The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-08

There - no necessity. therefore, for astronomers
20 suppose that tho Almighty has created the sun 70 be
an hcandesccnt body whose combustion Is 10 be led
by halt world 10 illuminate the remainder. The sun,
IN Tact, Is probably only huge reflector mirror. rc-
ceins tho rays Of light from every orb which rays
themselves are OF various tints, every planet and
star has color peculiar 10 itself and the groupings Of
these primary coors in the and all their reflections
rom him constitute the white light that call sun
light This explanation Is IN harmony with ideas
OF The Divine economy. which never wastes any OF its
material The sun great magnet and regulates and
controls by magnetism aud not BY gravitatlon all the
planets OF HIS system, which, consequently, are
orally all macncts The system is held in is Mace and
conforms In us movements by its magnetism tho
movements OF all the orbs which exist space
las these planets are al magnets they can have no
other heat than their own internal heat which Is SIM
ply sufficient produce their respective
their several axes hea. In intensity destroys mag
netism"
MAGNETIC rnxoRy or ponms
Ills deduction rom this theory Of universal mag.
nctism " peculiarly interesting and novel and must be
stated given himself at Is curous.'' he said,
ito observe that IN the animal ard vegetable Kingdoms
the forms OF their productions all CONFORM IN greater
or lesser degree TO the typical forms OF elpsods OBJ
late sphcrods, as manifested in tho planets Examine
the forms OF trees Vertical horizontal sections
when they full leaf would disclose curved lines
which, ii langcn,al to The cxtrcmties OF their cafy
branches would represent the elements Of cIipsc
in some cases elongated, in others approaching
nearly 10 the form OF circle SO with their leaves,
however long ana narrow they may be, tho elemental
character OF the eipsc is apparent In them The fruits
they bear have all similar characteristics The apple,
the poach tho pear, the apricot the ncclafinc, and
deed all the stone fruits have shapes corresponding
cocoanut through the walnus, hickories nuts,
chcstnuts and bcechos all produce fruits which, in
their outer Iorms parakc OF the character Of cpsods
obatc spberoids Tho coffee berry. the olive. the
hg the date, all correspond In their general forms 10
the same type. Among what arc called vegetables,
from the enormous melon, in all It's varieties,
through the pod bearing plants tho cabbage, &c, the
type visible SO IN the roots and tubers, tho
turnp Is an obaie sphcroid the potato commonly an
ellipsod the and the parsuip Ia the
seeds OF the family Of grapes, well as in their leaves,
the same orms are found. The punches oi grapes, as
fhatrl nj fha fart.
form. Take even the gfasses-in which may bc in
Guided tho cereals Then long and narrow leaves
all tlhpt'cal In form, though they may, in cases.
be pointed at their outer extrcmitics These loug
leaves assume the form VI scmi-cpse IN hcir cur
grow toward the ground So II Is with tho long blades
ot maze or Indian corn, the sugar aud sorghum
The leaves, fruits and branches OF trees for tho most
part have mn Inclination toward the eartl and
and are frequently vertical Why do their branches
extend latcraiiy and downward, while their trunks
and summ,ts ascend ver.c ully in the atmospheric
And why do their leaves and fruits hang downwardg
Is II not because Of their magnetic condition. Now
the leaves and branches trees which pursue
horizontal or slightly inclined directions
may nn3or 10 supposed d" to DO '''a,magnet,s and
rents Of magnetism that set cquatorally
to tho magnetic mcridian while the trunks and sum
ractcd by the opposite magnetism OF the upper atmos
pierre and vertically. These forces varying
In intensity produce all the resultant directions which
their branches assume in their development Fruits
OF trees being ellpsoidal in form (Which the common
form OF simple magncts, generally pendant
cly when they tall the ground attracted there
by the superior magnetism OF the earth, and remain
It by the same attraction. unless removed il by
superior iorcc.
NEWTON FINALLY DISPOSED OF.
