The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-17
WHAT MEN KNOW
 OF ELECTRICITY
Expert Describes Some of Its
 Manifestations
THE CAUSE OF LIGHTNING
By Science-That Which Has to Do With Power and That
 Which Is at Rest

Science recognizes two kinds of cleo tricty; that which has to do with arti- tricity, which Is at rest and seems to be the blood of all substances.
 All substances are not charged alike, for some may be negatively charged while others may be of the positive state When these two conditions come togeth- CT. actual work is performed. as in the case of lightning. Both substances then become saturated alike; that is. with the same sign of electricity. And, since perfect equilibrium is brought about between the two substances, it may be said that they are both at rest or satis- fled. analogically speaking, like two buckets of water of unequal quantity connected at their bottoms with hose having d valve midway to prevent the water from seeking a dead level in the two buckets.
 Space Between Is Dielectric
 The hose is the delectric or space be- tween the two bodies. The valve repre- sents the breaking down of the air, that, when the valve is opened, the water from the bucket having the highest level rushes through the hose into the bucket containing the lesser amount, and con- tinues so until after oscillating back ward and forward for some time, the water finds a perfect level in both buck cts This oscillating backward and for ward of the water represents the fric- tion which causes the lightning, or any spark that you might cause to be made between two oppositely charged bodies.
 This unbalanced state exists every where; even the friends with whom you shake hands will give or take in cleo trical quantity from you, for at the moment of contact an equilibrium must come about between the two bodies as in the case of the water in the two buckets finding it's level The human body not only carries a charge of static electricity, but it is capable of holding a very high potential. and in relieving itself of the charge very often produces spark of considerable violence.
 How to Produce Spark
 A very excellent and convenient way of producing such d state is 10 rub your shoes across the carpet or rug on a cold dry day; on touching some metallic sub stance, especially the radiator or gas fixture. you will be surprised to note what a sharp, bright little spark will jump from your finger.
 It occurred to me on one occasion that this apparently harmless spark might be the explanation of some mysterious plosions which happen now and then aboard war vessels, in power factories, and in coal mines throughout the coun- | tries. After repeated experiments. I am | tempted to believe to some degree, that such is the case. With this end in view and under favorable circumstances, have succeeded in performing some inter- esting experiments.
 Ignites Marsh Gas
 Marsh gas proved to be extremely sen- sitive and exploded at a low potential; the spark, l am sure, was scarcely vis- ible. The most interesting experiment, however, and one that might be improved upon. was the discovery that this little spark possessed all the virtue of the Her tizian wave. Without any other source of transmission except the air, a bell was caused to ring some two squares off and could be repeated as often as the spark was made. A gunpowder mine was easily set off, and with a specially de- viseG condenser. dots and dashes were sent without the least trouble. | But the human body is not alone in pro- ducing this static discharge, or minla- ture streak of lightning. It Is all one | and the same effect but of different po- tential, for all substances are charged or saturated with one or the other sign of electricity.
 Occurs In Nature Canebrakes, prairies, and great forests are often set afre during dry spells by | this same little spark; the dry twigs and | branches rub against each other until the ] olectriication becomes so intense by the friction as to raise the kindling tempera- lures of the wood fin a general confiagra- | ton.
 Even the celestial bodies are saturated | according to their density. and long before | they would come together, if such were possible tremendous streak of lightning would bridge the two bodies as they ap- preached to within their potential dis | tances; as result, much of the smaller body would doubtlessly be vaporized be- fore the awful cataclysm would occur. Knowledge of Electricity Recent
 The birth of electricity may be traced far back to remote ages, but its true
 
 understood until modern times, but 1aO years ago.
 | Thale, a learned physicist and as- | tronomer, who lived in 641 B. C., was the | first to electrify a body by rubbing a piece of amber and to cause a force hitherto undetected to become known.
 Although the Egyptians, Chaldeans, and other nations of that period were known to have had considerable knowl- edge of the phenomena of nature, no | record appears of their having connected | the rubbed amber to lightning, which | they seemed to have studied so assidu- ously. With them the attractive or mag
 netis power of amber, when rubbed, rose only to the height of mere curiosity, | and, as a toy, they finally shelved it.; | until Gilbert, Hawkesbee. Volta, Franklin | and others took 1t down and paved the way for the more practical minds of Edi- son, Tesla, Bell and others of our own | date.