Letter to George F. Fitzgerald from Sir Oliver Lodge
Science
Examinations
Handwritten letter from Sir Oliver Lodge, Victoria University, Liverpool, to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 12 June 1894. Lodge discusses the schedule and questions for exams for students of Victoria University. 1p. Transcription: "M d Φ Pract exam Honours Monday and Tuesday and Pass on Friday next week that is so I think. I send our work for pass and hons will you tick off what we shall offer them. I suppose they will have some choice? Tell me when you are coming. I don't know your arrangements. We shall be glad to see you of course. Λ"
Lodge, Oliver, Sir, 1851-1940
1894
Fitzgerald, George Francis, 1851-1901. Correspondent
Copyright RDS Library & Archives. Publication, transmission or display is prohibited without formal written approval of the RDS Library & Archives.
Text
Electromagnetism.
Magnets.
Handwritten letter from Sir Oliver Lodge, 2 Grove Park, Liverpool, to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 28 April 1895. Lodge discusses an experiment involving a magnetic circuit, iron and copper. 2pp. Transcription: "M d Φ Thanks for letter. I agree with all you say, and I had used many of the arguments myself, but I had not realised that no [cloud?] circuit experience could be crucial. At the same time some of them are surprising (see over). The motion of this one was that or the orthodox rotary field view when the magnet had no keeper the extend line would cut the [?] wires; whereas when the magnetic circuit is complete, they won't (I know it's lost as an argument but it's plausible) (the fact is that the keeper slightly increases the current, as you suppose). As to the keeper rotating between the poles of a magnet, the current is 40 or 50 times stronger with iron than with copper. which I don't think would have been primarily expected, although is recommended. But now here is a curious experiment. A is a rotating iron drum, B is a cylindrical keeper forming an electromagnet with air gap annular between A and B. Wire, [r?] with A, passes through hole in it and cuts lines of force in ring (once apparent). Will there be a current topped off? (Could you not return with me on 4th and stay Sunday. We have a debating soc [?] to diverge on 4th on differences in Social Corporation.) Answer, no, because the wire in hole in iron is not really screened but feels the lines flashy across hole as the iron turns and cuts just as many as the other 1/2 of the loop does. Or if that's not right, what is? Lines never more at all? Preliminary mechanics question will reach you with this. Honours Physics in 2 batches have already been sent. (Very sorry you are not coming here on 4th. Give us some time if it's possible. Yours OJL)"
RDS Library & Archives GFF collection of letters
1895
Handwritten letter from Sir Oliver Lodge, 2 Grove Park, Liverpool, to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 6 January 1895. Lodge discusses a hypothesis that both Fitzgerald and F.W.H. Myers came up with. 1p. Transcription: "M d Φ It is very interesting that you [?] have hit upon the same hypothesis that Myers has been working out for some time now. The sorting demons can do nearly all the observed trials, and that is what has seemed to us the most likely direction for [g?] after a theory. I shall send your letter on to Myers and perhaps he may send you his own crude attempts in that direction. He will be much pleased that the idea has struck a [p?] after even so small acquaintance with the phenomena. Λ"
Argon.
Platinum.
Iridium.
Osmium.
Handwritten letter from Sir Oliver Lodge, 2 Grove Park, Liverpool, to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 16 February 1895. Lodge discusses an abstract from the Royal Society and describes a theory about elements. 1p. Transcription: "M d Φ Thanks for interesting abstract from the R.S. The suggestion is a woeful one and they are quite right to make them things into short papers. My remark about "Creeds being cheap today" was only a sarcasm against myself because in this card I had said several times that "I believed" this or that. As to the Argon I did not speak of a position in the ordering VIII front group, but of another place altogether, not supposed to be a gap with the atomic weights 38 82 and 130. (If it is to fill the Pt trial vacancy it ought to be 20 or 21 surely). About 2 percent of the heavy stuff would do, and the heavy stuff might be a gas, having no virial. Yours Λ"
Crookes, William, 1832-1919.
British Association for the Advancement of Science.
Magnetics.
Hybrid systems.
Handwritten letter from Sir Oliver Lodge to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 25 February 1895. Lodge includes equations and notes regarding a scientific hypothesis. 2pp.
Handwritten letter from Sir Oliver Lodge to George F. Fitzgerald, without a date. Lodge writes from his bed as he is unwell. He discusses elements. 1p. Transcription: "M d Φ I am lying in bed with a mild dose of influenza and enjoying your kind letter on Argon. I did not realise you meant to separate PtOsIr from the other two groups, PdRuRh and FcCoNi but otherwise your proposal is the same as mine only I called it making another VIII row and you called it doubling the VIII row into 2 sets. There is an orthodox gap between the Pd and the Pt group but I don't see that it works well to consider them as belonging to different series. I am surprised at all the faith you have in the A. Progression relations but the idea is interesting. I am reading [O?] book at last. It's nice and easy. I was rather bad yesterday and have had nothing to eat since Saturday midday till this evening. Shall be about again soon. Λ"
Mercury.
Interference (Light).
Handwritten letter from Sir Oliver Lodge, 2 Grove Park, Liverpool, to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 24 March 1895. Lodge discusses an experiment involving a thread of mercury in a V groove joining two pools. The letter includes diagrams and letters. 2pp.