"lf there IS any truth In the story OF Sir Isaac
Newton having been led to the adoption of his
theory OF graviiation and ccnrpeta and centrifugal
forces by the sight Of an apple falling from Its tree
tho ground Il is 10 be amcntcd that he did not nyesti
gate orco which expanded the seed, It's gcr
minaton, pushed II from The soil whcrc by gravitaon
Il should have remained and directed It's development
upward and latcrally forming It's iruit bud blossom
and ru, and holding tho latter suspended the air,
unaffected by ram, hail wind TIL in maturity its
growth completed lcl 10 the earth by the attractive
power OF the same which had repealed parent
tree IRON the soil Had he done 20 might not
physics after having abandoned tho learned specua-
tons OF this celebrated philosopher"
Tyndalls glacier theory roughly handled by the
General but his electric theory Of tho glacier
phenomena IS Identical with what has already boon
regard 10 Others IT Is not necessary 10 repro
duce IL here II would not be proper however, pass
unnotccd various curious atmospheric
on Mount Washington and tho GENERALS method OF
counting for them. A few are herewith appended
ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENA EXPLAINED.
"sDecember d, ls70.-rhe day ~ beautiful, we are
perfectly comfortable OUTSIDE without ovcrcoats, aud
the east side Of the observatory the frost s thawng
quite rapidly. Thermometer - degrees Fahrenheit
| Now why, with The thermometer at % degrees,
should the tnawng OF The frost 10 confined 10
the east side VI tue observatory when the sun was
| shining all around the building tho snow frost
without tbawing i elsewhere away from tho buildings
Ii the thaw NJ the result OF tho hcat rays II tho
SUM- improperly termed, why was not the ihawing
general all tho summit OF the mountain. instead
| Of being confined to one locaityf
" The explanation. think Is this, viz. Tho early
morning rays OF sunlight being nearly HORIZONTAL i'm
pIngcd with velocity 1856 900 miles per per-
pcndicunrly on tho vertical wall the Observatory
partly covered with frost work; great friction was
produced by the IMPACT anu positive electricity
OF the negative electricity VI the frost work,
when contact with II developed hcut which thawcd
the frost work; over the other parts OF the summit OF
the mountain these morning rays Of sunlight either
passed horizontally or fell upon them with such small
angles OF incidence as TO be wholly reflected into tho
Dcccmber SOTO night the wind is blowing a most
violent hurricane making tho observatory crcak. A
low hours the windw was scarcely noccabc its
velocity is eighty miles IN hour, anu Tor wonder
II from the south instead OF tue northwest as
usual and natural consequence II tears on all the
loose ice and rom the observatory II
II Mt sea In severe gallo, and broken ice and
timbcrs we're beating against ship times our
building shakes like vessel in storm. Contrary 10
what ordinary experience would seem TO teach, the
north side OF the building II less exposed To the fury Of
the element than any other THIS Is owing 10 Its having
but electricity
Now says the General, ''why does not tho north
wind tho northwest wind, PRODUCE similar cectsy
The sun shines upon both winds alike and II IL sends
down heat to this planet the northwest wind should
be as warm the south wind AMI should tear on tho
frost work from buildings and rocks just the nth
wind docs. But no such effects are observed during
the prevalence OF these northern winds; on the con-
trary Is only while these northern winds are blow
ing IN winter that THIS frost work ~ Formed
zinc explanation conceive to be this:-The southern
winds coming IRON atmosphere positively
electrified aud when they reach tho frost work tho
buildings rocks oppositely electrified their impact
produces friction, which, evolving positive cleo
trciiy develops heat that detaccs the frost work from
It's adhcivns breaks u into pieces and finally mctsit
into water while other frost work protected from tho
south wind remains nrm aud unaffected the tenn
pcraturc OF the atmosphere being below tho freezing
point OF watcr.
"a tccgraphc wire" continues the account soon
ncctcd the observatory with Marshhcd, dis.
lance OF three mes, where II Is joined with the West
crn Union Companys line at littcton twenty three
miles further. Tho wire has frequently been charged
atmospheric electricity especially IN the afternoon
the th OF January 1871, wnen, on account OF the
high tension OF these currents, II became utterly
manageable When the key was opened the How OF the
current st continued, exhibiting bright sparks, leap
ing from platinum point 10 tho other. Alter dark
no aurura display could be There rs also wire
connecting the summit with the Glen House, which rs
detached from poles and laid upon ground dur
Ing winter protect II from the violent winds pre-
waiting mt this season. Wo had II attached 10 an
struncnt and, although no battery was used, dis
covered that IT wis sometimes charged with electric
cnrrnnis which du0cctcd the needle considerably. Tic