Professor Sylvanns Thompson delivered a lecture before the Society of
Arts on Wednesday, in which he indicated the advantage that might ultimately be gained from the storage of electricity. All that is needed for its use in most departments of life is a cheap motive power, not derived from coal, and this may be obtained from the tides. They would be useless as motors for many purpose& but an intermittent force can store up electric energy. He believed there were places in England where tidal force could be cheaply utilised, particularly the gorge of the Avon. "A tenth part of the tidal energy in the gorge of the Avon would light Bristol, and a tenth part of the tidal energy in the channel of the Severn would light every city, and turn every loom, spindle, and axle in Great Britain." These may be dreams, but Sir W. Armstrong, it is said, lights his house by the energy of a little water-fall in hie gardens ; and out of such dreams will emerge some day a practical pro- posal. Who will be Duke of Bridgewater this time, and spend a fortune, relying solely upon the accuracy of scientific calcula- tion P He might live in history as a benefactor to the human race, or transmit to his descendants wealth beyond the dreams of avarice.
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