Schuster, Arthur, 1851-1934.
Handwritten letter from Sir Oliver Lodge, Victoria University, Liverpool, to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 25 April 1895. Lodge discusses an experiment involving magnets and notes that he sends exam questions for students at Victoria University. 2pp. Transcription: "M d Φ Do you prefer to say that a magnet's lines [n?] with it, or not, when a law magnet is oxidly spun. Spin above magnet and tap off curved from centre to ends. First with stand wood, next with stand iron, so as to close the magnetic circuit. Which will give most current in your opinion? The experiment (or some like it) have just been made here. I am sending you a batch of suggested questions for Honours. I cannot well sort them out to the different days, because I don't know what Schuster's are like. He and I have both an MSc man (for 1st 3 days) but I have a real Honours man too. I hope you will be able to sort out and concoct suitable papers from the material (over). I shall also send a summary of the work which my honour man Thornton wishes to hand in. Perhaps indeed I shall enclose it herewith. Another exp is [diagram] which gives most current to tapping circuit. Or does either give any? Λ"
University College,
Experiments
Handwritten letter from Sir Oliver Lodge, Liverpool, to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 8 June 1890. Lodge discusses the Royal Society members. 2pp. Transcription: "M d Φ By all means nominate [F?]. He is a good man to have. We had better try and get Waghan as our extra when we want an extra (which will be often). I hope we can get rid of Blakesley soon. I think your idea of sending round to the [?] centres/or suggest exps is very good. That list I sent you was mere scratch lot of what we commonly do in our laboratory. Did you send Dickens my first long ABC communications? I meant it to help his arguments after you had amended and criticised it, I shall be in town for Roy Soc [s?] and a few days longer 18-21 June. So if I can do anything then to help I will. Λ"
1890
Handwritten letter from Sir Oliver Lodge, 2 Grove Park, Liverpool, to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 4 September 1896. The letter is largely illegible. He mentions a letter Fitzgerald wrote in Nature and arranges to meet Fitzgerald next Tuesday. 1p.
1896
Thomson, J. J. 1856-1940.
Cathode rays.
Handwritten letter from Sir Oliver Lodge to George F. Fitzgerald, without a date. Lodge discusses an experiment by J.J. Thomson. 2pp. Transcription: "M d Φ J.J.T. has got results all right; and has he now tells me put the [s?] plate in a box inside the vacuum i.e. in the cathode rays and got nothing. He says both a cathode and phosphorous are necessary. I tried to find attempts to make Hertz waves to pump light waves through the box on to the plate, but that failed. I thought it was superimposed Λ and λ. I don't know what it is now. All the better! Yours, OJL I do hope that the lung trouble with your children is nothing serious. It's always alarming. At one time we had a lot of trouble of that sort."
Röntgen, Wilhelm Conrad, 1845-1923.
X-rays.
Handwritten letter from Sir Oliver Lodge, 2 Grove Park Liverpool, to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 20 January 1896. Lodge discusses an experiment involving cathode rays and various materials. 2pp. Transcription: "M d Φ I shall hope to send you some prints of the results we get tomorrow. Also perhaps one or two of Rontgen's results just [l?] me and Schuster, whose assistant came over today to see our arrangements, as he had not managed it yet. I think I must abandon the cathode rays idea because photographing a magnet on wire gauze the lines come out straight instead of [diagram]. The rays were going ⊥ to paper and if cathode rays they would be deflected between the poles. If it is anything etherised it's tremendously important and will probably tell us μ and κ. The bones are not quite opaque, nor are metals, but they are more opaque than liquids and flesh. Aluminium is very transparent. Steel is very opaque. Other metals between. Quartz more transparent than [?]. Just the minute Rontgen has sent me his paper (I asked him to). I see he is strong on the differences between his radiation "X radiation" and cathode rays. It seems to start from the green phosphorescence on [?] when bombarded by cathode rays,"
Lodge, Oliver, 1851-1940
Electrometer.
Handwritten letter from Sir Oliver Lodge, Victoria University, Liverpool, to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 21 January 1896. Lodge writes about prints he made of different experiments involving magnets. 1p. Transcription: "M d Φ I send a few hasty prints but the day has been foggy and they are not good. One is a magnet close to a sensitive plate. Another is a magnet on wire gauze with the plate on the other side the magnet and other are pieces of wire gauze with an aluminium electrometer needle lying in the middle [?]. Another is some coins [1st success]. All are taken through 1/4 inch of wood [?] the floor of a box in which the things were placed. The source of radiation was outside the box. I also send, but only for a short time, 2 copies of Rontgens originals which Schuster had. Please return these 2 at once. I have to show them here. One is a compass box with its lid on. The other is a hand with a ring on the third finger. Λ"
Kelvin, William Thomson, 1824-1907.
Schuster, Arthur,1851-1934.1851-1934.
Electrons.
Handwritten letter from Sir Oliver Lodge to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 25 January 1896. The letter is composed of equations and discussion about sound waves, light waves and polarisation. 5pp.
Refraction.
Atoms.
Particles.
