New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-05-03
Vibrations.

The thought of the whole world of
science is now directed to vibrations.
The investigation of the subject COM
menced with those vibrations of the
atmosphere which produce sound.
These were first very thoroughly ex-
amined. 1t was ascertained that the
particles of air vibrate in lines radiat-
ing from the sounding body, causing
first a condensation and then rare
faction of the air in hollow globes
which expand swiftly outward. By
means of that ingenious instrument,
the sirene, the number of vibrations in
a second to produce any given note
can be exactly counted, and, from the
asoertained velocity of sound, the
length of the waves can be calculated.
The fact that sound is a vibration,
or series of vibrations, of the par
ticles of the air, led to the suggestion
that heat and light may be also series
civilizations in the heated body. Some
years since the great French astron-
Omer, M. Arago, suggested a series
of experiments to settle the question
in regard to light, and the result was
that light is a vibration, and not an
emanatiOn, as held by Newton. 1t is
now regarded as almost if not alb
solutely settled, that all the forces
heat, light, electricity, magnetism,
and chemical afinity--are vibrations
of different kinds.
If we fasten one end of cord to a
rigid support and hold the other end,
we may, by shaking the loose end up
and down, or horizontally sideways, or
round in circle, or alternately in diff
ferent directions, produce vibrations
of various kinds, which will be pro-
pagated in waves along the cord. We
can not, however, make that sort of
vibration back and forth in the direc-
ton of the wave which corresponds to
the vibration of sound, and we can
imagine other vibrations in the parti-
Giles of air that can not be represented
by the motions of cord. In air or
ether we can conceive of enough
different kinds of vibrations to pro-
duce all the imponderable forces.
1t is well known that any one of
these forces may be made to produce
any other. In the galyanio battery
the action commences ny oxygen en-
tering into combination with the zinc
chemical affinity; this generates
electricity, the electricity will heat a
wire, and when the wire becomes red
hot it begins to give out light. The
theory is that when the oxygen strikes
the zinc it produces that kind Of vibra-
ton which exhibits the phenomena Of
electricity; when the flow of electricity
is INSTRUCTED, its vibrations arc altered
to those that present the phenomena
of heat; and when these become sufh-
GENTLY active, the heated body is put
into that kind of vibration which inn
presses the retina of the eye with the |
sensation of sight.
Il is supposed that these sever
al vibrations, or at least those bf light |
and heat, are transmitted from the vi
brating body by means of similar
vibrations in a subtle ether which per-
vades all space. The masters Of
science are now coming, or haze come,
to the conclusion that all this theory is
established truth.
The earth is whirling on its axis, and
sweeping its vast orbit around ths sun;
the sun with its attendant plkcAts is
moving on in its majestic march amehg
the stars; the stars are weaving their
dance in our stellar system; and the
several stellar systems of the universe
are revolving in orbits Of ined neeiya-