Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-04-07
FLUID DISPELS THE DENSEST
OF ALL MISTS.
REPORTED BY GUENTHER
Device the Discovery of an Eminent
English scientist-PIan of Great
Utility to Sea Navigation-Suc-
cessful Tests are Made in Both
Natural and Artificial Haze.

has sent TO the state department an
article from a Berlin newspaper rela-
tive to method in use there of dis
polling fogs by means of electricity
which will doubtless be Of great in
tere stand value to navigators all over
the world
The eminent English electrician,
Sir Oliver Lodge, a scientist of world
wide fame" says the newspaper refer
red to. recently delivered a lecture
of extraordinary interest before the
Physical society of London II was
especially interesting, as it shows
how, from quite unimportant appear
ing observation, a discovery of emil
nent practical importance may finally
result.
The great physicist Tyndall had
demonstrated decades ago that
heated body, II brought into a lighted
atmosphere laden with dust, dispels
the dust in it's nearest environment
and forms dark space around itself.
"Tyndall thought that the hot body,
consumed or burned the dust, in his
experiment, an organic one, with coal
dust.
Twenty years ago Professor Lodge
resumed the Investigations of the
same subject jointly with Physicist
Clark and soon found that the explain
alton surmised by Tyndall was incor-
rect. 1t was found that a sort of a
bombardment emanated from the
heated body which kept the dust at
certain distance.
Lodge made the still more import
ant discovery that If he employed
electricity in place of heat the dust
particles acquired a polarity for form
ing into balls, and were thrown against
the walls of the vessel in which the
experiments were made In his ex-
periments he did not use coal, dust or
smoke, but an inorganic dust--namely
finely powdered magnesia. For the
heated or afterward electrified body
he used wire. AS early as 1884
Ledge demonstrated his new discov-
cries in instructive experiments be.
fore the British Association for the
Promotion of Science, then in session
at Montreal
Two pieces Of wire netting which
We're connected with the ends of an
electrifying machine were put up OPP
possto each other in a room. through
which slow current of smoke passed
After the wire nets had been electri-
fed the current Of the smoke ceased;
the PARTICLES of dust, balled together
were driven to the wall of the room
rnn
introduced instead of smoke It was
converted into fine rain.
This latter result led Professor
Lodge to several conclusions. First,
IL almost showed 10y itself how rain
was formed from the clouds through
electrization, a fact for which, even
If II had been 81 missed, every proof
was lacking. FurtL- more, Lodge con.
cluded II would be possible to dispel a
fog cloud by electricity.
He made his first fog-dspellng ex
pertinent at Liverpool, where he was
lecturing as professor of physics
During a thick fog the air about
the university was electrified by means
ef a large 'Windhurst' machine. the
current passing through bunch OF
points on top of high mast erected
or she roof of the building In thi.
manner IL was spread as much as pos
sible. The result was that for s
radius of from 1875 to 200 feet the all
was perfectly clear--that is. free from
fog
AT that time the scientist con
ceived the plan for trial ON larg,
scale by placing a sufficient numter o
stations on both sides of the merse,
and charging the air on one negativ
electricity in order to see whether
mass of fog on the river. which almos
regularly caused collisions of vessel
and heavy damage IN consequence
could not be dispelled,
Although the practical benefit wa
apparent. Professor Lodge did no
meet with sufficient support and hi
experiment had to be abandoned ia
lack of funds.
"He feared. furthermore. that h
could not procure a sufficiently stron
current. as a DYNAMO does not fu
nish the required high voltage Thi
problem was solved by the interpoli
ton Of the recently invented QuickSi
yer lamp. which permits of the ccnve
voltage into continued current of hie
voltage into cintinued current r
periments TO this end have been CO.
Quoted at birmingham.
I'm order to demonstrate the latet
results Professor Lodge made son
experiments in dispelling fog by Il
electric current before the Physics
society.
The fog was produced by burnir
magnesium. the smoke being contint
In a large glass reservoir.
BY introducing an electric currel
into the lighted cloud Of magnetism
the latter was Immediately precipita