130 



" electro-magnet, and from this obtains a second and more 

 " powerful current, which, used in like manner, produces 

 " one still more intense. I, using only a single machine, 

 " pass the currents from its armatures through wires coiled 

 " round the permanent magnets in such direction as to 

 " intensify their magnetism, which, in its turn, reacts upon 

 " the armatures and intensifies the current," 



Mr. Murray's warning to inventors against patenting his 

 idea would seem to have been disregarded, as a patent was 

 taken out on December the 24th of the same year, by C. & 

 S. A. Vaiiey, for " Improvements in the means of generating 

 Electricity," wherein is described a machine consisting of 

 two electro-magnets and two bobbins. The bobbins are 

 mounted on an axle, on which also a commutator is fixed ; 

 the ends of the insulated wire suiTounding the bobbins are 

 connected with this commutator and through it with the 

 insulated wire of the electro-magnets, forming the whole 

 into one electric circuit. Before using the apparatus an 

 electric current is sent through the electro-magnet for the 

 purpose of securing a small amount of permanent magnet- 

 ism in the iron core of the electro-mao-net. On revolving- 

 the axle, the bobbins become slightly magnetised in their 

 passage between the poles of the electro-permanent magnets, 

 generating weak currents in the insulated wire surrounding 

 them. The effect of the current passing through the electro- 

 magnets is to increase their magnetism, and to magnetise in 

 a higher degree the bobbins when passing between the poles 

 of the electro-magnets, and the bobbins act and react on 

 each other causing the circulation of increased quantities of 

 electricity. 



Another patent for the same idea was taken out by C. W. 

 Siemens, F.RS., on January the 31st, 18G7, as a communi- 

 cation from Dr. Werner Siemens, of Berlin. Again the 

 same idea was communicated to the author in a letter from 

 Mr. Moses G. Farmer, of Salem, Mass., U.S.A., who had 



