The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-02-20
LOCKYER'S DISCOVERIES.
Interviews with Eminent
Scientific Men.
TIL E S u MS H E A Il.
Is the Professor on the Verge Of
a Great Discovery?
: S u MS H E A Il.
INCREDULITY OF COLLEGIANS

at least ripple of excitement in America it may be
well to refer at first to that as giving the keynote OF
Mr.. Lockyer's explanations of the solar phenomena
observed during the last total eclipse All he has yet
given to the world is only preliminary to his COM
plete argument on that subject. and some weeks
must eapse before 1t will be ready for publication.
Mr. Lockyer is anxious that other men should be in
duced to aid inquiry. and has therefore promulgated
his views before completing his Investigations and
finishing his argument The preliminary note on
the substances which produce the bright lines in the
solar chromosphere is the very latest paper he has
read to the Royal Society and is as follows:--
Hitherto, when observations have been made Of the
lines visible in the suns chromosphere by means of
the method introduced by Jansen and myself in
storms the election OF vapors of metallic elements,
with which we are familiar. from the photosphere.
vations recorded by the italian astronomers (chef
among them Professor Tacchini). Professor Young
and myself has shown me that this view Is in all
probability unsound. The lines observed in
almost all cases what have elsewhere termed and de-
scribed AS basic lines" or these only need for
the present refer to the following
L3--Ascrbed by Engstr5m and Kirchof to iron and
e4m ,o by Engstr5m to MAGNESIUM and iron.
5,2S-Ascribed by Engstr6m to cobalt and iron.
269-Ascribed by EngstrSm to calcium and iron
5,23l-Ascribed by Engstr0m to cobalt and iron.
50I7-Ascribed BY Engstrdm to nickel
5,4l6-An unnamed line.
II
my previous paper. the bright lines in the solar
chromosphere chiefly lines due to the not yet
isolated bases of the socled elements and the solar
phenomena in their totality are in all probability
due to dissertation at the photOspheric level and
ISOLATION at higher levels. In this way the vertical
currents in the solar atmosphere, both ascending
and descending; intense absorption in spots,
their association with the facula and the apparently
continuous spectrum the corona its structure
find IN easy solution.
SUNS TEMPERATURE.
We are yet as far as ever from demonstration Of
fhar aria ,P ttA
sun, but the excess of socalled calcium with mini
mum spots and excess Of socaled hydrogen
hypothesis and afford indications that the tempera-
ture of the hottest region in the closely approx
mates to that OF the reversing layer in stars of the
type OF Sirius and LyrR II 1t be conceded that the
existence of these lines in the chromosphere indicates
the existence of basic molecules in the sun it follows
that as these lines also generally In the
spectra of two different metals in the electric
must be dealing with the bases in the arc also.
,.-T SOME DEFINITIONS
When last met Mr. Lockyer we had some CONVEX
sation Tn regard to the of such words dissoca
tion," "chromosphere," &c. "'Dissociation,' said
he is word which has been used for at least cen
fury and half to express this idea of separation.
were to the word decomposition all would be-
gin to cry out that Lockyer called the elements
rotten" He considered .'dissociation'' better
word than any other we have expressing the idea
Of chemical separation, and cited cases where 1t had
been Used by writer's on chemistry more than hun
said he cit coined by Dr. starkey to correspond
TO the word photosphere. ! think it is a
better word than acknowledgement 1t is more
euphonious and two letters. OF course,
we know very well that chromatos the genitive
OF croma. but the word was coined for convenient
In my opinion we are not to be held in bond
age the forms Of the Greek any other language
In coming such words. We not to be the slaves
Of words but such words we find it necessary to
coin should be at once understood by scientific men
everywhere. II there is any real obscurity in their
meaning they are not good words.
a hvE thA ksSf1s N1,n
change of the &C to It is merely a euphonic one;
and, the word is French from the Latin scea. is
not the termination list proper one?
at is an improperly constructed word and rarely
IL ever used in this country by educated men. The
word naturalist is good one and was so consid
cred in Goldsmiths time, but IL used here in its
most natural Specification it would be misleading.
We call a suffer of birds and of animals and no
one else a naturalist" The word telegram" was
cited inaccurstely constructed from the Greek
Still IL considered good word, and better
than if it had syilablcs in tho most orthodox
form. He thought 1t was well to avoid pedantry
on the one hand as barbarism on the other.
PATHOLOGY AND SCIENCE
may say that MIR. Lockyers views on astronomy
appear to be substantiated far he has gone by
the record of his experiments. A few days ago
potassium, and certainly the results thereof had no
depressing effect upon his spirits. am not at lib
erty to give details of the most recent experiments ut
present. Any account of them would necessarily be
imperfect at the present stage of the investigation
Mr.. Lockyer tells me he will publish nothing more
for two or three months. and during this time will
you and it, said /, something like making new
propositions in Euclid?'
YES" said he. lit requires great deal of think
ing. He said he was sorry that there were so few
good spectroscopists. He mentioned Mr.. William
Crookes and DIR. William Higgins among the most
eminent men engaged in these researches. He
thought Professor Z. A. Young. although among
the younger men, one of the best spcctroscopsts in
America. Professor Josiah Cook. of Harvard had
long been interested in spectrum analysis studies and
he hoped there would soon be many others ready to
take part in the vast work that the spectroscope had
made necessary. Mr.. Lockyer thinks that the most
active scientific here ready to grant that his
views are correct. OF some OF the older men he
does not seem to have much hope that they will be
ready to make earnest study of a subject that
quires so much hard work to master 1t had been,
he said, his own fortune or misfortune that for ten
years he had devoted himself to spectroscopic work
and he had actually been driven to his pres
out by his researG The objection had been raised
that he did not present the actual separated elc-
ments in tangible form. Chemical affinity had
thus far hindered the accomplishment of this result
but there In the were the di3sociated clements
the lines of the spectra showed. and he wait
ing for the chemist 10 isolate metallic sodium from
the chloride when IL IL incandescent In the electric
arc He thought that there less and less chance
OF effecting any transmutation of metals. The fur
ther he went with his experiments the evident
1t appeared to him that that end would not be at
tanned.
of actually constructing substances he thought IL
worthy OF notice that all things In this department
o, chemistry are built UP Out ., 'nrss or -FOUR eIe
Any want OF simplicity in the elementary construc-
ton OF substances in inorganic chemistry IL not
more probable than In organic chemistry, otherwise
we must believe that there Is no absolute continuity
In nature.
Were you led by any limo of abstract reasoning to
look for discovery
mo. was not looking for any discovery II came
rom the overwhelming evidence drawn from my OBJ
servations. think that those who 70 about trying
to discover something deserve TO meet with disap-
pointinent. 1t had occurred TO me that perhaps
might find new metal ms Mr.. Crookes aud others
had found them. but made special search with
such an object was only intent upon going on
with my regular work of makiu complete map OF
the spectra He considered the proof obtained from
Sirius and other stars presumably hotter than
was Of very great value.
OPINIONS SCIENTIFIC MEN
In attempting to have interviews with prom inent
scientific men In London 1 was met by two Difficult.
ties. Frst--There were few men among the emf
nent physicists here who had made spectrum anaiy.
sis special study; and, second, those who had
were not very ready to give any opinion. one dis
tinguished gentleman said that fow men were COM
petent to give opinion of Mr.. Lockycrs work and
that while ct one time there quite number OF
engaged in spectroscopic work they had dropped