Handwritten letter from Sir Oliver Lodge, Victoria University, Liverpool, to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 3 February 1896. Lodge discusses J.J. Thompson's theory about longitudinal waves. 1p. Transcription: "M d Φ J.J.'s longitudinal waves don't go independently of matter. They have to utilise the + and - charge on atoms and in free space they would - what I don't know. [?] transverse perhaps. A stream of unelectrified particles is the simplest thing. I shouldn't wonder if it turns out only that. I don't think that J.J. would admit that the velocity is the same in all matter, but he would dodge the refraction by reason of the = and - distances being equal to A ∴ [a?] by opposite displacements on the average [doubt reversed of sign and no rotation] Λ"
RDS Library & Archives
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937.
Preece, W. H.
Letter from Sir Oliver Lodge, Victoria University, to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 16 June 1899. Lodge discusses consulting a patent lawyer. 2pp. Transcription: "M d Φ My letter was not explanatory but only a preliminary enquiry. I am glad to find that you would be disposed to contemplate giving an opinion. There ought to be no difficulty about the renumeration; it is work that should be extremely well paid. I think your idea of consulting and of utilising the advice of some independent patent lawyer is a very good one. It will be difficult for the Marconi people to suggest a lawyer other that those who have been already engaged in drawing up or in advising on their patents, and who are therefore not disinterested. The same with me. The things that you will be asked to advise will be the value of our own improvements and the anti-value of our opposition. What I believe they want to do is to buy up the whole thing and get me as a consultant. My position is that though I am willing to sell them the improvements and refrain from opposition and indeed help in scientific matters. I am indisposed to have my name on a prospectus as consultant when they issue their shares to a company. It is a delicate matter and my statement is not evidence; but I find that in the city of London they are regarded as rather a stock-jobbing gang who wish to sell their shares to the public at a high figure. This may or may not be the case, but anyway I should have no control over their financial operations, and that being so I should not wish to have my name on their prospectus so not appear to assume any responsibility for acts which I could not control. So far as their actual work has been concerned it seems to have been very good, but I mistrust the financial part, partly no doubt through ignorance. Their nominal capital is enormous 3/4 million now, and they are very sensitive to any breath of opposition. Muirhead is anxious to proceed with his large-scale experiments, and to make a syndicate among his cable-telegraph friends who indeed are anxious to come in. Also he regards the field as open for him to manufacture and supply apparatus unimpeded by their imaginary first patent claims. With regard to Muirhead he is a most honest and liberal man, (I was introduced to him long ago by Carey Foster) one of the best fellows in himself, but of course accustomed to look at matters a good deal from a business point of view. At the same time he is very careful about any reputation that I may have and is anxious to do the best possible for me. I have considerable confidence in his judgement and absolute confidence in his honour, but his deafness is a great drawback and makes interviews with him very difficult especially for strangers. We all agree I think that if we were to amalgamate, the company would be considerably strengthened, and their foreign patents, especially their American patents, would sell far better. We are opposing them actively in America and have opposed them once in England with success. These oppositions are a nuisance and I should be glad to come to terms. They approached some time ago and wanted to know terms. Muirhead said £30,000. They asked for a denomination: but he didn't have one as Muirhead rather preferred independence. Now they suggest an expert to give an opinion I have mentioned you. If in the course of this matter you have occasion to see Muirhead you may take it that he is a thoroughly good man in every sense, and his wife is a very nice woman whom my wife likes. You would enjoy as stay with them at Shortland's if it happens so, and it is pretty sure to be necessary when you go to see their works as Elmers End in Kent. This is all preliminary, but the whole case will have to be laid before you by both parties; but you probably know more of the Marconi position than ours. I may say that the negotiations are being conducted on a perfectly friendly basis and that all the opposition has been purely legal and formal- never rancorous. I think you will find that the questions ultimately put are such as you can answer in conjunction with a patent lawyer, but all this lies in the future. The only difficulty that I see is in the appraisement of absolute value. The proper appraisement it seems to me is relative value, that is, assuming the value of the position of one side to be so and so, then the position of the other side is so much; or, put otherwise, that the value of the one position is a certain practice of the value of the other. I don't see that I can well sell the so called magnetic system on any time. It is a development and improvement of the part of the plan known as Pruce's and the P.O. are trying it and willing to take it up. Both the P.O. and Lloyd's are anxious to run anything rather that Marconi's, because they fear to land their names and influence to stock jobbing operations. I have this from both the heads of both the P.O. and of Lloyd's. Yours, Λ"
1899
Handwritten letter from Sir Oliver Lodge, Victoria University, Liverpool, to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 22 November 1899. Lodge states in his letter that he does not want responsibility for Dr Galt's report. 2pp. Transcription: "My dear Fitzgerald, With regard to that report of Dr Galt in in the British Association volume which is now very shortly going to press. I feel that it ought to have been submitted to the committee before sending in, and I am not inclined to make myself responsible for it. Dr Gladstone is going to add a note to say that he has tested the solutions formed by dissolving (a) the alloy (b) the mixture in nitric acid, and has found the resulting solutions not to be the same. Lord Kelvin replied that nevertheless if these solutions are mixed, no appreciable heat is evolved, and perhaps this is a complete answer, but I do not feel sure, and in any case I do not feel inclined to make myself responsible for Dr Galt's report, though at the same time similar experiments have been made by a Mr Baker of Birmingham with rather similar results; hence I must assume, and I am willing to assume that the experiments were carefully performed. In neither case however I am clear about what happened to the gaseous products. I rather think that Baker allowed them to escape, and what Galt did with them, I do not think he says. I think the best plan is for me to send you a copy of the note proposed to be added by Dr Gladstone and also to send you a note that we might add if we thought fit. No time must be lost, as Griffith is anxious to go to press. Yours OJL"
University of Manchester.
