The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-01-01
"THE WORLD .St.%&&&
ONE HUNDRED YEARS
AGO TODAY".t&&&&&
copyright, 1900, by r. L. Hughes, LOUIS
ville.l
THE ACE OF electricity dawned with the
nineteenth century. The researches of Ben

~ HE AGE OF electricity dawned with the
nineteenth century. The researches OF Ben
u jamin Franklin OF Philadelphia, who die1
ten years before did much to extend the
theoretical and practical knowledge and spread the
study of the subject. BY drawing the electric hre
from the clouds Franklin demonstrated the per-
feet identity OF lightning and electricity and be-
came the "frst lightnngrod agent" In the year
Of Franklin's death Calvin made the great dis
covery that the contacts Of metals produced mus
cular contraction in the frog. In 1900 the votac
pile was invented by Volta. These led TO the
recognition of a new kind OF electricity called
Galvanc or Voltaic, which later proved to be
identical with frctional electricity. Following
close on Voltas invention Ncolson and Carlisle
discovered the pile to dccompose water. Noltac
electricity now absorbed the attention of expert
menta philosophers. The splendor OF its phen-
omena, as well as its association with chemical
discovery, contributed to give IL popularity and
importance.
The application Of analysis to electrical phen.
omena may be dated also from the commencement
of the new century. Coulomb had considered
only the distribution Of electricity on the surface
of spheres; but Laplace undertook to investigate
its distribution the surface OF ellipsoids OF rev.
olution, and he showed that the thickness of the
coating Of fluid at the pole was its thickness at
the equator as the polar is TO the equatorial diam.
eter.
The "crown Of cups OF Volta the parent
of a great many other arrangements for the pro.
duction Of voltaic electricity. These had for
their end either compactness or diminution OF the
internal resistance by enlarging the plates, be.
ginning with the battery OF Cruickshank this
year.
NJ. Piazzl. the astronomer at the observatory
established ten years before at Palermo, while
searching on the first night Of the new century
for star 81 Of the catalogue Of Mayer, cursorly
observed a small star of the eighth magnitude
between Aries and Taurus. Other astronomers
were quickly informed and the discovery was
several days wonder. Piazza gave the planet the
name of Ceres Ferdnandca, in honor Of Ferdinand,
King of Naples, in whose dominons he had made
the discovery and who proposed to commemorate
the event by a gold medal struck with the effigy
of the astronomer, but Piazzi preferred and was
given an equatorial, which was then still wanting
TO the Palermo observatory. Ceres was 160 miles
in diameter and the first of the asteroids discov
cred. Pallas was seen a year later, Juno in 1904
and Vesta in 1907. The next, Astria, was not To-
Gated until 1916 Others came rapidly after that
till the number reached into the hundreds
Giovanni Aldn was chosen to succeed his
former teacher, Canterzoni in the chair of physics
at Bologna, and there gave his special attention
TO the subject Of galyanism, the illumination Of
lighthouse by gas and an asbestos or fire.proof
| fabric.
The Imperial Standard OF the United Kingdom
was hosted on Dublin Castle, following the pas
sage in both parliamsnts of the act OF union be.
| tween Great Britain and Ireland
Sir Alexander Mackenzie, Canadian explorer,
published in London narrative Of his expedi-
s.,tn
tribes. lie was rewarded by the honor Of knight
| hood.