The mirror., 1920-01-08

fNWl1 STUDY of the history of the
lgMgD magnet takes us back to medieval
H@eM3A times. No doubt natural magnets
BGAWlAyb were known to the ancients,
yet we find the first mention of natural
magnets made by the Greeks in their itera-
ture between the 18th and 18th centuries.
In Thessaly, region in medieval Greece,
was district known as Magnesia, in modern
times called Manissa Here it was that the
first natural magnets were found in the form
of mineral. In fact, a natural magnet is
nothing more nor less than piece of iron
ore which possesses the property of magne-
tism. You will note the term natural mag
net" in preference to the simple word mag
net" This is in order to distinguish be-
tween the natural magnet and the artificial
magnet, of which mention will be made
later.
A natural magnet is also sometimes
known as lodestone, (or loadstone.) The
origin of this word is rather obscure, but an
effort to trace its etymology leads to the fol-
lowing. The word lode in old Anglo Saxon
meant path, or a road. In referring to the
North star what more natural than to say
lodestar, since this star showed the direction
or road to travellers? The word lodestar is
still applied to a guiding star, particularly
to the North or polestar. Later, when the
magnetic needle was found to point to the
North star, then the magnet, of which the
needle was made known as lodestone, since
was it not a stone which pointed the road
and the direction? The above genealogical
chart of the word lodestone is not quoted
from any authority, but is the writer's own
conclusion of the probable origin of the word
and may well be incorrect, yet is offered on
its own merits for what it is worth.
When magnets were first discovered
they were regarded with much superstition.
Their peculiar power of attracting certain
other metals was considered supernatural
The tales and legends which surrounded its
phenomenal power were many. A fair ex-
ample of the nature of this belief may be
gained from the following tale.
1t was said, ESQ the story goes) that in
a far aft sea, under unknown skies, there
lowered mountain high above the water,
and this mountain was one immense magnet
Its power was tremendous. When ship,
driven by adverse winds and currents, ap-
preached within a certain radius of this
monster power, its magnetism attracted the
ship towards its precipitous shores, nor could
all the efforts of the mariners do aught to
turn the ship to another course. AS the
fated ship approached the magnet mountain,
iron implements and fittings on board the
vessel were drawn through the air to the
mountain. Finally as the ship drew still
closer, the nails and bolts were drawn from
the sides and keel of the ship until it col
lapsed leaving its unfortunate crew to perish
in the bottomless sea. This tale was known
to the sailors of Columbus on the voyage to
the new world and caused no little anxiety
on their part.
When it was found that thin bar of
magnesia or magnetic needle balanced on
a pivot pointed the direction of the North
star, it was believed that the star itself was
an immense magnet. 1t was thought that
the pieces of magnesia found on our earth
were fragments of the star which had fall
len in the form of meteors and still retained
an affinity for the planet from which they
originated.
Every magnet, in whatever shape or
form, has, what is known as two poles,
namely north pole and south pole. These
poles are also known as positive and negative
poles. If the north poles of two magnets
be placed in juxtaposition they will not at
tract, but will repel one another with a
power of repulsion equal in proportion to
their combined powers of attraction under
other conditions But if we place opposite
poles of two magnets together, they attract
each other with an attractive power equal to
their combined power of magnetic attraction
A magnet has its greatest power of at
traction at its extreme poles, and large