A History of Wonderful Inventions - Softcover

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1849 Excerpt: ... IKE all great discoveries, the Barometer was found out by accident. The Duke of Florence had employed some pump-makers upon his premises,:...vc v 'i and they found that they could not raise the water above thirty feet, when the air in the tube was exhausted. In their dilemma they applied to the celebrated philosopher Galileo. He replied that nature had no power to destroy a vacuum beyond thirty-two feet; for, learned as Galileo was, he understood not the equipoising weight of atmosphere. It was left to his pupil Torricelli to make this discovery. Evangelista Torricelli, who in early life distinguished himself for his mathematical and philosophical knowledge, was a native of Piancondoli, in Eomagna, where he was bor n in the year 1608. By the care of an uncle, he received an excellent education at the Jesuit School in Faenza, where he became remarkable for his mathematical and scientific attainments. At twenty years of age his uncle sent him to Rome, and he there became intimate with Oastelli, then mathematical professor of the college of that city. EVANGELISTA TORRICELLI. About this time Galileo was endeavouring to overturn the received doctrine that substances descended in speed according to their natural gravity; and that consequently, if two weights were to descend from a high position, the one which was ten times the weight of the other would reach the ground ten times as soon. Galileo had discovered the pressure of the atmosphere, and was convinced of the principle of its specific gravity, and of the opposition which it occasioned to the effect of the earth's attraction. He went, attended by several officials, to test its validity, and two stones, of very unequal weight, were dropped from the falling tower in Pisa. The truth was evident from the fact ...