Handwritten letter from Sir Oliver Lodge to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 26 September 1896. Lodge suggests writing a Dictionary of Physics to avoid repetition and explain elementary concepts. 2pp. Transcription: "Φ I ventured to open the enclosed from Kelvin thinking it might be interesting, but it isn't. He asks me to send it on. Please let me know your address this week for Victoria papers. Do you think that the time has come for a Dictionary of Physics somewhat analogous to Watt's Dict of Chemistry. It just strikes me that it might save much repetition eg such heads as Elasticity, Pressure, Stress, Leak, and everything might be summed up sufficiently for elementary purposes and whereas these words occurred their heads could be referred to. The present form of text book must either be partial or too bulky. It is the fundamental ideas that need such treatment to avoid repetition in all parts of the subject and to fix things clearly. Would it be too mortally dull I wonder? Λ"
Perry, John, 1850-1920.
Ayrton, W. E.1847-1908.1847-1908.
Electromagnetic fields.
Two handwritten letters from Sir Oliver Lodge, Trefriw, North Wales, to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 9 April 1895. In the first letter, Lodge discusses scientific ideas regarding potential difference, EMF, vacuums and pressure. In the second letter, he talks about Electromagnetic distances and includes diagrams and equations. 5pp.
1885
Bond, Walter. G.
Friction.
Handwritten letter from Sir Oliver Lodge, 2 Grove Park, Liverpool, to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 11 October 1896. Lodge discusses the work of W.H. Preece and the idea of a Dictionary of Physics. 2pp. Transcription: "M d Φ Many thanks for interesting note. I enclose one from Bond to the same effect which may be burnt or returned. He like others did not know of P's ignorance and is surprised. I had been independently writing to him to get you to write an article on the paper of Preece's. But I had not thought of a leader. I think he may [?] feel damned at a leader. But it's a great [?] to suffer that P will show fight if attacked by you. He collapses when pricked and has withdrawn lots of papers by advice. The folly is that he will go on evicting them instead of paying a person with proper brains for the job. I quite acquiesce in you [r?] on the Dictionary. The treatise of the [function?] must be sequential and systematic in a way no Dictionary can be. I had been coming round to the same sort of view myself. Λ"
Engineering.
Handwritten letter from Sir Oliver Lodge. 2 Grove Park, Liverpool, to George F. Fitzgerald. Lodge is coordinating plans with Fitzgerald. Transcription: "M d Φ How absolutely disgusting! Do get dates put back again. I have arranged not to go abroad till the 29th, but I must go then. This house is available for you of course but I want to see you, and I thought we were going to have a good time. Just strike and make a disturbance. You are [?] Ramsey much too long. It isn't fair. Cut it short and come to L'. I can't make up my mind about Toronto. I don't [?] to go at all. They offer £20 or something towards the expenses but that won't cover it or anything like. I suppose I shall wait for something to decide me one way or another. Λ Of course I agree with your nature letter, only I think that the Enquiring teachers are the ones that should try and mend their ways a bit. "
1897
[Letter to George F. Fitzgerald from Sir Oliver Lodge],
Centrifugal force.
Zeeman effect.
Speed.
Physical Society (Great Britain)
Handwritten letter from 2 Grove Park, Liverpool, to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 8 November 1896. Lodge discusses the plans for a practical exam and a Physics Society meeting, as well as mentioning an experiment regarding friction. Transcription: "M d Φ I wrote about dates to A. Schuster asking him to fix after 16 December for pract exam, but I have not heard a reply. As to the Phys Soc it is very a [n?] to gather together the few persons in Liverpool who care about Physics. On occasion we have had 600 but usually about 16. No need to take trouble and give a formal communication but if you could give us a talk about something it would be appreciated. Anything you have on hand at the time would do. Is anything further known about the death of of Bp. of Killaloe and his wife? As told it looks as if there might have been some sort of telepathy, [a?] the coincidence, but I suppose nothing will be known? I see you suggest that the friction between air and a liquid may depend on whether the liquid evaporates or not. Hence part of the effect of oil on water perhaps. There can hardly be much [h?] in the film which is effective in [g?] the water to wind. Λ"
[Extract from letter to Sir Oliver Lodge from Professor Righi of Bologna],
Hertz, Heinrich, 1857-1894.
Coherer.
[Letter to George F. Fitzgerald from Sir Oliver Lodge].
Balfour, Arthur James Balfour, 1848-1930.
Maxwell, James Clerk, 1831-1879.
