80 On the Sea-cell as a Possible Source 



Viewed in the light of the foregoing remarks, the experi- 

 ments of Messrs. Caldwell and Smibert may, I think, be fairly 

 regarded as confirming the conclusions I had come to from 

 considerations purely theoretical. 



They certainly prove that, notwithstanding assertions to 

 the contrary, a sea-cell consisting of an ironclad like the 

 "Cerberus" and a large zinc case with short lengths of 

 No. 16 wire does produce a heating current through a 

 regulation fuse. 



It may be asked how certain experiments carried out in this 

 and in an adjoining colony, and which did not produce like 

 results, are to be explained. For my own part, I may say that 

 I do not feel called upon to explain them. I have given the 

 results of experiments made by persons of known experience 

 and skill under circumstances sufficiently explained; but I 

 am not called upon to explain the cause of the failure of 

 experiments all the circumstances of which I do not know. 

 Moreover, this is one of those cases in which one well- 

 authenticated experiment that succeeds is of more import- 

 ance, as a warning of danger, than are fifty that fail. 



Whatever may have been the cause of the accident, it 

 seems clear that in the Queenscliff experiment the experi- 

 menters were treading on dangerous ground. All that was 

 necessary to produce a dangerous current was an accidental 

 contact between the end of the wire and the iron body of the 

 vessel. And the fact that the position was one of danger 

 would remain, even though it could be proved that the 

 explosion occurred through the presence of dynamite in the 

 charge, or from some other cause at present, perhaps, unsus- 

 pected. 



The conclusions I deduce from the foregoing remarks may 

 be briefly summarised as follows : — 



It is not proved that the explosion was caused by a sea-cell 

 current. There is no proof that the circuit was completed ; 

 and neither by theoretical calculation, nor as yet by experi- 

 ment, has it been shown that a sea-cell current would 

 explode a fuse through such a length of No. 10 wire as that 

 made use of. 



But whatever may have been the cause of the accident, 

 and it will probably never be known, it seems clear that the 

 sea-cell current was a source of danger in the experiment. 

 It would still have been so if the accident had not taken 

 place ; though, in that case, the danger would have remained 



