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281
Heroes of the Telegraph
·
John Munro
260
II.
WILLIAM
EDWARD
WEBER.
WILLIAM
EDWARD
WEBER
was
born
on
October
24,
1804,
at
Wittenberg,
where
his
father,
Michael
Weber,
was
professor
of
theology.
William
was
the
second
of
three
brothers,
all
of
whom
were
distinguished
by
an
aptitude
for
the
study
of
science.
After
the
dissolution
of
the
University
of
Wittenberg
his
father
was
transferred
to
Halle
in
1815.
William
had
received
his
first
lessons
from
his
father,
but
was
now
sent
to
the
Orphan
Asylum
and
Grammar
School
at
Halle.
After
that
he
entered
the
University,
and
devoted
himself
to
natural
philosophy.
He
distinguished
himself
so
much
in
his
classes,
and
by
original
work,
that
after
taking
his
degree
of
Doctor
and
becoming
a
Privat-Docent
he
was
appointed
Professor
Extraordinary
of
natural
philosophy
at
Halle.
In
1831,
on
the
recommendation
of
Gauss,
he
was
called
to
Gottingen
as
professor
of
physics,
although
but
twenty-seven
years
of
age.
His
lectures
were
interesting,
instructive,
and
suggestive.
Weber
thought
that,
in
order
to
thoroughly
understand
physics
and
apply
it
to
daily
life,
mere
lectures,
though
illustrated
by
experiments,
were
insufficient,
and
he
encouraged
his
students
to
experiment
themselves,
free
of
charge,
in
the
college
laboratory.
As
a
student
of
twenty
years
he,
with
his
brother,
Ernest
Henry
Weber,
Professor
of
Anatomy
at
Leipsic,
had
written
a
book
on
the
'Wave
Theory
and
Fluidity,'
which
brought
its
authors
a
considerable
reputation.
Acoustics
was
a
favourite
science
of
his,
and
he
published
numerous
papers
upon
it
in
Poggendorff's
ANNALEN,
Schweigger's
JAHRBUCHER
FUR
CHEMIE
UND
PHYSIC,
and
the
musical
journal
CAECILIA.
The
'mechanism
of
walking
in
mankind'
was
another
study,
undertaken
in
conjunction
with
his
younger
brother,
Edward
Weber.
These
important
investigations
were
published
between
the
years
1825
and
1838.
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