Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1893-08-12
AN ANCIENT SCIENCE.
EXPERIMENTS WITH ELECTRIC
Try CENTURIES AGO.
rhales OF Mnetus. Wrote OF Electricity
COO Years Before Chrlst-slow
Development of KnoWi-
edge OF the Fluid.


curious details upon the science Of
electricity are found in the Nuaveau
Magasin Francois published in 1851.
This publication in the middle of the
eighteenth century was what the sci
entitic journals Of to-day are 10 the
end of the nineteenth.
Ii is known that it is not less than
60) years before the Christian era
that Thales OF Miletus. found that BY
rubbing yellow ambe~ il would AZ.
tract light bodies. No more was
known for 1000 years until Dr., Gil.
bert. physician to Queen Elizabeth Of
England, discovered that glass. resin,
silk. etc, had the same properties as
amber
1t was not until the eighteenth
century. or about 1922. that scientists
commenced TO seriously Investigate
electricity. Formerly, says L. Cat
the author Of the treatise. there
was but little known on the subject
In 1927 the Englishmau Gray dis
covered that any substance whatever
attracts light bodies when It is placed
at the end Of a piece Of glass or resin
and rubbed with piece Of cloth. He
concluded that all bodies could be-
come electrified by friction ana he
classed them as good and bad con
ductors of the unknown auid
il was about 1880 that DR., Wall
first obtained an electric spark b.
holding the finger short distance
from piece Of amber that had been
rubbed vigorously The discovery
of this fact marked the commence
ment OF series OF experiments by
Gray. Able Nollet. Dutay. Reichman
and others In 1888 Dutay invented
the electric pendulum which enabled
him to distinguish yitrious Or posi-
tive from resinous or negative cleo
tricity. IN l745 Cuncus. the in
ventor Of the Leyden jar, assisted by
Muschenbcoek made some expert
ments the fame OF which rcsOunded
throughout Europe.
We now come to the year 1851,
when the Souveau Magasin Francois
published the results Of the expert
ments Of lie Cat The first electric
machines Of Otto dc Guericke con.
sisted OF large sulphur globe ira.
versed by metallic axle, TO which a
crank was attached By laying the
hand upon this globe and turning the
crank electricity was obtained. The
electric machine OF 10 Cat was OF tho
same kind. He says; I'm place Of
rubbing tube which is tiresome. a
hollow glass sphere IS turned rapidly
by the same mechanism used b. cut
lers to turn their grlndstones
scientists have examined phos.
phorus, a body that gives out light in
the dark. The How Of sparks is only
new kind Of phosphorus to be added
to those already known; Sparks
drawn from an electric body or clec.
trailer is not electricity. at least. Il
is not the same kind OF electricity as
the body from which the sparks come
ReciprOcally, when sparks cannot bs
produced from sub lance, it is be
cause it is not electric or that II is
not imbued with the same kind OF
electricity. Electricity tends to pass
off from its source b. a species o!
centrifugal force. Electric sub
stances OF different kinds have among
them kind Of incompattbility which
up to certain point prevents them
from mixing
The author gives 10 this property
the name Of immiscibility SAYS he,
somewhat similar TO that found be
tween water AMI oil /"
"After rubbing with Spanish wax a
cone Of sulphur. resin. or any other
electric substance. covering 10 with
papers, flannel. or similar material,
the electricity OF tho substance can
be kept for several months and even
for more than a year
Upon the results Of his experiments
the author bases his hypothesis. lie
had number Of detractors and felt
that he must answer them. They
object to M applying the electrical
phenomena to the system of the
world and other physical effects.
think these applications are not
wrong, as | am supported BY Me5srs.
Gray, Dufay. and Desaguiors, who
have shown mo the example. OF
what use is electricity and twenty
years perseyerinl work II we only
find that tube attracts light sub.
stances?"
The most curious part OF the work
is the conclusion. The author already
foresees Gin 175D the great future
that Is opened to the science, then,
as they say now, in its infancy.
He says he is very happy in his
knowledge Of tho sublime science
with which all the nations Of Europe
deeply sympathize. a matter which
is open to new discoveries whose end
cannot be seen" Further he adds:
SHOULD we wait to make greater
discoveries in this science OF cleo.
trieity, whose beginning Is a glimmer
rather than light?"
Tho Country Editor.
"For seven years ] had no use for
money. My paper was published In