Ether (Matter)
National Liberal Club,
Light
Oscillations.
1880
Larmor, Joseph, b. 1857.
Grand Hotel,
Slieve Donard Hotel,
University of London,
Diffusion.
Aluminum.
Sound.
Gas.
Temperature.
Entropy.
Keely, John Ernest Worrell, 1827-1898.
Minchin, George Minchin, 1845-1914.
Rayleigh, John William Strutt, 1842-1919.
1881
[Letter to George F. Fitzgerald from Sir Oliver Lodge]
Sherrington, Sir Charles Scott, 1857-1952
Handwritten letter from Sir Oliver Lodge, 2 Grove Park, Liverpool, to George F. Fitzgerald. Lodge expresses his enthusiasm for Fitzgerald to attend a ceremony, but notes that Fitzgerald should only come if it is convenient. He mentions that he meant to visit George before he left. Transcription: M d q, I waited until you had got back (I hoped that I might see you here) and then waited too long. As to October, your coming won't keep anybody away, nor is there any scarcity of hosts. If I didn't have you I dare say I would get somebody but I had much rather have you and I hope you will come. At the same time I don't like to press you to undergo the travel and expense of the journey for a ceremony which though intended to be impressive and [?] will be nothing to you Trinity College men. Your invitation is not however down to me. It is from Sherrington of the Physiology [Council?], as a representative Physicist that the [?] invitation comes and I had nothing to do with their list. You may take it that you are really wanted. but that no undue pressure is put upon you. You must [?] your own convenience and we shall be delighted to see you. I was sad for little George that I did not see him on the morning of (or soon before) my departure. I intended to write him a letter, but like too many intentions it went to have a last place. By the way, bring him with you to [?]! Give him my love, Yours, L.
4 August 1998
Heaviside, Oliver, 1850-1925.
Helmholtz, Hermann von, 1821-1894.
1898
Trouton, Frederick Thomas.
Faraday, Michael, 1791-1867.
Maxwell, James Clerk,1831-1879.1831-1879.
Page of equations possibly from another piece of correspondence.
[Letter to George F. FitzGerald from Thomas R. Lyle],
Physics
Handwritten letter from Thomas R. Lyle, The University of Melbourne, to George F. Fitzgerald, dated * February 1899. Lyle discusses his assistant, the application for chair at Sydney, and upcoming travel to America. 2pp. Transcription: Dear Mr Fitzgerald, I wrote you a fortnight ago on behalf of my assistant Mr Love who is applying for the chair at Sydney. It may happen that he will not be in the running ad that the local Sydney assistant - Mr Pollock will have a good chance of the appointment. His, Mr. Pollock's testimonials are not likely to do him justice but I know him well and can say that no mistake will be made if he gets the appointment. I am starting for America on my way home in a couple of days. Yours [?] sincerely Thomas R. Lyle
Lyle, Thomas R. 1860-1944
Fitzgerald, George Francis, 1851-1901.
Litigation.
Handwritten letter from Thomas R. Lyle, The University of Melbourne, to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 27 August 1894. The letter details the potential litigation Lyle may undergo as a result of a salary dispute, and details his issues with the council deciding salaries for himself and other professors. 4pp
Fitzgerald, George Francis, 1851-1901
Electricity
Wheatstone bridge.
Handwritten letter from Thomas R. Lyle, The University of Melbourne, to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 28 November 1898. Lyle discusses a recent paper publication and considers some advice on publications given to him by Fitzgerald. 2pp. Transcription: Dear Mr. Fitzgerald, I received your kind letter this morning and feel very much indebted to you for the trouble you have taken with my paper. I saw the first number of it in the "Electrician" a fortnight ago and was much pleased with the editorial notice about it. I had scarcely hoped that it was really a new method but it seems likely that I may get the credit for originating it at any rate in its application to the class of questions I treated. I will think about what you say in regard to writing something more mathematical on the same subject but I am at present very busy in my off time (which is very minimal) with a paper on the rotating field motor. I have the work nearly finished but none of the paper written. I can do the thing very simply and neatly and I think you will be pleased with it. Apart from the results I got being likely to be of value to practical electricians the paper will be fairly good from an elementary mathematical point of view. I will impose it on you first when I get it finished but it will be some time yet as I will be very busy with examining and other work right up to Xmas. I have got a years leave and hope to see you all in Dublin about April. They give us a year in every 8 n q here provided we arrange for an [?] substitutes spending at least half our salaries in doing so. In view of my going home I asked the Government for £750 to spend on apparatus while there which they kindly gave me. I think your advice is right that it is not worth while riding an idea to death in papers. Everyone who can appreciate the paper can apply its methods to examples for themselves. I don't know what to say about your suggestion to write a book on alternating currents. I will think over it seriously. I don't mind at all whether it would pay or not if i could put together a respectable thing. It would not be difficult to improve on most of those I have seen and I have already collected or thought of sufficient matter on the subject to make a good sized book. I am very much behind however in the bibliography of the subject. That of course would have to be thoroughly gone into first and it might prove very difficult to get everything out here. What fate befell a short paper I sent you a long time ago on Wheatstone's Bridge. I wish you would if you can prevent its being published anywhere as the same thing is done much better in the last paper and in it (the last) I am not finding fault with another man as I was in the first. Wishing you a merry Xmas Yours very sincerely Thomas R. Lyle
RDS Library & Archive GFF collection of letters
Salaries
Handwritten letter from Thomas R. Lyle, The University of Melbourne, to George F. Fitzgerald dated 4th November 1894. Lyle shares details of what appears to be a legal issue he has encountered with 'the Council' regarding a salary dispute. 6pp.
