The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-05-07
FOR THE MASSACHUSETTS SPY.
Holc does the Sun keep up its perpetuGI. fame,
uithOd eUer beng eallausted2

VtttOuL tCeF OeIHg e1IlduSted
A great variety of theoretical opinions have
been advanced concerning the heat or light of
the sun, but have not met with any thing on
the subject that was satisfactory to my mind
and, although my opinions may appear to 9TH
ers quite as theoretical and destitute of reason
as those of any of the writers who have preced-
ed me, yet | snail risk being considered a Wis
ionary character and, without further apology
endeavor to give the outline of theory, which
| think plausible, at least; and leave it to 9TH
ers to prove It's correctness, or show its absurd
ity.
To me, it appears to be in harmony with the
great and sublime laws of the universe, to sup
pose that the sun receives its inaammabe mat
ter from the planets that revolve around it
and that, after being ignited, it is returned in
streams of fire and brilliant light, for the pur
pose of illuminating, warming and vivifying the
earth, and other terrestrial bodies within the
solar system. The experiments which have
been made on hydrogen gas, prove that it is
the iightest and most intiammahle substance in
nature that man has been able to weigh. 1t is
about eleven times lighter than the atmosphere
we BREATHE when under a pressure of fifteen
hounds to the inch. Now, as this gas is so ex-
tremely light, and capable of expanding itself
to an almost infinite degree, when not pressed
by any other substance, can see no good rea-
son why II SnOulu not now OIL from INC edIlil;
and other planets, to the sun. According to the
principles of grayitation, laid down by Newton
and others, this subtitle gas would have to flow
but small portion of the distance towards the
sun, before it would come within the attraction
of that body and having thus passed beyond
the point where the attraction of the sun and
earth are equal, by its own spring or elastic
power, il would then flow on towards the grand
iuminary, until it reached the outer regions of
its atmosphere. Now, if the exterior parts OF
the suns atmosphere be composed of oxygen
| gas, or even if we suppose it to contain no
| greater proportion of that supporter of combus-
/ ton than is known to exist near the surface OF
| the earth, and such proportion be perpetually
supplied, then, by an electric spark, the hydro
/ gen Gas would be lighted, and, if once kindled,
| in that, or any other manner, it would continue
its everlasting blaze, by being supplied with in.
hammable gas from the planets This grand
reciprocity of action, which have supposed to
exist between the sun and planets, would APP
pear to me to be the most beautiful economy OF
nature that can Ne imagined.
| am aware of one circumstance, which may,
at first view, appear to be an lnsurmountable
I objection to this hypothesis; and that is, that
the planets would be retarded in their motions
round the sun, if tho space, through which they
had to pass, was occupied by hydrogen gas
I But let the subject be thoroughly examined
and think this seeming difficulty VIII be en-
Itirely removed. 1t must be admitted by all
that the suns rays are matter, and, OF course
that the planets Gun and do perform their fevo