Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-07-31


posing it ceases entirely.
What causes the cessation? These
electricians in their experiments have
attached magnets to the objects they
have lifted to these heights aud in
every case have found that the OBJ
jects when attached to magnets. at
the heights referred to, instead OF
weighing one-third of their total
weight at sea level, retain but a sixth.
1t did not take many facts like this
to demonstrate to these men that what
caused the cessation OF the earth's
pull" was the beginning OF another
"pull" in another direction, and the
magnet positively indicated what was
doing the pulling. The higher the
point at which these experiments were
conducted the less the object weighed
when attached to magnet, until the
point was reached where the "pull"
was so much the other way as to ne
cessitate retention to hold the object.
Without dwelling upon this par
ticular phase OF the subject the pro-
tectors of the invention reached the
conclusion that as the magnet ap-
proaches the region of the other be-
yond the atmosphere it was falling
absolutely within the control of its
mother element, the ocean of elec.
tricity filling space within an irresist-
able tendency to move forever with a
constantly increasing speed towards
the center OF the electric mass.
The Whitney philosophy here comes
into direct conflict with the Newton
ian theory OF the attraction of gravi-
tatiOn. Whitney says that every
atom OF matter has inherent the
power of attracting all of the parts of
its mass to common center. Every
| atom in the universe has this power
in itself and does not lose it by com.
biping with other atoms in the forma-
ton OF a larger mass.
He calls this the force of center.
He says this force of center does not
extend beyond the superficies of the
atom or of the mass. The earth has
this force of centers, as all planets
have, and the great mass OF electricity
in which all the spheres are submerged,
has it also. Whitney says that the
Newtonian theory wrongly extends
this force of centers beyond the
superfcies of the planets, Whitney
contending that it is limited within
the superhcies Of these planets.
Whitney and other electricians of
his school claim that the electricity OF
space is, if not the primary form OF
matter, one of the earliest forms.
They argue that the earth and the
other planets OF our system are sub
merged In a vast ocean of electricity
the atoms of which ocean are moving
towards the center of the ethereal
mass by q gravitation OF its own like
that which draws the atoms compos.
ing the earth in its center.
In this vast ocean the planets are
comparatively small bodies which are
being moved with the mass towards its
center. 1t is this motion of the
atoms of the large mass which carries
the planets with it towards its center
When the currents of this mass en-.
counter the earth in their progress to.
wards their own center, the pressure
caused by the obstruction of the
earth causes the electricity of space tn
force its way into the atmosphere ol
the earth, according to the Whitney
theory. That is to say, all of the
electricity within the atmosphere and
in the earth gets into them practically
by what is called seepage, just as the
water OF q river gets into an island by
seepage, and the electricity continu-
ing to get in by seepage and contin.
uslly making efforts to get out and
join the main stream, as the water of
q river does with an island, is con.
stantly replaced by new atoms of
water.
The electricity which has emerged,
or which is emerging from the earth
and finding its way to its mother mass,
producing such effects as the direction
OF the compass, which is carried in
the direction OF the emerging currents
just as a reed is carried in the direc.
tion OF the flowing stream.
The electricity which has got into
atmosphere or earth by seepage, OF
course. is not . solid mass, but con-
sists of infinitesimally small particles
which lodge on the invisible but re-
ceptive particles of the atmosphere
exactly like the particles OF butter are
In the milk in a churn. The butter
particles are invisible, but are brought
together in mass by the operations
of the churning process.
In practically the same way, that is.
by a churning process, are the parti-
cles of electricity resting in the atmos.
phere gathered together by friction or
agitation in every one of the methods
at present in use for the collection of
electricity for power, light and heat.
ing purposes.
Whom recently the French govern
ment decided to issue patents to Mr..
Whitney and made its decision pub
licly known, its action was followed
by similar decision npon the part of
Germany, England, Italy, Belgium,
Spain and Portugal and twelve of the
other Christian governments of Eu-
rope. The expert In the German pa
tent Office, to whom the kaiser's gov
ernment left the final decision upon
the Whitney application, in his re-
port, copy Of which Mr.. Schoonmak-
er has in his possession, states that
Mr.. Whitney has furnished science
with the only real foundation it has
for the understanding OF space, the
motions of the planets therein, and
she impetus which gave the planets in
our system their present movements.
He also states that there can be no
doubt OF the absolute feasibility Of
the Whitney method of collecting
electricity and conveying it to the
earth for human use, and decides to
give the inventor the protection of the
German government against infringe
ment on his "aerisl ladder" within
the empire.
The French government is even
more emphatic in its pronouncement
upon the soundness of the Whitney
method and the mechanical feasibility
of his "aerial ladder"