The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-10
HE great Importance which cleo
tricity has attained in many de-
partments of human activity is so

constantly evident that We have
difficulty in realizing how short is
the time which has been occupied in its
devalopment The latter half of the nine
tenth century must ever remain memo
rable not only for the great advances In
nearly all the useful arts, but for the pc
culiarly rapid electric progress. and the
profound effect which 1t has had upon the
lives and business of the people. In the
preceding century we find no evidences of
the application of electricity to any useful
purpose. Few of the more important prin-
ciples IF the science were then known.
Franklin's invention of the lightning rod
was not intended to utilize electric
force, but 10 guard life and property from
the perlls of the thunderstorm. The nu-
merous instructive experiments in fIic-
tional electricity, the first known form OF
electric manifestation except lightning,
made clear certain principles, such as con-
duction and Insulation. and served to dis
tinguIsh the two opposite electric condi-
lions known as positive and negative
Franklins kite experiment confirmed the
long suspected identity of lightning and
electric sparks. II was not, however. until
the discovery by-AleXander Volta In 1893 of
his nile. or battery, that electricity could
take its place as an agent of practical
value. Volta, when he made this great
discovery. was following the work of Gal
vani. begun in 17Ss. But Galvani in his
experiments mistook the effect for the
cause ard so missed making the unique
demonstration that two different metals
immersed in q solution could set up an
electric current. Volta, a professor in the
University of Pavia, and a foreign member
of the Royal Society of England, COM
municated his discovery to the president
Of the society in March, 1850, and brought
TO the notice of the world the first means
for obtaining a steady flow of electricity.
Before this event electric energy had been
known to the eXpe.imenter in pretty Ell
fects of attraction anj repulsion of iight
objects. in htful flashes OF Insignificant
mower. or as II appeared in nature. in the
fearful bursts of energy during thunder
storm. uncontrolled and cratic The anal
ogous and closely related phenomena OF
magnetism had already found an import
ant application in the navigator's conf
pass.
The simplest facts of electromagnetic
upon which much of the later electrical
developments depend. remained entirely
unknown until near the close OF the first
quarter of the nineteenth century. Mag
netism itself. as exemplihed in loadstone
or in n,agnetized iron or steel, had long
before been consistently studied by DR..
Gilbert. of Colchester, England, and in
1sD0 his great work, DE Magnetic" was
published. IT Is a first example and an
excellent one, too, OF the application of
the inductive method. so fruitful in after
years. The restraints which a superst-
tious age had imposed upon nature study
were gradually removed, and al the begin
ming of the century just past occasional
decided encouragement began TO be given
10 physical research. 1t was this condi-
ton which put into the hands of Hum
phry Davy, of the Royal Institution III
I,ondon. at the opening OF the century, a
voltaic battery of some 80 pairs of plates.
With this a remarkably fruitful era of
electric discovery began In 1877 DaVy nFst
showed the electric arc or arch on Il
small scale between pieces Of carbon. He
also laid the foundation for future electro
chemical work by decomposing by the
battery current potash and soda, and thus
isolating the alkaH metals. potassium and
sodium for the first time. This was iii
1901, and the result was not only - greatly
advance the youthful science OF chemistry
but 10 attract the attention OF the world
TO a new power in the hands OF the
scientific worker, electric current. A fund
was soon subscribed by "a few jealous
cultivators and patrons of science in
terested in the discovery of Davy. and he
1tfc ar--fra in M
1000 cells of voltaic battery. With the in
tense currents obtained from II he again
demonstrated the wonderful and brillianr
phenomenon of the electric arc, by first
closing the circuit Of the battery through
terminals Of hardwood charcoal and then
separating them for short distance. a
magnificent arch OF fame was maintained
between the separated ends, and the light
from the charcoal pieces was of dazzling
splendor. Thus was born into the world
the electric arc light, of which there are
now many hundreds OF thousands burning
nightly in our own country alone.
Dayy probably never imagined that his
brilliant experiment would soon play 80
important a part in the future lighting of
the world. He may never have regarded
# as Of any practical value. In fact, many
years elapsed before any further attempt
wos made TO utilize the light of the cleo
fric arc The reason for this Is not diff
cult to discover The batteries In exist
ence were crude and gave only their full
power for very short time after the cir
cult was closed. They were subject to the
very serious defect of rapid polarization,
whereby the activity was at once reduced.
A long period elapsed before this defect
was removed Davy in his experiments
had also noted the very intense heat Of
the electric arc and found that but few
substances escaped fusion or volatilization
when placed in the heated stream between
the carbon electrodes. Here again he was
pioneer IN very important and quite
recent electric work. employing the
electric furnace. which has already
given rise to several new and valuable In
dGstries.
The CONJUNCTION Of electricity along wires
naturally led to efforts to employ 1t in
signaling. As early as 177i attempts were
made by lie Sage. OF Geneva, to apply
FRACTIONAL electricity 10 teiegraphy. His
work was followed before the close OF the
century by other similar proposals Vol
ts's discovery soon gave renewed i'm
petus to these efforts. II was easy enough
TO stop and start a current in line OF
wire connecting two points but something
more than that was requisite. 4 good re-
ceIyer. or means for recognizing the pres
ence or absence Of current In the wire or
circuit, did not exist. The art had to wait
for the discovery OF the effects of electric
current upon magnets and the production