The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1879-11-27
NEwSPAPER DARING AND USE
RULNESS.

Aurorsl ligi II rarely illuminate with
greatest splendors the Nrrtbcru sky
as seen from Austin. Bu, since it is
now believed by astronomsrs that
there is an undiscovered cor ueciioR
between s.ilsr spots aEd Northern
lights, aud thst these are dRe to CO.'S
m;chl Causes acting from Leyond the
ear;h's gaseous envelope, ell Of Us
arc ,btcfesIsa Ia theories propOunded.
as shown Ly recent researches, there
Is clo,e coincidence btt@een The
cha nge!ui eFEect OF the suns surface
and its spots and these splendid cc'ee-
t:sl exhibitions. Oae philosopher in
sists that aur,rAl Lights are electrical
fl .inbesux, generated by the friction
OF fr, y n winds upon polar ice fields,
anl this theoTy strikes the unedu-
Gated multitude Us best founded. II
the uasses Of polar ice be very great,
then the volume Of auroral sp!endors
Will be most startling and continuous.
Since the Northern sky hGs been rarely
| illuminated Of recent years by these
gorgeous celestial gIoricf, it may be
as, umed that the polar sea is unusu-
ally open, aud the HerGldS steamer,
Jeanette, may even penetrate SJmme's
Hole or iubiicaie the earth's northern
axis, enabling 1t t. erind on several
Centuries lnnger than modern proph-
cts anticipate. That the earth
constantly grows tlstter at the
poles and thicker and denser
about the equator, is ommonly con-
ceded. L. could hardly be otherwise,
when the great whirling ball revolves
with velocity Of not less than 1900
miles per hour at the equator, this We
locity, of course, growing less as we
approach the poles. When, finally,
this great sphere is flattened, lateral
revolution may ensue and the poles
will fall under the equator and Cqua-
torlal regions become polar, and then
| follow submersions of continents by
seas and other drift periods and mo-
raines, by which deepest rIver beds are
eroded through fathomless canons. If,
as supposed, for reasons stated, there
be less ice, and thus less aurorial light
playing above polar seas than in for
mer years, the Herald's Jeanette will
rot only have better opportunities for
discovery by approaching nearer the
earth's axis, because of this absence Of
ice, but if the cosmicsl and comical
accident of reversing terrestrial ends
happen while the good steamer is
among the ice foes the chances for
its escape will be greatly improved.
But we mention shese curious mat
ters in order to stimulate observation
and research. Men see the wonders
of earth and sky 80 constantly that
thoughts and inquiries are rarely sug-
gested by the wonderful and the Incom-
prehensible. The voyage of this little
steamer in ice-bound seas will set the
machinery of the worlds intellect in
motion and its combined forces will
solve mysteries never before elucidated.
Even here, in this low latitude, where
the ice king rarely sees his face IN mir.
roIs so deftly made by his freezing fin
gers and where he is more rarely robed
ermined vestments of snow, even here In
we have seen those attenuated "cirri'
or feathered clouds flying through the
remote clear atmosphere. Far away as
they are, higher than any balloon has
ever ventured, these thin fibrous ice
crystals are still visible. Why may
not these fields OF ice" floating in
ethereal space constitute filmy mirrors
In which the suns light, reflected from
polar ice fields, is again reflected upon
those who discover the aurora borealis.
If this theory be substsntiatsd by
voyagers of the Jeanette, Prof. Tice
and other meteorologists may be en-
abled, by watching the course of auro-
raj lights, to anticipate that Of storms
and tempests, and thus render infinite
practical service to mankind. To the
solution of such inquiries savans and
scientific adventures on the Jeanette,
now wintering at Wrangell's island in
the verge of Polar seas, to be penetrat-
ed next spring, address themselves.
And here we have IN the Herald's con-
duct an illustration Of that infinite di-
versity of fields of thought and of re-
search to which even the smallest
newspaper in narrower spheres devotes
its energies. Not long ago the Herald
was unearthing the buried facts of
Central Africa, even under the glow
ing sunlight of equatorial skies and
sands and rivers and lakes. Now the
Herald invades regions of eternal rec
to gather knowledge of earth's and
heavens mysteries and give curious
perhaps, rather than practical and use
full facts to the thinking world. It Is
great newspaper, rejecting honor
upon the press even as Arctic ice-mir-
rors send lights and shadows upon the
earth's path through infinity.