New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-07-08
SCIENrLETc NOTES.

SCIENTIFIC NOTES.
RtvnRICTTY RETURN TO THE 0LD THEORY.
M Edward f. Quimby OF this city has published
very able defense Of DR. Frankns theory OF static cleo
Llety which attributes this Of phenomena TO an
excess or deficiency Of single highly attenusted huo
permeatng all pOnderable matter OBJECTIONS fa ivy
made 20 this theoru gave rise 90 the by Vi lNo
subtle fluids which generally aeeepleu ~
electricians, but which involves oBecons quO a. st
Gus as those Il was intended 20 obYiate MOI many years
since scientists aserbod certain classes OF
solely 70 the presence OF derehS linus u 5inct "Im
pondeTable fluids" we're required 10 account loE
IHr me hea srSemeHt of FTesSei had confirmed Huy
ghens theOry Of light, Eewt0Rs eoTpasou,Sd ~ tSof
&c Ion ger tenabe aud the received doctrine Is ta
very different effects may be produced oy tle same ELY
Of ethereal matter when ~ dhfeht states VI ~ he
motion. Light, Heat, and Actnlsul arc supPOSeu ,tS
generated through medium by tTansvetsS .@ h
varying only in velocity II is n9t POSsued ttoneh
Magnetism and Electricity may De nailesteu 6 -
Che same medium; yet this suPposillon We CV tSe
accept the idea of hatteues nS tne most prob
result Of vbratOry acton altough ~ aPpS1S
able that dynamic electricity is propagaed by
rresept We NAV regard Frankns theory Of static cleo
krisy quite as plausible as any other, bearing IN mnd
said While We now use that word TO define the force
manifested We only hnd room Tor the 1OOWln6 GA
The esa tss Of Zoe fsniSesn beofJ mutual litrae'
hOu sxs between electricity and all other aier When @ .
equally fuscd this attraction balanced in al destG9s and sen,s
.sf saSsSSoS Ss s1iSei t6s balance
greatest attraction tScy electricity they more OwT
De nearest s9ppy ftle contain a. SI' Ssy ar. 1Ls de
while ssens attraction for each 9her are attracted y s
hsA J rece from each other IN obedesee TO ne ram o. ne
S S sS ns erection BY approaching the baud o. ether
ssSsiae shh eeos cs conductor ,n o zoe T nUb The
s1pyy Oseety shleh they seek Zach Of n, Two nsEsS
Eiea vacuum, aud AZ they beth require ssfS ai,.s.
s:: :V op.: v: S SSai; 'aI''' ia.e Sp'''y
eG superior 'gPy q s os P1 sS oa the
greater attraction 70 that direction Two Light positive eoa
ey seysrs them with it Ne effort 70 nPaTt sea 70
S1SnE ,sU 70 eg r9liS 1aioD sg5t 6s called II
Rsd to coin term in familiar 11sasg 1s,eSa 1r s9
son Of this force but merely uniform aHEon and therefore perfectly
equal attraction in all dirosHOaS"
SUN-DIALs.-A correspondent of The Bai'der
says whoever project the simplest constructions the
carpenter requires in solid geOmetrythOse for high
fter, for instance-may readily construct any kind Of
Sun-dai whatever for any latitude being simply In
formed OF these two fnvariable rules: .t..... .
!. The shadowcasting edge is straight line 9Dd must
always everywhere, and In whatever form OF dial be
parallel to the earths axis. Consequently all the true
Ron NO rae dfSi could be made but its time would vary
every day in the year.
@ The hourlines on whatever surface, plane not,
ct the shadow casting edge and making equal aHgts
plane (which is the meTfdan the and o'clock planes
be inclined thereto 1e and the 10 and o'clock SOY
and their common Intersection being the ghomoh
edge. .,,...-..,. 49,.
Most persons probably, know that the theoreuc sun
dial is not, except on four days OF inc year. InS S
clock time of the place. The m'Wes VI the equaion Ci
time orany day are ge9eIa Sne same TOT No tonSn or
Of MAXIMUM equation may eaeo fau, ia dneienV yeaIs,
on the former or latter Of two days Gust as the
squuOxes msy) The Only reason the same table viii
for two successive years s Ihe excess OF inc
ap year was above is hours longer than true year,
while 1859 Is 70 DO nearly six hours less thah Ho
would be the same for any year for the fourth before
or after st. aud four tables would serve Dy tnIIs eon
prevents this and makes another gradual accumulation
Of differences, till the table Of two dates 20 years aar
differ nearly as much as two successive years Inns
again in present Gregoran style rs OvereoTrecteu
BY day ommitted from the centnr yeS ,Se anu s IN
the 4OOh year; aud thus it happens that praeuealy,
while the world stands each year must have It's own
table. In Astronomical books however We see q PraSa
eay permanent equation OF time taOe haue ~ I ol
tude We may also regard IL as dependent on inc sun
aeenaon only crt tS t Mace o YEAR and L
each defamation belong no more IMAM ii IwI
amounts OF aiai GoIIeGI IN coming portSWard n
taeh tropc however aud TO one intermediate crceaoou
Hediayals got simple and elegant way OF setting thei
clocks In some Italian cathedrals the tTansept has
meridian line marked on the pavement and lens IN I'M
~ course crosses Ills line every day at dial noon
further north or south each day as lis deenaOn varies
But the Medieval architects did not stop here. The
found construct another line most ditf
eult curve lying half aud half west OF the strigh
one that the sums image crosses this curve every day
ngure of s. is called the GHdlemma. We MAJ
Se d 6n the vacant part Of s% the Of
gObesits lower or BIG loop standing on III
trOpc and its lesser loop reaching the northern
II correctly drawn, the resemblance TO an Italle
would be so complete thatit would lean little from tn
meridian figure then served ias II might AGAIN. al
the purposes Of equation Of time tables Few
people know that the two maximum errors which oecu
h November and February when the clock Is furthes
Behind and before the sun, are not equal one is hea
II minutes aud the other is barely l6 NOW, TINS arse
nom the itac leaning Of the and is increasing and wi
Increase many centuries 10 But about a. d. l25
from which date glObe-mgkers would seem 10 tax
their analemma unchanged though the loops were NOR
unequal than now, the upright. Before 1880 II ha'
leaned the other over since Adams time. But abOu
his time IL not only upright but the loops instead
being at their greatest inequality (as ia 1850, weT
eaual as they become only in about 1900 years
throughout these 1900 years tile southern loop con
tinues the biggest and then, for another 1900 tb
northern will be the biggest, and the present changes
will all be repeated inversely Thus the astronomer
tables that substitute the suns longitude for month";
and days although called practically " permanent
do not forever.