New-York tribune., 1875-03-10

vented and used by the French academ,eian M ren,i
let It is very simple. There thin cylindrical box
i ,Ss Waser is the bulb Of delicate
whose tube passes down the STEM The other circle Just
SUMS Tays fall perpendculary the face. and so in
sures accurate pointing The observation consists IN
shade and again after five minutes exposure to
the sunshine After taking proper precautions 10 make
through the sole oirect Of the SUMS rays. NJ.
Pouiet found that its vertical heat ON each square
in minute. Making allowance for the average In:
clnstion of tho rays. and taking vessel one 1901
square, should nd In about nine pounds
OF water raised 10 Fahr minute. One OF the inter
estng results which follow is our ability TO compare
the heat OF the with that from common fuel eucn
as COAL for il we take vessel OF foot square
with ts nine pounds OF water still In IT, oat OF the sun
carefully measured, wc find that between three and
four grains coal per minute consumed In prodnc
nicant quantity thus stated striking proper:
tions soon we have multiplied 1t ny the number o,
minutes in tho day. sim more when we reckon tne &
number of days In the year We thus readily x gex
be said to comprehend it. though we can set IL down ac
curatey in figures. Perhaps however, we shall ges q
more de1uite idea by taking some comparstiveVV very
small area with whose size more familiar icy US
say that occupied by the City Of New-York we tnus
nd that in the absence OF the sun We hao 70 wss
the island by burning coal, even In the most econoca
manner and that every particle OF s M nea. @ w1ar ar
annum would just suffice to keep this little sana % r ro
falling below zero with the combustion & OF ,ss Ioera
mons quantity we should get above the
ture OF very coolest days. and stu more woua an 0S
needed to rasS sse whatever again be the temper
ature OF the suns surface THIS AT ieast we hnV" u
each square yard Of must 9e rndncsd Sv the
perfect combustion OF IA IONS OF coal per uleh-eaon
souare yardand surface contains over
souare miles The coal beds of Pennsylvania would
probably supply the entire worlds consump,on p , ior
(whatever s) withdrawn, and It were possible
to transpor. these coal beds there and Durn them as
enough to keep up the p"esen rate o, emssGh anu no
more that they would last consuerapy 1888 than on0
thousandth part OF q second.
WHAT KIND OF A FIRE CAN GIVE SUCH HEAT1
But 1t is vain to multiply illustrations; the ngures
which represent such Numbers can be correctly gVen
but IL is utterly beyond the capacity OF the nnd 10
grasp the idea Of quantity they convey Lot us return
TO our first question and ask not only what fecds 'ns
fire. but whether 1t can be really tire at all which
nnrns at this rate without burning up In fact. from
the ra at which 1t has just been shown tbat coa wo,u
nave burnt at the SUI to keep ms known
on il is quite easy calculate how olg the FUN iseiI
w0uld last If It were made OF coal ana nothing
else. 1t is thus found that. granting u I .were
nnre solid coal, and that over ana ABOVE
ms ali the oxygen needed for burning were supplied
from without It would have nready burned up ,n v1 hd1
historic per0ds-as lately ior Instance as onSo ho h
building Of some OF the Egyptian monuments, On hne
since the building OF Cheops OF Ghizeh me hea we
oeve from the sun has not dninished oy 30 a uo1 h
nebiry-seyenth OF degree. 1t Is certain tnen tnat
no possible fuel we can Imagine 10 exist wouu eaaoe
the sun TO burn it, to emit the neat we nave Just
Measured But this tho only arGume mt against
its burning Let repeat one OF the eldest aho com
monest Of experiments. to emphasize 10 US iact
he burning even where there fuel unless there Oe air
support combustion place tn,s Gdu,e M % en1er % o,s
burns dD rises again when more ar Is admtieu, anu
goes out as the is formed again. NOlnns unuer
such circumstances burn, properly spcaXlnR Ior
| moment But the is under such circumstances ail
the time; 1t ia always in the great vacuum we cal tne
| oomoel Iis TO believe that the sun is not cannot pe
1 burning I'm the ordinary stnsel at alu