After filling the recipient with the mixture of hydrogen and oxygen in the proper proportions and closing it with the cork, the outside ball of the pistol is brought close to one of the poles of an electrostatic generator. By induction, the outside ball and the walls of the pistol are charged with charges of sign opposite to the pole of the electrostatic generator and the one inside is charged with the same sign: a spark bridges the gap between the pole of the electrostatic generator and the outside ball and one bridges the gap between the inside ball and the wall of the recipient. The latter causes the combination of the hydrogen and the oxygen inside the pistol with the consequent expulsion of the cork and the detonation.
If instead of the two to one mixture of hydrogen and oxygen there is a mixture of hydrogen and air in the pistol the detonation takes place all the same, but is weaker. The same thing occurs if the two pure gases are introduced but in a ratio different from the combination ratio.