Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-03-21
Teiesraphins Extraordinary.

DEspAToHEs SENT WITHOUT An INSTRUMENT, AND
REoKIvED ny LETTING THE ELECTRIC CURRENT
PASS THROUGH THE TONGUE.
On March 2, 1868, q train on the Bennington
and Portland Railroad was snow-bound about
three-fourths of 3 mile from Shaftsbury. The
weather was intensely cold there were no pro-
visions on the train fuel was nearly exhausted; (;
night was approaching. and the situation began
to look desperate. Mr.. Hills two small child
rem were with him, and one Of them, too young
70 be fed with arguments, clamored ior soms- s
thing better. The Superintendent OF the road,
Mr.. f. q. White was on the train, but strange
] to say, the snow wouldn't clear the tracks for
railroad king.
In his helplessness he was entirely at a loss
/ for any means of relief, until Captain Hills,
without instrument of any kind except the wire
i on the poles proposed, nevertheless, to tele-
graph to Ruthland. The Superintendent was
/ ncredulous, but Captain II. quickly cut the wire
/ and communicated with the officers OF the road
BY merely striking the ends OF the wire together,
thus making and breaking the telegraphic circuit
| as he would have done with the key Of an ordi-
nary operating instrument. An engine was
| Immediately sent to the relief Of the blockaded
train. But the entire operation required the
receiving as well as the sending OF messages.
This was the crucial test of Capt. Hills ingenu
ity. skill, and nerves. and, until this was accom-
plished the superintendent and passengers felt
no assurance that the message sent had been
land. Striking his wires together, he wrote to
the operator at Rutland as follows: Trouble,
Answer slowly. am working without an instru-
ment will receive your answer through my
tongue" He touched the frosty wire to his tom
gue, with the same result at first that enjoy
| ed by the boy who undertook to lick the frost
| from his skatesteel but found that the steel
knew more about licking than he did. The wire
wouldn't let go until it was warmed; and then
kindly took the skin of with it. So the wire was
leuPtbened and carried into the car,
After it was warmed Captain II. received the
messages by putting one end OF the wire above
and the other under his tongue and letting the
electric curreat pass through it, when he was
able to read by the succession of sharp and
somewhat painful electrical shocks. His sue
cess was perfect, and he not only sent and re-
ceiyed messages for the Superintendent, but for
several of the passengers. The only i'll con-
sequences OF the exploit was the total loss of
taste which Captain II. suffered for several days
afterwards.
Another interesting scientific fact, was stated in
the lecture to sustain the theory that the aurora
borealis or northern light should be referred to
electrical causes On the occasion OF an unusn-
ally brilliant aurora. Capt. H. found great diff
Guilty in receiving dispatches. He was trying
to obtain the night reports for the morning pa
pers at Burlington, vt. AttTibuting the in-
torruptions to atmospheric influences, he dis
connected his telegraph batteries, and request
ed the New York operator to do the same, when
he found a much more even current, and worked
some time with the atmospheric current alone,
without any connection or assistance from the
batteries. AS soon as the auroral display mate
rally diminished, and he returned to the use
of the regular batteries, without further inter-
ruption /; thus plainly establishing direct rela
ton OF cause and effect between the aurora and
the electrical condition Of the atmosphere
Captain Hill maintained the theory that the
waves of light and shade which in an auroral ex-
hibition are usually seen passing frem east to
west in this latitude are charged alternately with
negative and positive electricity, and in support
Of this theory related his observations with the
mariners compass-the light waves attracting
and the shade waves repelling the neede-caus-
ing it to vibrate to the right and left alternately.
On this account it is unsafe during auroral dis
plays to guide vessels entirely by the mariners
compass in dangerous or narrow shoals.