The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-02-10

AN 80
~. ri'nip.i o many departments - human
s-I,fy I4 s. .....arflv evident tha' 80
hle. iirl....r 100 t~.lIlJIrg how short e M"
time eni.u r'a boon occupied in DO" 40
velurmru. I.' latter han ~ N" nine
tcanfb century mlsf ever omain memo.
r,nIo. mot MY fHr mo great advances In
n.,ry aI tua usufIl nris but FOR tho pc
cuIlr.y uui r.e.' ru progress, and the
rroflrui .T. which If h7- had upon tho
lives amt bushes. ~ fhs people In the
rro,.Ilug century -" 0ui uo evidences 81
~" application of '.',rrO,tv fp any useful
purpose Bow ~ 'hn more important
principles pf tho science were hen known
frlnkIu4 invention of tho lightning rod
wa not Intended 90 utilize electric force.
hut 20 guard hfn and property from tho
prrIl- II the 'huninrstprm The numerous
ms rIgfiye experiments IN frctional cleo
tricfy. the first known form 81 electric mani
f~-,titIon except lightning made clear
certain principles. such a. CONJUNCTION and
iusulation. and served to distinguish the
two opposite electric conditions known AZ
positive and negative tranklln's kite eI-
pertinent confirmed the long suspected
identity OF lightning and electric sparks
IL WAS not. however. until the discovery by
Alexander Volta IN 1919 Of his pie. or bat
terry. that electricity could take It's place
~ an agent 81 practical value. Volta.
when he made this great discovery. was
following the work Of Galvani, begun in
1856. But Giivani IN his experiments
mistook the effect for the cause and so
missed making ia" unique demonstration
that two different metals immersed In a
solution could ,et mp an electric current.
Volta. a professor IN the university OF
pavla and a foreign member Of the Royal
socie,y of England. communicated his dis
coyery TO tho president of the society in
March. $500. and brought 20 the notice OF
the world the frs. means for obtaining a
steady flow OF electricity Before this
event electric energy had been known to
the experiincuter IN pretty effects of attrac-
ton and repulsion of light objects, in ftful
flashes of insignificant power. or ~ It APP
p"ared in nature, In the fearful bursts Of
energy durIul; a thunderstorm. uncon-
trolled and erratIc. The analogous and
closely related phenomena OF magnetism
had already found an important applca-
ton in the naviSator's compass.
The simplest facts OF eleCtro-magnetism,
upon which much OF the later electrical de
yelopments depend. remained entirely I'M
known until near the close OF the first
quarter OF tho nineteenth century. Mag
nctisrn Itself. as exemplIied in loadstone
or in maGnetiled iron or steel, had long
before been consistently studied by Or.
Gilbert OF Colchester. England, and in 1890
his great work, u Magnetic" vas pub
lished. 1t Is a frs example, and an ex-
cellent one. too. OF the application Of the
inductive method. so fruitful in after years.
The restraints which "A superstltious age
had imposed upon nature study were
gradually removed and at the beginning
Of the century Just past occasional de-
cided encouragement began TO DO given
TO physical research. IL vas this condition
which put into the hands OF Humphrey
Davy OF the Royal Institution IN London.
NJ the opening OF the century. a voltaio
battery Of some $50 pairs Of plates. With
this n remarkably fruitful era OF electric
discovery began. In 1902 Davy nrst showed
the electric arc or arch" on a small scale
between pieces Of carbon. He also laid
the foundation for future electro-chemical
work by decomposing by the battery our
TtIl ppltSH anu sDtlt, anu mus lEOlHtlnR
the alkali metals potassium and sodium
for the first time. This was in 1907, and
the result was not only greatly to advance
the youthful science of chemistry but TO
attract the attention Of the world to a new
power In the hands Of the scientific worker.
the electric current. 4 fund WAS soon sub
sCribed by "A few Jealous culuvators and
patrons Of science" interested In the dis
covery Of Davv and he had at his service
In $50! no less than 2. 900 cells Of voltaic bat
terry, With the intense currents obtained
from II he again demonstrated the wonder
fll and brilliant phenomenon of the electric
arc, by closing the circuit of the battery
through terminals Of hardwood charcoal
and then separating them for a short dis
lance. 4 magnificent arch Of fame WAS
maintained between the separated ends.
and the light from The charcoal pieces WAS
oI dazzling s]plondor. Thus was born into
the world the electric arc light. of which
tnere ara now hundreds Of thousand.
burning nightly IN our country alone.
Dayy probably never imagined that his
brilliant experiment would soon play
90 important 4 part in the lighting OF
the world He may never have regarded
It as Of any practical value. In fact. many
years elapsed before any further attemrt
was made to utilize the light of the electric
arc. The reason for this i not difficult IN
discover. b batteries in existence vero
crude and CAV" only their fun power for a
very short time after the circuit was closed
They Were subject to the very serious de-
feet of rapid polarization. whereby tho
activity was al once reduced 4 long
period elapsed before this defect WAS re-
moved. Davy IN his experiments had
also noted the very intense heat ~ the
electric arc, and found that but few sub.
stances escaped fusion or volstiization
when placed in the heated stream bet wecn
the carbon electrodes. Here again he WINS
pl"rosr IN every important and quite re-
cent %olec,rir work. employing the electric
furnace, which ms already given rise 10
several new and valuable Industries.
lie conduction OF electricity along wires