Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1870-09-03


rapid changes Of place and of figure to
which the spots are subjected that are
most significant on this point. Here is
vast cous-shaped fame, with mushroom.
shapsd head Of enormous pr0poftioHs, the
Whole object standing sixteen or seventeen
thousand miles from the SUMS surface.
In the cone figure We see the uprush Of
atsly.imprisoded gases, Id the outspread.
ing head the sudden dimiidtion of pressure
as these gases reach the raref upper at.
niosphere. But turn from this object to
series Of ST. pictures placed beside it, and
We see the solar forces in action. First,
there is vast fame, some eighteen thou
sand miles high, bowed toward the right,
as though some fierce wind we're blowing
Upon it. 1t extends in this direction some
four or Eve thousand miles. The next
picture represents the same object ten
minutes later. The figure of the promi-
nence has wholly changed. 1t is now
globe'shaped mass, standing on a narrow
stalk Of light above row of fame -hillocks.
1t is bowed toward the left, so that in these
short minutes the whole mass of the fame
has swept thousands Of miles away from
its former position. Only two minutes
later, and again a complete change of ap-
pearancc. The stalk and the fame.
hillocks have vanished, aud the globe
shaped mass has become elongated.
Three minutes later, the shape of the pro-
minence has altered SO completely that one
can hardly recognize it for the same.
The stalk is again visible; but the upper
mass is bowed down on the right so that
the whole figure resembles a gigantic A.,
without the cross-bar, and with the down
stroke abuormally thick. This great A is
some twenty thousand miles in height,
and the whole mass Of our earth might be
bowled between its legs without touching
them Four minutes pass, aud again the
figure has changed. The fame -hiliocks
reappear, the down.stroke of the A begins
to raise itself from the suns surface.
Lastly, after yet another interval of four
minutes, the figure Of the prominence has
lost all resemblance to an A, and may now
be likened to q camcls head looking to.
ward the right. The whole series Of
changes has occupied but twenty-three'
minutes yet the fame exceeded our earth
in volume tenfold at the least. But MIR.
Lockyer has recorded an instance of yet
more marvellous nature. A vast promi-
neuce, extending seventy or eighty thou
sand miles from the suns surface vanished
altogether in ten minutes.
I" 1t seems to US that, when we consider
the real dimensions Of the solar globe, VIC
appreciate more fully the wonderful nature
Of those processes of action indicated by
recent researches, than when we regard
these without direct reference to the suns
magnitude. How many Of US really ap-
preciate the enormous volume Of the sun ?
We read certain figures in books of as.
tronomy; but do we grasp their full sig
nifcance? There is, however, a simple
way Of viewing the matter, which at once
opens our eyes to the vastness of the solar
globe. If we remember that the earth on
which We move, the scene Of all those in
terests which We deem so important bears
so minute proportion to the sun, that,
it he we're represented by two-feet globe.
the earth would, on the same scale, appear
no larger than ckerry.stone, We see what
wonderful processes of action those must
be which are at work upon the solar sur
face. We tecoguize in our hurricanes the
action Of Nature in her fercest moods, but
the solar hurricanes would in an instant
destroy the Whole globe on which we live.
We Wonder at the volcano which lays
whole city in ashes, but our earth would
be swept away like mote before the rush
Of solar volcano. We see, lastly, in tho
earthquake which upheavcs . continent,
the most energetic Of an the forces at
work upon our earth, but the least of the
.hroes which convulss the solar surface
would toss globe like ours as the waves
of ocean tos. tie iightest ssa-drift.,
~ P. T. Barndm, speaking on temper
auce, says: "Two men will start together
iu life, the one keeping his head cool with
water, tho other miuddling his with liquor.
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