Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-08-03
The Ennis COmetary Theory.
AHC A1hAlS NOmctdFy lHcOFys
ELECTRICITY THE GRDAT ELEMENT OF TIN
UNIVERSE

ELECTRICITY THE GRDAT ELEMENT OF THE
UNIVERSE.
To the Editor of The Star:
The views of Prof. Ennis. of Shippensburg,
Pa, on cOmetary matter, especially the tails of
comets as reported in your issue of the LIST
inst, struck me as being the most sensible that
have yet been offered by astronomical wise men,
His idea that electricity is the substance which
the evidence in various ways is deducible, cumu-
lative. and, in my mind. convincing 1t is very
true, as he says. that ''if these tails were COM
posed of any substance the laws Of motion are
constantly violated by them,' and that ''the
thinnest vapOr would conceal the stars from
view," and again, lit is a fact that the smallest
stars can be seen through the tail of a comet
During the winter Of 1860 l was living in
Maine. and after the periheliOn of the wonderful
comet OF that year Che nights being cold and
the atmosphere very clear, l saw distinctly, and
for several nights in succession scintillations of
light, In the form of waves. pass very rapidly
from the corona of the comet to the extremity
of its tail. The scintillatiOns or waves were SO
rapid and continuous that my curiosity was ex-
cited and l called the attention of my father to
the fact, and he too, distinctly saw this curious
phenomenon. That this was no atmospherica
disturbance, the wavy motion alone would de-
termhe The action was precisely similar to
that of the aurora borealis, and. although
boy. as it were, 1 came then to the conclusion
that this action was electricity, no matter what
might be the matter composing the tail.
The aurora bOrealis of our northern or south
ern skies is evidently produced by rapid evapOra-
ton or the contact of counter elements. e.
heat and cold, dense and raritied air. or fOgs and
frost. Any rapid changes in earthly elements
will bring ont nOt produce, for believe electricity
to be an inherent power in cOsmical matter) such
phenomena
Why, then, in the rapid motion Of these posi-
bly, yaporOus bodies, can there not be rapid de-
velOpment of evaporation and consequent bril-
liant, intense, extensive and expansive displays
of electricity?
Surprising that the comet develops heat, and
the space through which it passes is intensely
cold, would not the rapidity of the motion and
the contact OF two such Opposites naturally pro-
duce just such result as we see in these come
tary displays? Suppose the comet is material
and space vacuOus? that would produce cleo
tricity. The matter thrown Off would disturb
the laws of vacuity or inertia and again pro-
duce electricity and until this matter had
distributed itself we should witness the dis
turbance in the form of electrical displays.
Prof: Ennis has sufficiently demonstrated, l
think. that the positive electricity of the sun re-
pels that OF other bodies, and thus defects or
drives it to 1.-The rear" as it were, of them. On
this point will not add any remarks
think the time is soon coming when the the
DRY that electricity pervades all matter all cos
mical substances, that in fact. it is the primal
generator, or first cause, and that it's influence
is superior in the laws of creation, motion. de-
velopment and existence, will be accepted. That
vegetable, animal and human Esa vitality.
strength and thoueht.. even is developed out of
It and dependent upon 1t for existence, do not
doubt. believe that, subtle as it is, it is the
one great element of the universe-the power,
magnitude and universally Of which we are but
just beginning to discover.
Space fOrbids my entering into a discussion of
this latter theory in this letter.
Very respectfully, yours,
E. J. BROOKINGs