The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1868-08-20

hauge are the results OF mOlleculoi us
placements seem plain from the Effects
When passed through a thick plate OF
glass, the discharge pulverizes along its
track, the glass to an impalpable powder.
A violent separation Of particle from parti-
Gle has taken place, as If the moleo-
ular intersticcs were filled with an
explosive substance. A blow from a hard
body or from a hint shot with an enormous
velocity against the glass would drive the
particles before IL, and leaves q clear open
ing. Each particle is so disrupted from
the adjacent ones, as to break up the cohe-
sion, while none are thrown of except at
the surface. where there is no force to
counterfeit the explosive action. The pull
verified atoms must occupy more space and
naturally press outward in the direction Of
the least resistance. The burr on both
sides of a card merely indicates the strong
molecular expulsion acting from within
outward. The imprisoned sir in bodies OF
loose texture will have its influence, being
itself subject 90 the same disruption; but
the double burr will be produced in plates
Of thin wax in which ait cannot be present
In sensible quantities. When o tree is
riycn by lightning, the EplinFring is
caused by the rcpulsive energy acting
along the line Of discharge. II the hbers
of tho wood where the fracture takes place,
had been changed 70 gun-powdcr or gun
cotton. and exploded. the results would
represent those citctcd by electricity. So
when a body is melted by the dis
CHARGE. tho head, in producing hquidity,
certainly acts upon the molecules But IL is
unreasonable 60 suppose that the heat Is
developed ty the discharge merely on the
surface. and then passes inward 10y the
slow pr1,, 81 conAucuon On the con
taiy 10 la5hcs into intense energy at the
same instant among the particles Of
the mass The iucouceivablo npidity Of
the change ottLc solid into "a liquid caused
by electricity leaves no time for "conduction.
The chemical affinity is molecular force,
no one, it Is presumed, will doubt But
The very intimate relations Of he chemical
and electrical torcOs-so intimate as 10
in some minds a belief
OF their id~putity-wil hardly permit us to
assign a molecular character 10 the n and
not 20 the other. The light which pcrvndes
the atmosphere for some distance around
the poiu. where lightning strikes the earth
does not -ecm, from the cases which the
writer has lad the dangerous pleasure Of
witnessing, to be q CLEAN or reflection from
the brighter track Of the spark, but mthcr
o light produced in the Dir for some dis
around 10y molecular disturbance
the same kind, but less in degree, is that
which rivals sunlight along the central
path. A green tree ct which the writer
happened to be looking at the moment it
was struck, was covered from top to bottom
with o dihuscd flame, in the midst Of which
tho central stream of fire cleaned
in tor,uous course along the trunk.
Il s. not 20 be supposed,
however. that the electric induction,
and the tension caused by It which pre-
cedes discharge exists only along the line
OF violent action. The line Of discharge
be considered the resultant Of the
electric tension for some distance around,
and along this line is expended at the mo-
ment all the accumulated force from Undue
tive action. The violent d~isruptive effects
which occur, are adequately explained by
the heat produced along the line Of dis
charge. No other known agency generates
heat so suddenly and Of such intensity as
the electric force. The reason is plain.
The electric force being itself molecular,
develops, or as some would prefer, is con-
vcrted into heat at the same instant
throughout the whole body, and its expul.
sive power Is exeited simultaneously be-
tween III the particles, and needs no trans
fer By c~onductiou. Tho violence with
which some chemical compounds explode,
is proportional, other things being equal,
to the couc,ntaueousness Of tho action
among tho particles. Allowing the velocity
Of electricity TO be the same ns that OF
light, the time in which q coin or metallic
button on the person would be melted, is
iuconcievably short, less than the one
twelve bilhonth part of a second. The
same explosive action expended on the mir,
causes the terrific sound of thunder. Near
the path Of discharge IL is n crash-sharp,
spiteful. At q distance, it is toned down
by the elasticity Of the air, into n roar
which shakes the very earth.
Il seems strange that some writers should
attribute the sound Of the collapse Of the
air after displacement. The collapse is but
the reaction from the condensed air around
the line Of displacement, and, Of course,
exceeds the force Of displacement. The
latter, then, is the primary cause Of the
sound; the collapse only represents the
undulatiOn with some loss Of force.
Surprise is sometimes expressed that
the human body, when struck, is not torn
or burned. The electricity is q good deal
diifused through so large and 80 good a
conductor, but the texture Of the body is
Of such a nature, composed Of pores and
elastic solids filed with liquids, that its
particles rarely yield 10 the requirements
of the force, without disruption.
The mechanical and perhaps chemical
disturbances of the nervous system, even
if there be no other, are quite sufficient to
account for the fatal effects Of the electric
shock. II it is allowable i'm a scientific ar
ticlc to introduce ones own experience of
electric shock more violent than one
usually takes, though not iatal-the writer
would say that the effect of q discharge
from q battery Of twelve jars, each one gal
Ion, passed through the body, is best ex-
pressed by the simple phrase, stunning
II the general laws Of electric discharges
which | have Just stated are correct, then
our precautions for safety should conform
to them. The lightning rod is intended to
afford q ready passage between he cloud
and earth 70 any electricity which may be
accumulating. lit discharges the cleo
tricity as fast as it is generated then there
can be no collection in quantity or intensity
sufficient to cause violence,
The rod takes time BY the foIelock; it
anticipates the danger. 1t does not allow
this fierce agent to close up its power, but
gradually and safely transmits TO earth an
amoEnt Of electric energy which, if dis
charged at once, would have manifested in
tense violence. If the powder in a cannon
were burned grain By grain during q few
seconds, II would not even move the ball,
and yet the same force has been expended,
or when exploded at once, it hurls the
missile with deadly force. Of late l have
been inclined to consider the electricity OF
the cloud 10 bear to that Of the earth the
relation Of intensity to quantity
That an equivaloney Of force may
exist between intensity and quantity is
acknowledged by all. Quantity in the gal
vanic battery has its equivalent force in
the intense fash Of the induction coil. II
may also be admitted that quantity ir the
earth Is represented by intensity on the