[Letter to George F. FitzGerald from Mary Power Lawlor],
Education
Handwritten letter from Mary Power Lawlor, 20 Kildare Street, to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 14 November 1898. The letter discusses the development of "practical technical instruction" for girls attending National Schools in Ireland. 2pp.
Power Lawlor, Mary
[Letter to George F. FitzGerald from J. P. Law].
Law, J. P.
[Letter to George F. FitzGerald from H. Bingham Leech],
Bingham Leech, H.
[Letter to George F. FitzGerald from Charles H. Lehfeldt],
Lehfeldt, Charles H.
[Letter to George F. FitzGerald from Robert A. Lehfeldt],
Lehfeldt, Robert A.
Magnetism.
Hysteresis.
Handwritten letter from Thomas R. Lyle, The University of Melbourne, to George F. Fitzgerald, dated December 13th 1898. 2pp. Transcription: Dear Mr Fitzgerald I am sending you by this mail a short paper on Hysteresis. Though I have looked at the matter in the way explained in the paper for some time I had in working at a paper I am engaged on to look into the thing more closely and thought it would be worth publishing separately, especially as it bears on my paper already published in the Electrician. I think the method of treatment is new, and if you think so, I will be very much obliged if you send it to some society or send it to the Electrician or any paper you think best to send it to. I hope it is new as I think it neat. Blakesley's method (geom) of heating hysteresis is wrong as it does not give the power absorbed proportional to wbh x volume. I put a remark at the end of this paper (on page 10) about how to get a sine curve of impressed magnetism. If you do not think it important you might kindly draw your pen through it. I forgot in my last letter to you to say that I will settle with you for the 100 copies of my paper from the Electrician when I get home. Yours very sincerely, Thomas R. Lyle
Boltzmann, Ludwig, 1844-1906.
Home rule
King's College (University of London).
[Letter to George F. FitzGerald from Otto Lilenthal],
Lilienthal, Otto, 1848-1896
Aeronautics.
[Letter to George F. FitzGerald from Otto Lilienthal],
[Letter to George F. FitzGerald from Walter Elsworthy Lilly],
Lilly, W. E.
Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland)
[Letter to George F. FitzGerald from W. G. Lyon],
Lyon, W. G.
School libraries.
Clergy.
Handwritten letter from Thomas R. Lyle, The University of Melbourne, to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 15 March 1898. Lyle discusses a paper he wishes to publish correcting an error which he sends enclosed to Fitzgerald, and discusses the death of a Dr. Palmer and his upcoming trip home. 2pp. Transcription: Dear Professor Fitzgerald In a paper in the Phil mag. March 1897 by Dr. Grehore and Squier there are I think serious and fundamental errors. I have written a short paper, which I send you enclosed, correcting these errors and I will feel greatly indebted at you looking through it and if you think it worth publishing in the Phil. Mag. of seeing it through for me. I have made the paper as short as I can only connecting the two main slips they make and not touching on the "variation diagrams" they give. Though these seem to me to be founded on error. I have it in my mind to write a short paper on an allied subject and if when I reduce it [?] paper if it works out neatly enough I will if you don't mind send it to you. I see from time to time that many of the fellows of my time are passing away. I was very sorry indeed to see lately of Dr. Palmer's death. I am looking forward to going home for a holiday next year, and hope to spend some time in Dublin then. Yours very sincerely, Thomas R. Lyle
Surveying.
[Letter to George F. FitzGerald from G. D. Livenig],
Livenig, G. D.
Glazebrook, Richard, 1854-1935.
[Letter to W. Anderson Esq from Walter Elsworthy Lilly],
Cement
[Letter to George F. FitzGerald from J. Bohn],
Bohn, J.
[Letter to George F. FitzGerald from R. W. Longfield].
Longfield, R. W.
Surveyors.
[Letter to George F. FitzGerald from W. G. Lindsay],
Lindsay, W. G.
[Letter to George F. FitzGerald from Unknown],
Electric circuits
A handwritten letter from Thomas R. Lyle, The University of Melbourne, to George F. Fitzgerald, dated June 27, 1898. The letter discusses the work of Lyle on alternating currents and transformers, and his difficulties keeping up to date with his field from Melbourne. 2pp. Transcription: Dear Mr Fitzgerald I am sending you a couple additional examples to add to the paper on alternating currents, if you think it is suitable for publication, also a short addition to be made to the example of paper I already sent. The general treatment of the transformer which is enclosed is as far as I know new, but being out of the world practically here I cannot tell with certainty and I won't be much surprised if I hear from you that all the work in the papers I have sent you has been already done by someone else. I feel that I am giving you far too much bother with these things but I don't know anyone else whose advice I could ask. I am so much in your debt already that this won't make a vert large relative increase. Yours very sincerely Thomas R. Lyle
[Letter to George F. FitzGerald from P. Lenard],
Lenard, P.
