, 1880-05-09

with known facts to regard uuht ew1%ns,;t3aee
tatona7 7Y11Fanon ~ or motton Of the m5lecucs
i specific ethee 81 a1ser tSe rather sha from
propagated by the vibrsons of woo1 or as nrf u
NV Mhves ~ water nm NIT hcroBpG:dklnr Of The
water which M Tue nr yiordnos Of xv sound .,
i% fe4ss e g. a:ssf ss$ssstss
theory has Peep dofectve !ePSxh ~ phi ri:
s It has been tns assas t4sae
aence adsera f. shS9Sh WITH S
here revived by MGfove, seems to I'M inco,Ss
petent to cxplntn tho: most ordinary facts of
mission OF light through solid bodies. or The tie
Rropa cation OF tho solar impulse III vacuo
the en(stenco mgege theory o5Sover requires
the tnterplanctary spaces, as % Condition IN
indispensable to the propagation Of yibra tory
action, 0~'
4 CONDITION HARDLY CONCEIVABLE. !,
II On explanation Of the phenomena Of light re-
stance We do not see what il to be gained b.
substituting eao ponderablc for an tmpondcrnble
which, 10 this instance, is certainly not the case
MOI Notmng, perhaps. more strixlngly shows the
fSrse ct RaRabs and
ntween the conflicting hypothesis Of light,
One must respect the evidence of hfs senses,
let uemonstrAtlon be what 1t may. II
sht entty fos osay aeeeo tSs
doubt, but the indtpdual still believes II the
palpaole reality Of "sunshine." 1t is so evident
tmponffeEable matter, TINT down to the close OF
the eighteenth century tho doctrine maintained
~ II own against the most formidable opposition.
with all it's absurdittes and died refusing to ad-
nit the plaustbillty Of any other. The brilliant
discoveries IN optics and the laws Of light which
Weaken bis confidence In the correctness or
validity OF the hypothesis. He gave it the name
Of the Emission. or CoFpuscular Theory Of light,
scion SO Long g and Intimately M associated with bis own
The absurdity OF the emission hypothesis,
appears sufficiently obvo1s IN The
elements OF its own refutadon; for
IT Is 1NcoNcE1vABLE
that particle OF matter devoid Of gravity could
travel With such marvellous velocity as the
@ nypothes1s presnpposss and pass through in its
ity, ponaerable Substances like glass and other
dtRphanOus bodies. "Lignt n,0rts " observes the
S6e SId2 Sir nayid n t; velocity Of
tions have modified these figures considerably,
but few thousand miles more or less In
matter Of ths Kind ars Of little eonseoueaee
astronomer. =" from the sun to the earth ia seven
minutes and half. It moves through space
est e OF IN ho
swiftest bird could not perform Ia less than
three weeks" In view OF the singular credul1ty
e in z Bses
them to marvel at the credniity Of theologians.
We submit that the ultimate resurrection ot tho
The BELIEF ia It eaef tux oe oaf
faculties, than TINT Of au imponder-
able particle Of matter travelling through
s gfGsty o s6 BY the
BE that as it may, the emission theory OF light
has long been obsolete IN philosophic thought.
day BY Prof. .Huyghens, the eminent Dutch
astronomer and mathematician; but it remained
for DR.: Thonas Young, century later, to
stead the hypothesis drst advocated by Huy-'
ghens, and which ia now generally known as
TIE WAVE OR UEDuLAToRY THEORY OF LIGHT.
t is supertluous. pcrhaps. tostate that the 9n,
dulatory hypothesis OF Light is OF itself founded
never BE- proved, tie existence q = thin. elastic
ether pcrvAding all space and even the spaces
she particles th f solid matter 9Ssr
IS !sAa supposed '1a e b ' asitated, m tiso~n
ss,,. Into oonoentrto y,brastoas, Or xsses. vey
sion Of hard bodies. " It appcars In truth abun-
en ssys ST Eoaas es
$, with respect to ether, what sound ts with
'espect to atr: and that. the rays of light are |
lotnlnR ease Dut the snA2lnR3 or FloraGon8
transmitted by the ether, as sound consists In t
he shakfngs or vibrations transmitted by the |
lir."
Ur. Young actually measured the length !
It these 1ght-waves and counted the num- |
'er OF them which occurred in 9 |
'econd Of time and an inch Of space. BE found |
hat the number and atze OF the s1udulationa !
'aried with the various tints or colo,s embraced |
2 q ray OF light In other words, that all the t
dement's Of the solar ray had each force Of !
propagation peculiar to itself. Tie following
able, giving the uumber OF light-wavcs that !
,ccur In an Inch OF space and d second Of time,
$ based on the calculations of Young. Though
'ften published, it Is Of sufficient interest and |
curiosity to justify place here: