The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-09-23
Electricity and the Sun.

Electricity and the Sun.
In q recent published manual Of
astronomy It 10 asserted that the on
IL true theory, 20 far suggested, TOT
EXPLAINING the heat Of the sun y that
of fts contraction In bulk. 1t would
have to contract its diameter only
1our miles In hundred years to pro
duce a much heat - It now gives:
ON the other hand It is known that u
the sun were solid mass OF coal u
would burn out, ut ito present rate,
in five thousand years, and the theo-
~ that the PERCUSSION Of meteors on
IL surface causes enough heat to burn
M, In each second OF time. nearly
twelve thousand millions OF millions
Of tons ofcoal-generous, long weight
tons at that-cannot appeal to the
common sense Of either astronomer
or coal dealers. In these DAYS OF
electricity 1t 10 strange that . theory
mas not been seriously propounded
that the sun Is a great electrical ma
chine.
The phenomena Of solar electrical
storms, which effect our terrestrial
telegraph wires, and the aurora bere'
ais, the zodiacal light and the sun
spots point distinctly to an origin II
self. The electric lamps which orna-
ment our streets give . light which
b devoid of heat. but the light has
the same c0nsti ueuts - sunlight
and perform q similar work; photo
graphs are taken with NO less clear
ness, and plants Of every kind ex-
posed to their influe nee grow ana r.
pen with equal success, - was prov
ed by the experiments Of Mr.. Will
liam Siemeus during the winters Of
lsso-sl. They MT only produce fruit l
but are capable Of reproduction. The
fact Of the luminous rays Of the cleo
trio light are devoid Of heat are not
IN insuperable objection to this new
theory. OF course 1t takes intense
heat to produce the light, - IL known
to every one who allows the current
to pass through his body! There 10
not much doubt that 1t will be prov
ed ultimately that electricity 10 the
working power of the universe. 1t
has Away been declared that no one
knew what the attraction Of CRAWL
tation was. Sir Isaac Newton. nerved
to the discovery by the apple which
fell into his eye, formulated Its laws
hut they were the laws Of an inpal-
pable mystery. Amber, from which
electricity derives its name, needs
only to be rubbed to develop an At
tractive force known to the ancient
world. 1t may he that the world,
whiriing on its interstellar orbit,
raises its attractive force by ito fric-
ton with the universal ether which
supervades space. Often, just before
thunder showers, men feel ~ though
they could hardly move; it may he
because, owing to the increased At
traction Of the earth, they are really
heavier than before, Just 90 on the
sun they would weigh several tons,
and could be crushed by their own
solidity.
It Is evident that the uses to which
electricity may be put are increasing
in importance every day; the science,
like a youthful Hercules strangliny
serpents in his cradle, il . giant in
its Infancy. Its sire IL Apollo, the
SUN god: before It shall have reached
maturity it will light our houses and
our cities, clean our streets, rival
steam rs motive power, make its
masters ubiquitous. cultivate the
earth, mine, dretlge and reduce ores,
and. in fact, put the famous twelve
labOcs Of the old heroes to shame.
Above all things it may fight our bat
ties for Us. We who niOurn that we
have no navy may yet employ elec-
tricily ia hundred light, swift, in
vulnerable little craft, which will
play around and plague the elepl,an-
tine monsters If the European navies
As the gnat once drove Pegasus and
again the famous white COW 10 from
land to land.
But the theory that the sun shines
and develops heat FROM electricity
may have q bearing on the future Of
science which Is little suspected. At
any rate, it entirely removes the blis-
tering fear that the sun may burn
out sometime during the next ten
million years. That fear has weighed
like an incubus on the mind of man
and threatened to pAralyZe oil indus
try. 1.-THE sun Is a great electrical
machine, 1t can never wear out. Its
energy will remain uniMp;.ired until
time itself shall run down and the
clock Of eternity begin its measure
nlcnts. 1t il u subject worth investi-
eating, and the arguments, pro aud
con, may well engage the attention
OF the learned societies Of the world.
Such . theory would ex, lain the
strange actions Of comets tails and a
thousand phenomena which either
90 without explanation or such a
nlakcshift for one as is worse than
none at all. Let the American Sci
entiiic Association solve this great
problem before the next annual
meeting, and America will lead the
world and establish a superstructure
Of glory n the very foundation laid
by the immortal franklin. 1t 10
worth Observation-Disclosures Press.