[Letter to George F. FitzGerald from Thomas R. Lyle].
Quaternions.
Handwritten letter from Thomas R. Lyle, the University of Melbourne, to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 13 June with no year listed. Lyle discusses a paper he is sending alongside this letter and some of his other work he has been doing. 2pp. Transcription: Dear Mr. Fitzgerald I was greatly pleased at getting your letter a fortnight ago. After I had posted that paper to you I often wished I had it back as it seemed a small thing to be finding out other peoples errors. I have never felt any great desire to publish things unless I felt sure they were very good but your letter had some affect as commenced to put together some things I have known for years and in doing so other things came into my mind and a fairly lengthy paper is the result which I forward to you by this mail. The ides in the paper I have had for many years, even before I came out here, but I was not as much interested then in alternating currents as I was in quaternions. It seemed so obvious to one who knew even the merest smattering of quaternions to apply the first principles of them to simplify the manipulation of the diagram used for graphically working out about harmonic currents. That paper I criticised appeared at this time of time of day seemed to me to point to the fact that these things are not as well known as I thought and your letter started me in earnest. Will you look through the paper I send and if you think it good enough get it published if you can, soon in some journal, the Phil mag, in preference or give it to any society. I think it may be useful, even to practical men for the only unusual thing I put forward is the unit vector though I don't call it that. I have tried my best to put it simply. Some of the examples I give are I think new and all are I think solved very much shorted than they could be by any other method. I could have increased the bulk of the paper by some more interesting examples but I think I have given enough to show the convenience and power of the method. I have looked everywhere I can to find whether anyone has ever applied the same method to the alternate current diagram but could not find that anyone had done so. Oliver Heaviside has a paper on Resistance and Conductance operation in the Phil mag. Dec 1887, but his operations are differential and he defines them as such. Of course his R+L(d/dt) is practically the same as part of what I use (he requires two), but I think there is a great advantage in being able to realise my operation as a motion in space of something instead of working with a mere abstraction that is known to conform to certain laws. I made no reference to this paper (it deals of very different things to mine) though I felt I ought to but did not know what to say. If you think the paper goof enough to publish and you think some reference should be made to Oliver Heaviside I will be very grateful if you put in a suitable foot note. Sometime ago I was looking into the theory of rotating field motors. I think I can put it neatly and I may make a short paper of what I have already done. You must not think I am idle out here because I have not published anything. My duties take up nearly all my time and I have always felt that I ought to do my best for the students and the place. One can get no assistance here. Very rarely will a student work in the laboratory after his degree. Everyone wants to be off making money. I hope you do not think me too great a bother sending this paper to you Yours very sincerely, Thomas R. Lyle
Galvanometer.
Electricity.
Handwritten letter from Thomas R. Lyle, The University of Melbourne, to George F. Fitzgerald, dated September 13th 1898. 2pp. Transcription: Dear Mr. Fitzgerald I was very pleased to hear from you that you thought my paper of some use. I sent by a mail or so after the full paper, a few pages additional containing some more examples, one of which I thought well worth adding [?] that on the transformer where hysteresis [?] are all considered. The principle in method in the paper will enable anyone who has grasped it to transform all the quantitative relations relating to measurements and comparisons where a [?] method with a galvanometer is used for steady currents to the corresponding relations for alternating currents, when a telephone would take the place of a galvanometer. [diagram and detailed equations follow] Is it worthwhile writing a paper about these kind of illustrations of the method with experimental details of trials results or is is a mistake to ride the idea to death? Very many thanks for the trouble you have taken about the publishing of the paper. I don't mind where it appears as long as it may be read by those people to whom it may be of use. yours very sincerely, Thomas R. Lyle
Lyle, Thomas R.
Handwritten Letter from Thomas R. Lyle, The University of Melbourne to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 24th March, Year Unknown. Lyle makes a recommendation for the publication of a former student's work. 2pp. Transcription: Dear Mr. Fitzgerald, One of my students who got his degree 3 years ago is sending on my recommendation to you by this mail a paper of his giving an account of some of work on the Thermo electric diagram. He is a very able fellow and his work is I think very good and I would like to have it publish in some good scientific journal. He got one of the 61 Exhibition scholarships 2 years ago and this is some of the work he did while holding it. He is a very careful and accurate experimenter and the results he has got are very important. We as short fine metals as we could out here and I feel sure that much of these he used were much finer than had been used by Tait in the conclusion of his diagram. The difference between the two are very great. I would like the paper published in some goof journal for two reasons. Steele is a very good fellow and enthusiastic worker, and also it would show the Exhibitions Commission that he has been doing something for his scholarship and so I would perhaps be more likely to get another scholarship soon again. Since I was at home two years ago great changes have occurred out here. Everything that could smash has smashed and the government is retrenching...University yearly grant has been greatly reduced but so far our [?] has not been touched though it may come to that. The lavish expenditure on apparatus of 4 or 5 years ago has been stopped and now we can scarcely get enough to carry on with. I was rather lucky as just before the smash came I got my laboratory practically finished. This was not altogether a blessing however as now with the extra laboratory classes I have very little time I can call my own. Remember me to Mr. Cathcart I believe [?] Ever yours sincerely Thomas R. Lyle
RDS library & Archives GFF collection of letters
Evolution.
