The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-12-19

Professor PrOctor'S Latest Contribution
10 the World of Science.
CROUCH WAYS MADE SMOOTH"
The Sun, the MOOn the Clouds, the Wind
and the Human Body.
FROM EARTH TO SKY.

Professor Proctor's latest contribution to- the
scientific literature of the day is found ID volume
called Rough Ways Made Smooth" published by
r. Worthington. In 1t tho author handles q great
variety Of subjects of which have been treated
except in their scientific Significance though in fa-
millar ana untechnical terms. Professor Proctor
wrote his preface and corrected his proof sheets on
board the Arizona while his way to this country
In October. that nothing later than this has left
his hands In book form. "Tho Suns Corona and
His Spots is the first rough way Professor Proctor
makes smooth. He regards the sun-spot period as
mysterious. because even If we admit (Which he
thinks we cannot dol that the spots are pro-
uced in some way by the action of the planets upon
the sun. it would still remain altogether mystery
how this action operated He says that ''when all
the known facts respecting the sun spots are
fully considered no theory yet advanced respecting
them at all satisfactory while approach
has been made to explanation Of their periodic
increase and dminution in number. This seems to
me one o. the most interesting problems which
astronomers have at present to deal with; nor do
despair of seeing it satisfactorily solved within
very long interval of time Should the recognition
of sympathy between the corona and the sun spots
be satisfactorily established an important step in
advance will have been made-possibly even the key
ered."
In this chapter he considers arst whether the
evidence have on this subject is sufficient. and
afterward he proceeds to discuss of the ideas
suggested by the relations which have been recog-
nEed as existing between the sun Spots the sierra,
the colored prominences and the zodiacal light
Even when method has been devised for
observing the gaseous corona. says Professor
Proctor the corona whose light comes
either directly by reflections from solid
liquid matter will still remain undisccrni-
BILE, save, only during total eclipses of the sun.
Many years must doubtless pass then. before the
lation Of the to the prominences and the
spots shall be fully recognized But he is convinced
that the solution Of this problem will be we'll worth
waiting for. though it should lead up las it
most probably willy to the solution Of the mystery
of the periodic changes which affect the surface Of
the sun.
SUN SPOTS AND COMMERCIAL PAN1cs
Professor Proctor devotes an interesting chapter
to the peculiar relations between spots and
mercial panics. We are not only it would seem, to
regard the the ultimate of all forms of
terrestrial energy existent potential but regu-
lating in much more special manner the progress
Of mundane events 1t appears that certain me-
neurological phenomena show tendency. more or
less marked, to through ten-year cycle.
1t appears that more rain fell west south
west winds when spots were largest ana most
numerous than under south aud southeast winds
these last being the more rainy winds. when sun
spots least in size and fewest in number This
70 somewhat reconcile relation and at least proves
that earnest search has been made for such cyclic
relations we are CONSIDERING. But this is all
When other records were examined the striking cir
cumstance discovered that elsewhere, as at st.
Petersburg. tho state of things observed at Oxford
was precisely reversed At some intermediate point
Oxford II 20 ho
rainfall under the winds named was equally distrib-
nted throughout the spot period. Moreover. as the
sumo that they differ also at different times. Such
re9tons appear then to be not only reconcile. but
years the average interval between maxi
mum and minimum sun spot frequency,
We should like to find every crisis occur
ring within year SO on either side Of the mini
mum, though we should prefer, perhaps. to find the
crisis always following the time Of fewest sun spots.
os this would more directly show the depressing
effect of spotless sun. No crisis ought to occur
within year or so of maximum solar disturbances:
for that. it should seem. would DO fatal to the sug
gested theory. Taking the commercial crises in
order. and comparing them with the known Tor ap-
proxinately known) epochs OF maximum and miui-
suits 1--WE itacize numbers results unfavorable to
the theory The doubtful crisis of 17Ol followed by
spot minimum by three years the crisis of I'LL pre-
ceded minimum by one years that of 1921 preceded
nsnimum by t,co gears; 1872 preceded minimHm
by year; 1742 preceded minimum by three years
1862 followed ma1immm by too years 1868 followed
n naximums by year and half 17T2-73 intd,cdy
between maximum and mtnimuW; 1883 preceded
minimum by nearly too years; 1893 came nearly
Mtd'cay between . maximum and minimum; 1S04-5
coincided with n,az,mum; 1915 proceeded mari
mum by too years. 1928 followed minimum by tic0
years.; l63G39 included the year 1887 of mdriup solar
activity THAT year being tho time also when
mercial crisis occurred in the United States; lS47
preceded maximum by year and Aaif; 1866 pre-
ceded minDsups by year; aud 1878 followed mtni
teen can hardly be considered convincing II we
include cases lying within lwo years OF q minimun
she favorable cases mount up to seven. leaving ten
rInf N hIA rtuSt hA ,1S,wo
that single decidedly unfavorabe case las 1904
1885, 1887 does more disprove such theory than
ing it. The American panic Of 1873, by the way
which occurred when spots were very numerous
decidedly impairs the evidence derived from the
NEW PLANETS NEAR THE SUN.
Speaking of planets near the sun, Professor
Proctor says:-
within the orbit of Mercury there are several
small planets. of which certainly two. and prob
July 20. 1878. All these bodies must be beyond the
range OF any except the most powerful telescopes
whether sought for as bright bodies outside tho sun
nol ~clipsed dark bodies in transit across the
suns face. The search for such bodies in transit
would in fact be hopeless with any telescope which
would not easily separate doub second OF
arc apart. II Is with large tclcscopcs then. and
under favorable conditions of atmosphere, locality.
&C.. that tho search Tor intra-Acrcurai planets in
transit must in future be conducted A the observed
disturbance Of Mcrcury's peiihtlion. AID
ance Of his nodes the, points where no
crosses the plane oil tho carths iuoiion)
show that tho disturbing bodies must form
ring or disk whose central plane must nearly
coincide with tho plane of Mcrcury's path. the
most favorable time Tor scong those bodies in tran
sit would be the hrst tortnights IN May aud Novem-
her. Tor tho earth CROSSES the plane OF Mcrcury's
orbit ON or about May and November 10. be-
June. and In October. November aud Decent Dor,
with the express object OF discovering very small
planets IN transit coaId not fail to be quickly re-
wardei, unless tho observations made by Watson
and Swift are to DO wholly rejected.