detected by ms
electronometers and it was only when we
had masses of vapor in the form of clouds that
there were electrical discharges. lfa polished
iron rod; two or three feet in length, with
polished brass or iron ball at both ends, be held
horizontally. there will be no sign of electrici-
ty in the rod but if it be held vertically II in
SANITY becomes electrical. The end nearest
the earth will be plus elec ctrica). and the upper
end minus. If the rod be held near the ground
and then raised as high as a man can reach the
eectroDometer indicates a change of electrl-
cal condition when near the ground il is most
electrical. The eectronometer at the Smith
sonian Institute showed great changes in few
feet elevation. Ii had been demonstrated that
the electricity was repealed by the atoms OF
matter composing the earth into the air. lie
nsed the word repelied as best expressing the
idea. 1t had also been demOnstr trated that
an atom of electricity at the surface of the
globe ted in concert with the globe itself in
repelling a second atom of lectricity outside
the first. The repelling power WAS inversely
as the square of the distance. Prof. Henry
then gave the phenomena of explosive atmos-
pheric electricity.
No thunder storm can occur until there are
two layers of clouds. The electricity is car
ried in TO the air by the masses of YapOr going
up from the earth. Vapor rising from the
earth always carries more or less electricity
with it, He had aSceI talLed these ana other
interesting facts from Mr.. Wise, the balloon
ist with whom he had been in correspondence
and who had undertaken experiments. MI.
Wise SAID tndt IN passing tnrUugn Il lnunutT
storm he was always first carried through a
dense cloud into open space, with second
cloud hanging above him. Currents OF air
moved between the cloudy layers in direction
freq uentIy trans TO the current, below the
| lower cloud. He had repeatedly been carried
alor z by this transverse current, and when
upon coming down through the lower cloud.
| he had again been caught by the ascending
current aud whirled up again. Between the
two clouds there were constant flashes of
lightning from the upper TO the lower. These
| flashes were not explosive. The heat light
ming so often seen is the electricity OF the up
| per cloud descending TO the lower. The eX-
piosive discharges are always between the
| lower cloud and the earth. Between the two
| clouds hail is formed. The upper cloud is al
| ways less dense than the lower, and always less
| electrical.
| A thunder storm as 1t moved across the
| country was sometimes constantly renewed
| by the masses of vapor constantly ascending
| aud carrying up electricity from the earth III
| dttused particles 10 be returned in explosive
| discharges. New vapOr carried up new cleo
| tricity. The French physicists thought that Z
| thunder cloud might be diG2 rmed by running
| up numerous points; 1t might he dsarmed OF
| rendered harmless tor single locality, but as
| the clouds pa sed on new electricity would be
| sent up, SO that to wholly dsarm the thunder
| was impossible, for he had new resources al
| ways at command.
| Mr.. Wise had seen a water-spout on one &C.
casion that had no upper cloud, but was in the
beginning single cloud OF great density
| which began TO hang down in the centre, like
| a sack, followed Into a whirlpool, carried
| round with tremendous rapidly, with dis.
| charges of lightning across 1t, and explosive
| discharges 10 the earth.