New-York tribune., 1875-11-30
NEW DISCOVERY IN ELECTRICITY.
EXPERMENTs OF T. A. EDleON-PONLHlLIlY OF
SENDING MESSAGES BY WIRES OR CADLIs WHICH
hEF NOT INSULATED.

EXPEMMENTs OF T. A. EDIsON-PO~IBlLIlY OF
SENDING MESSAGES BY WIRES Or CABLES WHICH
Arb NOT INSULATED.
r. A. Edison of Newark, Y. j., an cleo
trician and inventor, has just made discovery,
alluded 20 in yesterdays TRIBUNE which, it is ez-
pected VIII throw sh on The nature Of electricity
and possibly manifest the existence o. hitherto I'M
known natural force on the night Of Nov. %, while Nv
Edison s,d his assistant, Charles Bachelor were cxperi
mentiue iu their laboratory, they ma1o "a discovery
which ii recorded as follows in their journal:
In experimenting with vibrator magnet, cons. ting
vibrae iy means Jf magnet, We noticed spark el
ing from the core Of the magnet lu, We nave ol.rh
were iron filings between tine armaure and core, and
often On the neW electric 3en Always r"Io. l vac
seemed strong that suspected 10 might be some
thing more tsdn induction. Acting on The suppostOn,
we found that by touclnE any portion or Ac vibrator or
magnet With piece Of metal W got tnc salh We tLr
oonnece wire 20 the end OF the vibrating rod and got
spark ny touching piece Of hou 10 IT,
The expcrmenters led 70 try Tie effect OF different
metals u drawing OF the spark and found that cad
MUM wa. the effective ior their purpose. BAR OF
this metal was placed across the magnetic coil Of the
electric instrument, and long wire attached 10 It, TIE
electric circuit was thus drained Of It's current which
passed through the cadmium and the subsequent wire
into q gas-,pe and into the earth NOtWitLsiaucing
this interruption of tie continuity OF The circuit. IL was
found that when any mctalc substance was brought into
contact with the gaspipe, wth the nerNeng Wlrf
W
ii occurred 10 Mr. Edison that possibly this spark might
be the manifestation of unknown force acting sim
utaneously with electricity. Accordingly le applied
to it the by which the presence Of electricity l. de
tected and was surprised to find that the testing nsru
ments gave no indication Of the electric presence.
delicate gold leaf eectroscOpe unGisurbed by the
new manifestation, COncusyey proving either tlat
electricity may manifest itae in entirely new phases
or that under certain conditions II gives BIth 10 new
and distinct force Mr Edison has named the new Vrn
ciple ctheTc force" This discovery was put 20 test
by various experiments, and the following results OBJ
taned That tie force Is nOn-poltF' raddtlnS IN
straight lines like heat; that it j. capable Df tran mis-
indefinite disauCc3 through unsulatcG ~ife
that II Is affected bY tie ordinary nOICOnducior, OF
eeciciy as glass; &C. and that il Is retroactive, Che
spark being Obtandbc when the wire Is turned BACK 30
as to touch itself Mr. Edison is of The opinion that 1t
can be made manifest itself otherwise than ny the
spark and that IT may DC derived nom heat ind PEN
IDENTITY OF electricity
and by permission OF the Telegraph Company was en-
abled 20 make circuit extending from New-I0rk 10
New brunswick n j. both ends terminating IN las IA
bOratOry. After passing through this great extent Of
wire the diverted tie cadmium wire
attached. and series sparks evolved as readily as
teal value this discovery consists m s manifestation
Oi the possibility Of sending messages over cables or
wires not iQsulated Instead OF employing poles ana
glass nsuatOrs t seems 10 be necessary only o. make N
attachment the railroad track or 10 wire aid IN the
earth and the message be - readily transmitted ~
boy the present process Tne expensive hsdhied c0les
used for ocean tcicgdpny can De nFaed -! Chnlcs
OF much cheaper construction, and IN other WAYS the
present onbrOus apparatus necessary Tor utilizing eec-
tricity may be avoided.