The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-02-13
The Latest Novelty In Electricity =
NOn.exlstemce Of the Electric
49, Enmf0.s A

NO0oGXl0GGmCO Oh the EnCCGI1c Z
~ Fluid.
technic institution, Troy, New York, by Professor
Wander weydc, N. d. a-.s
In the Same manner that the investigations
and discoveries Of twenty years ago have proved
that the so-called caloric fluid has existence,
and that heat is only q state of matter--a mode
of motion of its particles; 90 the Investigations
of the present day prove that the so-called eleo-
trio fluid has no existence, and that even electric
ity is nothing more than o state of matter
another mode Of motion of its molecules. With
out latter there is no electricity, Is will be
proved by this little glass tubc, in which the
vacuum is so perfect that no electricity pos.
sibly pass through it, notwithstanding the ends
of the two platinum wires melted in the glass
and projecting outside on both ends and which
conduct the electricity interiorly, are only one
quarter of an inch apart. have here similar
tube filed with common atmospheric air, the
ends OF the wires are also one quarter of an inch
apart, and may be separated half or whole
inch, but the electric current will be seen in the
form Of sparks TO pass easily between the wires,
and to charge this Leyden jar. have here also
so-called Geisler tube, in which the ends Of the
wires are separated to the distance Of twenty
inches, and through which the electric current
could not pass at all while filled with air but
the air in it il rare6ed to such degree as to
make 1t good conductor of electricity, and you
see the current pass not in sparks, as in the
second tube filled with common air, but as glow
ing fire, resembling the northern light; through
this tube also we can charge this Leyden jar
Through the first tube, in which, by great precau.
tioDs, an almost perfect vacuum has been produc-
Cd there is not only current seen to pass, but it
is impossible to load this Leyden jar when the
tube is interposed between the jar and the ma
chine developing the electricity.
The veri6cation OF the passage or non-passage
of the electric current by means Of this charge
in the Jar obtained or not obtained, is important
ity passed invisibly through the vacuum.
This striking and novel experiment, demon
strating the impossibility that electric current
can overlap a really empty space, even TO- the
small distance of only one quarter inch, proves
that there are two errors in our present theory
of electricity. First, that the transmission of
electricity in vacuo, so-caled, is really trans
mission through rare6ed air or gas these being
good conductors; common air, we know, is a bad
conductor. The vacuum is proved by this new
experiment to DO an absolute non-conductor.-
Secondly, this experiment proves that If that
which VIC call electricity was really fluid dis
tinct from common matter, there is no reason why
it should not overlap the small empty space OF
quarter of an inch As we saw, however, that
electricity cannot possibly overlap that small
space, nor be transmitted where no matter exists,
we are forced to the conclusion that the phe-
nomena of electricity are not due to peculiar
fluid, which moves rapidly through conducting
media but that the propagation is effected by
peculiar motions of the molecules, which, being
rapidly transmitted from molecule to moleculo
in the conducting body, form that which we call
electric currents. In short, that electricity is
transmitted like sound, by some kind of waves,
undulations, or rotations, only with much greater
velocity. In fact there exists as little necessity
to adopt special electric fluid to explain the
electric phenomena, as there exists to adopt o
special sonorous fluid to explain the acoustic