The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-04-22

A0rOroS 10 VrUets
A SCANDINAVIAN SCIENTIST PRODUCES A DIS
PLAY OF ARTIFICIAL NORTHERN LIGHTS.
London Telegraph
Since rranklin's famous experiment, by
which he proved that fash OF lightning is
only long electric spark darling from the
battery OF the clouds. nothing has been
done TO test the nature Of atmosphe-
ric electricity so praiseworthy or so
interesting as the investigation by
Professor Lcmstroem. At point IN
North Finland. Just within the Arctic
circle, the Professor constructed net
work Of wire on two conical mountains,
which were respectively abou. 2.G00 feet
and 3,e00 feet high. Hills OF this shape
were chosen because. as Is well known,
electricity gathers most readily about sharp
eminences. II mankind possessed an
eiectro-sfatic sense, and could perceive
electricity as they can light. then we should
see this now mysterious agency everywhere
difrused in the world and from all the
edges. corners. and sharp points OF rocks
and hills and chLrch-spires. and even the
tips OF plants and trees, we should observe
INCREASINGLY at work day and night electric
streamers keeping upthe balance OF nature.
The Professor knew that 10 and from these
hill-tops electricity was darling. BY eX-
pertinent he determined TO hasten the pro
cess and render 1t visible. Cooperative
being an admirable conductor, he connect
ed the SUBMITS OF the hills with the earth
Mt their base by network Of this material,
and the result was that instantly an arch OF
the aurora was formed overhead, rising, It
was estimated, 10 some $50 feet above the
mountain-top.
Two characteristics were noteworthy in
i T.. a tt,at I. 70
detected IN the wires were what rs known
ms positive. VI. Plante some years ago
showed how to produce something very
like the aurora in the laboratory without
using an exhausted vessel, but by merely
causing the positive and negative wires Of
his battery TO approach gradually vessel
charged with salt-water-the sides OF the
lar being also mOistened with the liquid
Ii was found that he could in this way pro-
duce ares and wreaths, and sinuous lines of
light strikin91y like the Aurora L olaris; but.
curiously enough, only at the positive end.
It's significant that it was positive currents
which rewarded the Helsingfors professor
for his ingenious labors. A second feature
was that the spectroscope showed the pccu-
liar lines OF the aurora. The spectrum OF
the aurora is greenish-yellow line, and If
this was recognized rs stated there could be
little doubt as TO the genuineness Of the
phenomenon. The display lasted only n
short time, because doubtless the electric
pressure or tension was soon eQualized,
and, besides, the zee gathered so rapidly on
the wires as to render them useless, and
even TO break them by its weight. So far
as il went, however, the experiment ap-
pears emlnentiy successful.
There is still much TO be done in the in
vestigation OF atmospheric electricity.
Those myterious fire-bals known among
the Portuguese as "Corpos Santos"
and among English sailors rs 'sCompo-
SAINTS" are still unexplained: and even the
origin OF the electricity of a common thun-
der-storm can scarcely be said TO he fully
accounted for IL is noticeable that Pro-
lessor Lemstroem confirms Il remark OF
Sir Edward Sabine, who spent so
MANY years of his life in making
magnetic observations. While at an
Choir near skye he noticed that the
"cloud-cap on one OF the highest hills was
permanently luminous at night, and occa-
sioaally gave out flashes like those of the
aurors." There can now be little doubt
that II was averitable aurora, though strict
ly local. Commenting on this and some
similar facts eighteen months ago, PROBES
sor TAFT, OF Edinburgh, said what was
wanted to determine the truth as to the
electricity OF the air was large-scale ex-
periments, and he recommended that
some young physicists, clad in a
suit Of plate armor for their per-
sonal protection, should, in the spirit of
ancient chiyalry, take their stations on the
Connemara hills, where striking phenome-
ma are often visible. and, with the weapons
OF modern science, tap the lightning Of the
clouds and the surcharged electricity OF
the earth. In the same way as NJ. Lens
troem caused an aurora, thunder-storms
might be prevented. Reversing the method,
a captive balloon could carry into the
clouds from a mountain summit the copper
wire that would discharge the flash safely
to the earth.