Year: 1872




Sometime ago an account of house in
Worcester, Mass was given in the pa
pers under the above head. We have a
case In every respect as remarkable right
at hand. In this village of Freehold, for
several weeks back, electrical phenomena
OF an intensely interesting character have
been constant ut the residence of Charles
A. Bennett, ESQ. We devoted a very pleas
ant evening to visit, and what we shall
mention is what our eyes beheld. The
house is warmed with furnace below
and commands uniformly dry atmos-
phere, though not dry in an arid sense, as
water is kept in a condition of evapora-
ton in the lower part Of the house. The
building is lighted with gas. This of
course secures a metallic distribution of
the best conductors through the house
1t is also surmouuted by copper lightn-
ing conductor, which is very effective
one. The roof is also crossed by row of
copper points. We should think these
conditions would of themselves secure
large amount of diffuse electricity, though
we were not prepared to fud it to the
extent which prevails.


The house may be said to be every
where filled with this diffuse electricity,
but chiefly in the two parlors ; and of
these, one is more SO. than the other
With the feet dry, person may 60 to
register and spark instantly leaves him
with the we'll known electrical "tick p
If one walks over the floor and then pre-
sents finger to the gas fixture, or any
metellic body, the pretty blue spark of
electric fame at once leaves him with
snap, and slight but a genuine electric.
shock. If lady walks briskly over the,
carpet, giving asfight drag to the feet, es-
pecially if her dress is long, and she then
presents the finger to the gas fixture, the
spark is half an inch in length with the
characteristic bfue color and the sharp
clicking sound, and a shock very appre-
ciable. 1t was strange to see our accom-
plshed hostess simpl y walk across the
floor, touch the gas jet which was turned
off, and then put on as she approached,
when 10 at the lady's touch, click went
the spark and flash, six inches high
sprang the lighted gas. This was done
repeatedly, and would as we remarked, to
some minds, easily suggest the idea of
withcraft.


But stranger fact was that which now
followed, for next three of US joined hands
aud to gether walked the length of the
room then one touched the gas fixtures
with the finger, and shock was ex-
perienced up the extire length of the arm,
which to novice was equally startling
and unpleasant. Indeed, the discovery of
the electrical condition of the house was
itself novel and startling. The son of
fered his mother piece of apple, which
on being accepted shock was experienced
by the lips of the receiver.


1t should be mentioned that the car
pets are, We believe, Brussels. They have
good stiff nap, aud the friction in mov-
ing over them is considerable. That of
the parlor, where the phenomena are most
abundant, is also to some extent insulat-
ed from the floor, as it lies upon paper
These electrical exhibitions are not rare,
and it is not dihcul. to find ladies' who
can light the gas from finger, after
good amount Of foot friction on the car
pet. The marvel in the present case is
not one Of kind but OF degree. And in
this respect we have never seen the like
elsewhere. In fact it stands, in this re-
spect, remarkably alone, since the con-
tiguous residences do not exhibit these
phenomena, even in the smallest degree.
Democrat.