Self-sustaining Voltaic Battery. 43 
fathoms. The corresponding depth on the San Diego path is 
2100 fathoms. 
The disturbance of the 25th of December presents at San 
Francisco three sets of waves of seven each, and at San Diego 
one set of seven, agreeing in their general features with those 
at San Francisco, and then a set of seventeen, in which at first, 
intermediate waves seem to be wanting at San Francisco, or 
which have no analogous oscillations there. The crests of the 
first set occurred at a mean about 17™ earlier at San Diego than 
at San Francisco, the heights on the average were nearly the 
same, being ‘39 feet at San Diego and -44 feet at San Francisco, 
and the time of oscillation at the two places the same, namely 
41m, The origin of the disturbance was probably nearer to San 
Diego than to San Francisco. 
Arr. VIIL—Description of a Self-sustaining Voltaic Battery ; 
| ' by Georce Maruror.* 
Many inquiries have been made in regard to the principles of 
construction of my battery, with commendation of its working 
properties, and I have even received large commercial orders for 
its construction, which, of course, I could not execute, so that, 
up to this time, a few sets only have been made for use in gov- 
ernment works. I now give a thorough description of the bat- 
tery, and of the principles on which its action depends, hoping 
that thereby the recent important applications of voltaic currents 
may be facilitated through my labors. 5 
The first forms of the voltaic battery were so expensive and 
cumbrous, and withal so uncertain and fleeting in action, that the 
idea of applying galvanic currents to the great business affairs of 
life would certainly have gained nothing more than a smile rom 
€ven the most sanguine philosopher. But, from the continued 
researches of electro-chemists, the world has now the benefit of 
electro-metallurgy and the electric telegraph. Even the batte- 
ties now employed are uncertain toa considerable degree, and 
require constant attention. Any consideration, therefore, tending 
to the improvement of the instrument, so as to avoid the neces- 
sity for frequent attention, cannot but be appreciated at this time, 
when the world is asking science for a telegraph across the Atlan- 
tic, and we are looking for a line from the Pacific to the Missis- 
Sippi, on which there must needs be many stations or relays of 
batteries, that from the uninhabited state of the country caunot 
be Constantly attended or even frequently visited. 
. * From the Re of the Superintendent of the Coast Survey, 1854. Wash- 
ington : 1855, a han. 7 
