Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-11-26
HENRY DRAPER,
In Whose Death American Science Sus-
tains the Seyerest Loss Since
His Father Passed Away.
President Barnard's Estimate Of Him as
a Scientific Korker-His Discovery
Of Oxygen in the Sun.

President Bernard, of Columbia College,
speaking OF the death of Prof. Henry ORA
per, said. "a thundsrclsp out OF clear
SKY would not have sstOnished me more than
the sad news of Henry Diapers death. Aside
from bis eminent scientific attachments, be
was loved TO an UNUSUAL degree by all those
who enjoyed his friendship. He was a de-
lightful companion and an earnest friend,
full of brightness and kindness. He Will be
missed by US all quite as much on account OF
these qualities Of an unualy clever and
pleasant friend, as on account of his discov-
cries and Original work. few weeks ago
he told me, as was his custom, OF his West
ern hunting adventures on the great plains,
TO which he made journey almost every
year, and Eamongs other things l remember
his account of a severe snow-storm which had
overtakeu them Il was, perhaps, in thai
snow-storm that he caught the cold which
carried him off. He was here in the college
two weeks ago making arrangements for the
entertainment of the membets OF the Ma
tional Academy of Sciences. Ga the
night before he was taken sick L was
at the dinner which he gave to the MEM
bers Of The academy, and l never re-
member TO have se.n him apparently In
better health. As worker Draper was re-
markable not only in the amount OF ecfen-
tiic reset arch which he undertook, but in the
ease with which he carried on at once the
life OF hsrd-workiug scientist and OF busl-
ness man having two Interests to look after.
Business took Up his time every day until
about 2 o'clock. II was only after his days
work az agent and administration WAS over
that he could escape 10 his laboratory. MS
scientific work lasted far into the night. He
was one of the few men who used large
fortune for the good of science. He was not
extravsgant except where science was con-
cerned, and then his lib:fality knew no
bounds. His physical laboratory was per-
haps the finest private laboratory in the
world. His wife was his constant companion
and assistant.
"Henry Diapers work was but just be-
gun. He would have probably said himself
that he had, SO far, been getting ready to
work. l have no hesitation in saying that
what he accomplished showed him TO be
the equal in scientific zeal and genius OF his
eminent father. The inventive faculty
which he displayed in overcoming difficult
ties, his high powers of concentration, mis-
true scientific spirit, and his perseverance
indicated rich future. His loss is the
greatest that American science has suffered
since the death of his father. The most inn
portant discovery with which his name will
be connected and that which probably he
himself considered most highly, was the find
ing of oxygen in the sun, or rather the evil
dences that oxygen existed. Prof. Newcomb,
in his Popular astronomy, gives the follow
"'Until very lately it was always sup
posed that the spectrum of the light of the
sun, SO far could be analysed, was con-
tinuous from end to end, except where dark
absorption lines crossed it. a remarkable
addition to this theory has, however, been
made BY Prof. Henry Draper, of New York,
the main point Of the addition being that
the spectrum is crossed by the bright lines
and bands arising from glowing gases, and
that these lines, admit Of being recognised 10
certain paris OF the spectrum if the proper
steps are taken TO bring them out.
"'Dr. Diapers course has been to photo
graph side by side the solar spectrum be-
tween the lines G and H, and the corr sspond-
ing part of the spectrum Of oxygen, rendered
luminous by the electric spark. The result
is that out Of thirteen bright lines of oxygen,
some of them double or treble, nearly all
have corresponding lines in the solar spec
trum. The coincidence is so striking that il
seems hardly possible TO avoid the conclu-
sion that considerable part of the violet
light of the sums spectrum arises from glow
lug oxygen in the SUMS photosphere. What
gives especial interest TO this investigation
by DR.. Draper is that it sffords the first evil
dence which science has found of the exist
ence of oxygen in the sun, the dark lines
which would be produced by that substance
having been looked Tor in vaiu. 1t would
seem either that the capacity OF oxygen for
absorbing light selectively is very small, OIL
that it exists in the sun only at a
very high temperature. When we see
a line or set of lines which we re-
cognise as produced by known substance,
we infer the presence Of that substance.
The question may now be asked, How
do we know but that the lines we observe
may be produced by other substances besides
those which we find 10 produce them
in our laboratories? May not the same lines
he H. I.4c ~
question can he answered only by an appeal
to probabilities. The evidence in the case
is much the same as that by which, recog-
nzing the picture OF friend, we conclude
that ii is not the picture OF anyone else.
For anything We can prove TO The contrary,
another person may have exactly the same
features, aud might, therefore, make the
very same picture. But, as matter of fact,
we know that practically no two men whom
we have ever seen do look exactly alike, and
it is extremely improbable that they ever
would look go. The case is the same 10
spectrum analysis. Among the great num-
Der of Substances which have been exam
ined with the spectroscope no two give the
same lines. 1t il, therefore, extremely i'm
probable that a given system Of bright lines
could be produced by more than one sub
stance"
"This discovery of oxygen in the sun has
given rise to great deal of discussion, but
| believe that the weight OF learned opinion
is in favor OF its reality.
"Among Henry Drsperis achievements
must also be mentioned his construction of
silvered-glass telescopes for celestial pho
Biography. He carried out, 10 perfection
unknown before, Leverrier's method of using
glass reflector instead of such metallic
specula as are usdally employed. He has
detailed his work in this field in a paper
which the Smithsonian Institution pub
lished, its Contributions to Knowledge in 1854
Diapers contributions TO our knowledge OF
solar and stellsr spectroscopy are beyond all
praise.
g Smother important department of his re-
searches was his study into the spectroscope
of metals under extraordinary heat such as
is developed in an electric spark. He OBJ
tanned photographs of the speciroscope OF
such sparks by Ingenious devices which ex-
cited great interest in the meeting of the
National Academy of Sciences two years ago.
He had powerful induction coils in his lab
oratory, and invited the members of the
academy to witness his experiments His
photograph of the nebula in Orion, come
thing never before obtained, shows how
readily he overcame obstacles that had
proved insurmountable TO others.n
A STEANGE STRRV