Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1878-05-22
A GREA T.sCIENTIsT GONE.
DEATH OF TUE VENERABLE PROFESSOR
JOSEPH HENRY, OF WASHINGTON, D. G.

The death, on Monday, May 18th
1878, at 1890 P, M, Of Joseph Henry,
LID, and Secretary of the Board Of
Regents of the Smithsonian Institution
threw this community, where he has
lived and wrought so long and well
into profound grief. All favored with
even slight knowledge of his charac-
ter felt the loss OF one of the brightest
exemplars of all that is pure and noble
in manhood, and the world to-day will
recognize the loss of q benefactor, and
SCIENCE will mourn the loss of one OF
her grandest ornaments. In brief
newspaper sketch of his life, only few
of its most salient features can be men,
toned; the perfect memoir must be
left for some one who has time, learn.
ing, and the material at hand requisite
to honor its memory with anything
like Justice.
Professor Henry was born in Albany,
New York, December II, 1897, and
amid surroundings respectable but not
sfiluent. He attended tho common
schools Of his native city, but was by
no means regarded as talented. lie
afterwards attended the Albany Acade-
my, and while there he read book
entitled {" A Fool OF Quality" which
made marked impression upon his
mind and created strong desire Tor
reading At this point IN his NE, he
was greatly absorbed with his own
thoughts, seemed to hls friends much
abstracted, and to bo living almost
wholly in the realm OF imagination. II
was then that he dreamed dreams and
saw visions OF the wondrous resources
IN nature, whleh some Godllke power
might evolve and make useful to man.
KIND His uncle had tired to INDUCE
him to JON with him permanently IN
the Jewel'y ana matchmaking busi'
ness, ana though he tried II, his tastes
sought other employment. lie was
attached TO the Board OF Survey OF
New YORK state, ana acquired readily
considerable distinction, for the busi-
ness was congenial, and be made par.
tlal plans TO JON the Typographical
Engineers of the United States Army.
npS26 he was elected Professor Of
Mathematics IN the Albany Academy,
and in 1877, hity-one years ago, he
commenced that system OF original re-
search, and made that first discovery
in electro-magnetism, which in q few
years revolntionized the old standards
OF thought and the methods OF its COM
munication. Before Henry the electro
magnet was known, but principally as
a scientific plaything, and feeble in its
effects. The mighty energies, then as
now, slumbering in soft iron, were un-
suspected. He found out their power,
created the electro magnet, and from
that day TO this it has not been in any
radical respect changed. A great sci
enlist in lS24-great for those days
by the name OF Barlow had declared
chlmerlcal the idea of an electric tele.
graph. Henry's next step in discovery
was to demonstrate how the difficulty
OF exciting magnetic energy at great
distance could be overcome, and to do
this he invented and constructed the
intensity battery, and he went a step
farther and proved how an iron bar Of
large size could be thoroughly magnet
lied by a quantity or a succession of
batteries with scientific appliances
such as helices making short but sepa-
rate circuits II was this intensity
that made the invention Of the tele-
graph, as it is now used, possible. With
out it this tremendous instrument and
power in the administration Of the
affairs OF tho world would still be
asleep in tho possibilities Of Scicnce
and Nature. Early in 1881, in apaper
published in the American Journal Of
Science, Prof. Henry distinctly outlined
the practical uses OF the intensity mag
net in the development Of the electric
telegraph. He was now thoroughly
aroused. lie had no care for riches.
lie was an explorer OF the secrets of
nature. The only prize that lured
him was the qualification of finding out
something new. That same year, 1881,
he constructed the mechanism for keep
ing up continuous motion by the aid
OF elcctro.magnetism,- and he also
made another machine capable Of pro
duciDg signals at a long distance, and
these were followed by tho construc-
tion Of an electric apparatus through
which heavy weights could be made
TO fall BY the breaking Of the currents.
lie made electro magnets Of immense
power, capable, some OF them, Of lifting
more than ton. ln 1882 be produced
secondary currents, and by magnetic
induction the electric spark. This
year Professor Henry was elected to
the chair Of Natural Philosophy in
Princeton College, which be retained
until 1916, when be accepted the grave
responsibilities Of the position he held
when he died. He had pressing and
munificent offers to return to his chair
at Princcton, a salary for lfe-the same
as at the Smithsonian Institution--and
the promise OF $4,000 to his family
when he should leave II, and from other
sources he had many brilliant offers