Professor Daniell, in his lecture on the chemistry of the atmosphere, delivered at the Royal Institution, took occasion to exhibit the elimination of the electric spark from steam. The extraordinary fact of the possibility of obtaining electricity from steam was, like many other of the wonders of science, discovered by mere accident by one of the workmen at a large steam-engine, in a factory near Gateshead; for, in raising the lever connected with some portion of the machinery, against which steam had been allowed to condense, he received so powerful an electric shock as to be thrown to the ground. This occurred two or three times, and was at length mentioned to certain scientific individuals in the neighbourhood, who at once traced the phenomenon to its true source. Immediately that the fact was communicated to the scientife world, several experiments were made on the matter, among which those of Professors Daniell and Grove appear to have been the most satisfactory. The apparatus used by Professor Daniell was a small low-pressure boiler for generating the steam, to which was affixed a pipe, having in its centre a stop-cock, from which the steam could at all times be readily supplied. A tin tube, containing a number of diaphragms of wire-gauze, and bent at right angles, was affixed to the prime conductor of an electric machine, for the purpose of insulation, and the steam was at once projected into the tube. Electric sparks of considerable length were drawn from the opposite end of the conductor. A Leyden jar was charged, and a shock received; and hydrogen gas was lighted by its means. Several theories have been raised to account for the phenomenon, of which the generally received and most probable is, that the electricity is developed by the sudden condensation of the vapour. Whatever, however, may be the real cause, the knowledge of the fact is of considerable importance in the science of meteorology. Since the wondrous discovery of Franklin, no one could doubt that electricity and lightning were identical, but it was never understood by what means the clouds became charged with electric fluid. Here is at once an explanation. If from the condensation of a small quantity of steam an electric spark, attended by all its usual phenomena, be produced, can it not readily be conceived that the lightning would be the product of thousands of acres of condensed vapour in the air. On this part of the subject a pretty experiment was shown by Mr. Daniell. An electrometer, or apparatus for detecting minute quantities of electricity, was placed some considerble distance from the steam pipes, and a small puff or cloud of steam was suffered to roll over it, in doing which the leaves of the electrometer were violently deflected, showing even here that the condensation of this small quantity, by the cold air, had produced visible amount of electricity.
The Illustrated London News, London England, Week Ending May 28, 1842