Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1873-04-11
RLHCTRIcAL PHILOSOPHY.

RLHoTRIcAL PHILOSOPHY.
In March Of last year, before the
close Of the session Of the California
Legislature. the following resolution
was offered:
q BY Mr.. Spencer, that the Assembly
Chamber be granted to Professor w.
F. Stewart for the purpose OF lecturing
on the electrical theory Of the universe
a. maintained BY modern scientists
Adopted.
The lecture was accordingly dsliv-
cred on the following evening. The
discourse involved the electrical theory
Of earthquakes, and oddly enough, the
great lnyo cenvulsion occurred a few
hours subsequent to the delivery Of the
lecture. The coincidence was remark
able, and called forth many comments
from the press. In view Of the fact
that Mr.. Stewart will shortly repeat
his lecture before the Pacific Coast
Pioneers Of Virginia and Gold Hill,
the following paragrams from the San
Francisco Chronicle and the Alto, pub
lished at the time, may not DO deemed
uninteresting. uis
w. F. Stewart Of San Jose,' on Mon
day evening, In the Assembly Cham
Der, says the San Francisco Chronicle,
delivered a scientific lecture involving
theories Of earthquakes, geological
formation, light, motion and electric
ity. 9 For many years Stewart has
closely observed and stndiously reflect
ed upon earthquakes and their cause.
The result Of his reading, study and
observation Is an opinion chat they are
caused by the meeting Of electrical
currents which move, n upon the
earth's surface, the other In the region
Of clouds, aud that they arc brought
together BY those natural conductors,
yapor aud rain clouds-the meeting OF
the the two currents upon tho surface
earth causing an earthquake. Stewart
also maintains that these terrible phe-
nomena are c~ontrollable by the same
meaE that we control the lightning
and prevent 1t, through iron conduct
ora, from destroying our houses. He
says the irou rails Of railways are as
logically conductors Of the electricity
that causes earthquakes as lightning
rods are of that electricity which comes
from the clouds during a thunder
storm. He maintained In bis lecture
that by means Of these conductors 1t Is
IN the power Of man to so distribute
the force Of the electric currents which
cause earthquakes that they will be as
harmless rs the lightning conducted
down 4 lightning rod into the earth.
He says that the trans-continental
iron track aud wires are already doing
this valuable service for California,
In sending q part Of u earthquake
forces far and wide into the heart OF
the continent, by which distribution
the danger aud intensity Of the shocks
are lessened here.
II seems to be admitted, says the
Aitd, that the miners at work 800 feet
below the ground at Lone Pine did
not feel the shock of earthquake which
was causing such havoc overhead. 1t
has been observed at Virginia City and
Gold Hill that shocks OF earthquake
which create CONSERVATION on the ur-
face are scarcely felt In the chambers
OF the mines. though some Of them are
now down very deep. So uniform Is
the testimony on this point that we
are justified in assuming IL to be All ss-
tablished fact. The journals which
have recently called attention to 1t
Q to be oblivious Of the fatal breach
which 1t makes In the old theory Of the
internal fire. How can this apparent
hiatus In the chain Of the communica-
ton Of motion be explainedp II the
disturbance were on the Inside and
proceeding toward the circumference.
every particle Of matter on the line
would be more or less shaken.
We stated the fact at the time in the
GOLD HILL News that the earthquake
shock was not felt to any appreeiable
extent in the lower levels and cham
bers OF the mines. The station tenders
nsar the shafts felt the shock more or
less, although some did not wen no.
tics 1t. Some described 1t as resem-
bling the conclusion Of air. produced
BY a blast near by. The generality of
the miners, on coming up from work,
wers considerably surprised to learn
that there had been a smart earthquake
at the surface, thinking strange that
that they should not have had a palpa-
Bile demonstration Of It so much deep
or down toward where earthquakes
were supposed to come from. In this
connection We will state that the lee
ture Of Mr.. Stewart on the above sub
ject will take place next Thursday
evening. At Odd Fellows new hall, G
street, Virginia.
THANKS to Congressman Kendall for