The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-04-08

probable duration of the heat of the sun
and of the degree of its temperature"
After this brief but suggestive preface
Prof. Langley entered at once upon the
consideration of the subject to which il
refers. AS the address was essentially a
popular one, the speaker adopted such
methods Of illustration as should be
| readily comprehended by the audience.
The sun is globe 1903 times the dame
ter of the earth, and about L. 5O, 900 times
its volume. From this globe there is
| now pouring upon the earth that nearl y
| measureless radiation which is sufficient
to sustain all life on its surface, from
that of the date-palm in the scorching
glare of Sahara's waste to that of the
sea weed at the bottom of the deepest
ocean cave, and yet the heat and light in
terrupted by this earth are but minute
fraction of the whole amount given forth
from the sun. With view, if possible,
to give some conceivable idea as to the
whole amount Of this heat, the following
illustration was given:
"Let us imagine that all the ice in the
world could be collected and stored upon
plain till it formed pile thirty-five
miles in diameter, and high enough to
contain the ice from the arctic and ant
arctic poles and all the supplies of the
temperate zones. Let this be supposed
to be shielded from all warmth until the
ice product of the world thus piled there
winter after winter had formed column
thirty-fvc miles in diameter and reach
ing out in space to the lunar orbit, so as
to form bridge to the moon. Now let
the heat which the sun is constantly send
ing out be turned wholly upon it. 1t is
the subject of simple proof that to first
melt it all and then boil the oceans OF
wafer it might be melted into, and finally
to dissipate the whole in vapor, would
occupy the suns ordinary radiations not
quite one second"
Again:
"The coal-beds of Pennsylvania would
probably supply the entire worlds con-
| sumption for centuries; but md that,
| il the source of the suns heat whatever
| it Isl were withdrawn, and it were posi-
BILE to transport these coal-beds there and
burn them fast enough to keep up the
| present rate of emission and no more,
they would last considerably less than
one thousandth part of a second"
From these illustrations of the amount
l ,r A. Do hno hn nduonnQ6
| to the considerations of the several theo
ries propounded, with view to solve the
great problem as to its true nature and
source.
The first of these theories is that the
sun is, as it were, on fire, and that the
heat we experience is that given forth
by conclusions of matter on its surface.
This theory is regarded as untenable, for
the reason that, were the process one OF
simple combustion, the matter consti-
tuting the sun would have been con
sumed long since, supposing that there
was present sufficient oxygen to keep up
the combustion, which is not the case
A second and certainly curious story ad
vanced by Gan eminent natural philoso'
pher is to the effect that the heat is the
result of certain vital forces that are
still active on the suns surface, and the
action of which may be kindred to that
which produces the light of the FREELY
or the heat of the body. Passing from
these two theories to the third, the
speaker presents what may be regarded
as certainly the only reasonable explana
ton of the problem. The body of the
sun is in an incandcscent state; that is
it is white hot, but not in a condition Of
actual combustion. Assuming this
it is possible to conceive OF it,
great heat-radiating power with
out an actual exhaustion OF thu
matter of which it is composed. Th'
question then arises: Whence proceeds
the heat by which the vast mass is KEEP
hot? 1t is in the answer to this question
that Prof. Langley defines his views
which indorse those originally presented
by Helmholtz. The suns heat is, &C
cording to this view, strictly "a mode O
motion" itself renewed to finite but al
most inconceivable extent by the shrink
ing of its mass; that is, the heat givel
of bv the sun is due to the matter O
that body settling toward the center; OF
in other words, the contraction Of thu
suns mass, as it tends to cool, keep thu
temperature nearly constant at the ex
pense of the volume. This, then may b.
accepted as the most reasonable theor!
regarding the heat of the sun and, re
ceiving as it has the Endorsement of ont
SO eminent as Prof. Langley, may b
accepted as authoritative. 1t is yet pos
sible, however, that continued observa
tons may bring to light facts that viii
call for more satisfactory theory. Til
then the reader may be safe in accept
ing this view as best standing the ties
of external comput alton. "-Appseto's'
Journal.
Horses and cattle are liable tt
sprains in cold weather from slipping
on ice, and horses often get "calked"
have found the following an excellen
embrocation for such injuries. 1t shoClt
be we'll rubbed in when applied t.
sprains. 1t is good for rheumatism j
well rubbed in while exposed to no
fire: Oil origanum, anise and spike, eacl
one ounce: spirits of turpentine, ont
ounce; aqua ammonia, one ounce, ant
alcohol, three ounces. Shake well be
fore using. The bottle should be KEEP
securely corked.-Country Gentleman.
| Butter and other perishable article
can be kept fresh and sweet without tn
use Of ice by lining packages with sheet
made out of the pulp Of poplar wood.
The cartridges are doing great dam
age to the apple trees In Ashburnham
Heso In ono orchar ~ twoufv hava hae,