Magnetic induction.
Handwritten letter from Thomas R. Lyle, Christchurch New Zealand, to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 24 January 1891. Lyle details of a meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advocacy of Science which he attended and presided over a section of. 2pp. Transcription: Dear Mr. Fitzgerald, I have been over here for the last ten days at the meeting of the Australasian Ass. for the Adv. of Science. We have had considering all the circumstances a most successful meeting. It is very far for the Australian people to come still a good number came over. I was President of Section A and send you a newspaper which contains a rough abstract of my address. I had been vert busy all year and when the holidays came on I got inflammation of the bowels and had a very bad time of it for about a week. So the preparing of my address was put off until the last minute. I first got read a paper on magnetic induction but thinking that too stiff for a popular address I wrote a jumble of facts which as it turned out suited remarkably well. A good audience came to hear it and I am very glad that I changed the subject to something easy. In our section there was not much of importance. Prof. Bragg. of Adelaide sent a paper on the Elastic [?] method of treating Electrostatic theorems. It was a very good one. He starts with Oliver Lodge's conception of the ether and deduces very simply all the electrostatic formulae. Threlfall sent a lot of notes about various things the most interesting being on some experiment about the diffusion of gas & [?] on the 2nd law of thermodynamics. He says that the law will require to be further amended by another saving clause .a. if you have two [?] of O & H say at the same temp. a cylinder with piston, the end of the cylinder being porous and if you move the cylinder from O to H & back again in succession work will be obtained until the two gases become thoroughly mixed, His saving clause is that the substances considered must be both physically and chemically homogenous. We got a great lot of the other matter some of which I had to reject and in consequence I have almost required [?] protection. Old fashioned facts from amateur scientific lunatics. That everything almost in the world, storms, disease, etc, can easily be foretold by observing the spots on the sun. That the law of quantatation is all wrong. A complete and perfect theory of cosmic evolution etc etc. - The other sections were very well attended and everyone seems to be satisfied with the meeting. With kind regards, Yours very sincerely, Thomas R. Lyle
1891
Galvanometer
Handwritten letter from Thomas R. Lyle, The University of Melbourne, to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 14 September, with no year listed. 2pp. Transcription: My dear Mr. Fitzgerald, I ought to have written you a time long ago to let you know I have started my new work. I have been very busy these last six weeks and will be so until the end of term 2 weeks hence. This is a very much bigger place than I expected and is likely to grow very fast. My laboratory is not really finished yet indeed only the walls of half of it are up but when it has been completed it will be a very fine place. I think I have... ...rather difficult place to go into when I came out. Everything was in disorder and upside down. My work is going vert smoothly with me now. The students are very attentive and hard working and haven't given me the least trouble. The 1st year class has 135 in it 13 of whom are young ladies. I take the 1st year Ordinary and the 2nd and 3rd year Honour classes and have some very able men in the 3rd year. The appliances for teaching my subject at present are miserable. I have had to exercise my wits very often to get up some model or experiment and have learned a great deal already about how to make... ...I will have a very fine lecture room in the new place and am trying yo have the lecture bench as complete as possible. Everything at had. Gas, oxygen, steam, electricity from storage cells. Two water air pumpers which in a minute give a vacuum of 28 or 29 inches. Sunlight (we nearly always have it here) from the [?] along the table from one end and an electric lamp at the other. Lamp for projection somewhere in front and a solid [?] pedestal near the corner for Galvanometer and a Electrometer. The table itself will be of slate laid on a solid masonry and directly over it at the ceiling I have a beam for suspending things from. I am going to ask for... ...of the Lab now. and have it completed at once. If you have any suggestions I will feel very grateful if you write me. I would like to know where I could find all that has been written about Hertz's work & what you were lecturing on before I left. There is a good library here and they get most of the periodicals. If you would tell my brother Robert or else Russell of any new books that I hought to have I will also feel very much obliged. With kind regards [?] Yours very sincerely Thomas R. Lyle
[Letter to George F. FitzGerald from Jerome Wallace],
Wallace, Jerome
Irish teachers.
Woodwork.
Schools.
[Letter to George F. FitzGerald from William Walsh],
Walsh, William J. 1841-1921
Agriculture.
Drawing.
[Letter to George F. FitzGerald from Michael Hodder Westropp],
Westropp, Michael Hodder
Silk industry.
Trees.
Mulberry.
Admiralty.
Dynamics.
[Letter to George F. FitzGerald from Cecil D. Whetham],
Dampier, William Cecil Dampier, 1867-1952
Stokes, George Gabriel, 1819-1903.
Kohlrausch, Friedrich, 1840-1910.
Electrolytes.
[Letter to George F. FitzGerald from William J. Walsh],
Education and state
Educational change.
Ions.
Electrodes.
Electrolysis.
[Letter to George F. FitzGerald from A. Irvine Whitty],
Whitty, A. Irvine
Storage batteries.