The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-12-24
PUZZLING TIE WISE MEN.
THE ELECTRIC WHAT rs IT THEY
NAVE FOUND IN NEWARK.
Mr.. Edison's New Force Tested Inst Evsn-
ina What the Savnnts say About Its
Mysterious Properties Conflict of Opinion.

Mr.. Rdison's New Force Tested Inst Evsn-
iBa - What the Snvnnts say About Its
Mysterious Properties Conflict Of Opinion.
At meeting of the Newark Scientific
Association last evening In the Baptist Chapel.
Newark Mr.. Edison exhibited his apparatus for
the production OF etherio force, his recent dis
covery, that has attracted so much attention.
DIR. Edwards, In explaining the phenomenon,
said that Mr. Edison had not absolutely proved
that 1t was new form Of energy or mott or that
It was not an obscure electrical phenomenon,
yet no one has as vet succeeded In producing the
same effects with any form OF electricity, either
OF high or low tension, under similar conditions,
aud II could not he explained by any known law
OF electricity Hence the evidence so far was In
favor Of his theory, that It was now force or
mode OF motion. One OF the most abstruso
problems known to physicists was to account
for the dissipation of energy For instance, It
was known that the heat generated In tho fur
mace Of locomotive by the combustion OF the
coal Is dlssipatcd from the boiler and from tho
axles Of the locomotive and cars; nut to account
for the dissipation Of energy from an electro
mgenet was problem more complex.
II had been assumed hy some philosophers
that the electric encrfy - transformed into
heat energy when the conditions are such that
n cannot he changed into inducted electric cur
rents, but this as~uT ption had yet to he proved.
| Mr. Edison ufieu tnat although IA portion Of the
electric cnetsY was dissipated In the form Of
| N
forms - energy, following different laws, and
producing different phenomenon than forces
now known, Hnd that he had discovered aud
| applied the necessary conditions for the pro-
| duction Of the new form Of energy now known
"Mr. Edison" continued tho Chairman,
"comCs here tonight to ask US TO determine
what this force Is that he has discovered. 1t
| ad been asserted that It was "a KIND Of cleo
| tri,ity. Mr.. Edi.o says. prove II
Then DIR. Edwards explained how the new
| force was produced. A complete electric cur
rent was produced by connecting two wires Of a
cllvanic battery with an electro-magnet and Its
,keeper, Tue Iaiier OF whlch was made 70
| spring. The circuit being complete, according
IL the known laws Of electricity. nothing ought
to " run on nut tho electricity ought to run In
the circuit. Mr.. Edison discovered that Il spark
| conld be obtained from any part Of the ma
| chine.
| Dr. Edwards then connected wire with the
| " Keeper and feeble epatk WAS shown be-
the largest battery-one oi thirty four large cells
| ever used In the new discovery, and the spark
was little larger
81 have expermented good deal with Mr.
! Biison," SAID the Doctor, land We find that the
spark mas a continuous spectrum Ike an cleo
trc spark, and YOU see 1t looks like one. Bui
we are unable TO get any further effects that are
| like the effects produced hy the electric spark
| We get 10 motion, no heat. no accommodation
| A marked peculiativ ofthe new force, II 20 be q
new force, is that u c.n't be grounded. Tue
! wire has been connected with cas pipe In a
house, ond the 80 .o,-u iion The ....v 90 -.
| Other ROOM ausN ac. q In thc ho s.. Ordinarily
| electricity would give ho saark, but disappear
| iutO the ground. MIR. Edison has run the wire
| abound his house, er hitting 10 to lie upon the
| ground, and the suafk was obtained at the end
| ofthe wire without being perc piiuly diminished
| in intensity
M. Edison, quiet gentleman. who looked as
II he IhEnt be p or a. years OLD. Il hard t0
! tell which, sat IN the room, declining TO take
| part In the exercises. Deafness prevented his
hearing what the ID sctor -atd, and also the ques-
| tions that the members Of the society asked
| and modesiy kept him silent An assistant ex
| pianed that the most delicate tests the mir.
| ror test" and needle test" had been used tC
| discover, II possible, whether the spark con
| tanned one properly IN common with the cleo
| tuc spark, ana hi had failed there were nc
| Manifestations of electricity. Another peculiari
| Is of the force tnat ~ two carbon points
| not connected with the battery in the least
were held two feet from powerful battery. tn'
spark could be seen. fne rparK had been 20
| through n glass rod eight inshss In length. ant
| ~ was very diihcNlt TO determine what sub
| stance WAS an insuator and what a cond ucto
| for the force.
That the spark was very feeble was no indica
tiou Of the power Of the force. IL might be bu
! % -lngle mantle tatlun of a huge force, and Mr
! Eai,on's aim was TO bring out this force ant
uNiIe 10.
nr. Edwards said ho did not agree with Mr.
| Edi,'n In hia theory. nat would not say what hi
| theory was. The member, asked few questions
| ana went away evidently no wiser tusn wher
! thcy came. Mr.. Edison Is preparing elaborat,
machinery with Which to exhibit his discovery