The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-15

art" And it is not difficult to compute how
far globe of coal the size of our earth would
go, when it is remembered that, in round
numbers, the sun is as large as 1, 100000 such
globes as this of ours.
Now, then, how is the enormous requisite
amount of fuel supplied to the r-burning
fires of the sun? From what sources does it
coms2
There are but two theories upon the sub
ject. The first is that of Sir William Thorn
son, which is, briefly, that the solar tempera-
ture is constantly sustained by fall of me-
teOriteS, whose motion arrested at the sun,
is transformed into heat at the moment of
impact. 1t is well known that the
earth, at certain points in her orbit
around the sun, in August and November,
passes through streams of meteors, which
travel in orbits of great eccen tricity, and it is
argued that these streams, with Others, or
great portions of them, fall into the sun, and
thus keep up his fuel supply. But this
singular theory does not receive the I'M
qualified support OF scientific men. Mr.
Proctor says of it: at is probable however,
that only a portion of the suns heat supply
can be accounted for in this way, and posi-
bly, not the most important portion"
The other theory is that of Helmholtz,
that the volume of the sun is being gradually
contracted, and that this contraction pro-
duces heat in an enormous quantity. OF
these two theories Professor Young, of
Princeton College, in his recent work CT
''The Sum-" says: "As to the first it is
quite certain that part of the solar heat is
produced in this way; but the question is
whether the supply of meteoric matter is
sufficient to account for any great proportion
of the whole. AS to the second, on the other
hand, there is no question as to the ade-
quacy of the hypothesis to account for the
whole supply of solar heat; but there is as
yet no direct evidence whatever that the sun
is really shrinking"
l think it will be conceded that either one
of these theories of fuel supply or heat sup
ply is attended with difficulties, and open to
many and serious objections. They hold
their ground among the divided camps of OBJ
servers and theorizers, because if the sun be
so enormously hot, some source OF supply
must be found, as in six thousand years he
would entirely consume his own substance,
and by this time in the age of the world he
would have been burnt ont several times at
a moderate computation, and if he had only
been burning half that long his heat and
light would have grown very senSibly less
than it is now claimed to be.
Recently DIR. C, w. Siemens, of London
has proposed a third theory relating to the
source and maintenance of the suns heat
which is in substance that aqueous vapor and
carbon compounds are everywhere presentiu
space, and that these may be ASSOCIATED and
decOmpOsed by solar energy and com pressed
into the SUMS atmosphere by interchange
with reassociated vapors, the interchange be-
ing effected by the centrifugal action of the
sun itself. But this theory, like the others,
postuates the holiness of the sun. and is in
short that 1.-THE solar fire is made to prepare
its own fuel from the ashes of its own fur
mace" to use the expressive phraseology of
Prof. Young in his note to the second edi-
ton of his book
Is there. then, it may be asked. no other
theory of the constitution of the sun which
will resolve these difficulties and harmonic
conflicting views, and at the same time ac-
cord with the observed phenomena presented
by this wonderful star?
To my mind there is such one, and it has
been in my thought for many months, ever
since, in fact, have been observing the sur
face of the sun in my telescope. And it is
with great ditfidence that | suggest it, when
l remember how many eminent men of
science have been dealing with the question
of the constitution of the solar orb for the
past two centuries and more But perhaps
the shepherd S sling may be as etfectual III
overthrowing giant (error) as it was of
old.
Briefly, then, see no reason to doubt that
all inter-planetary, and perhaps inter-stelar
space is permeated by that mysterious agent.
force or impulse which, for want of better
name, we call electricity. 1t may nave
been the original impulse which gave
the planets form, and started them in
their orbits, and the very rotation Of
these same planets NAV, in turn, be forever
generating new supplies of this mighty force
The sun. by virtue of his elemental constitu-
ton, absorbs this from space from the
worlds that wheel about him in splendOr,
and thus becomes mighty reservoir OF cleo
trio energy. He is continually absorbing
this energy from space, and continually Wv
ing it forth to the planets that depend uNOn
him. Each and all of these worlds is sur
rounded by an envelope which, so far as our
earth is concerned, we cali an atmosphere
1t is not necessary-indeed, to my notion, it
cannot we'll be so-that these envelopes or
atmospheres are alike. but each is adapted TO
the world it surrounds The sun, himself, is
neither. necessarily, light nor hot. The en-
ergy he gives off pulSates to the furthest
b0unda ries OF his system. AS it reaches the
planets. in turn, the atmosphere of each one
transmues this radated energy into light
and heat, in such quantities and proportions
as is necessary for whatever forms of life
exist on such planet and it is held in
its orbit. nourished and sustained by
the ene- lies of the great central orb. Mat
ter is e,rmal; the electric force is ETERNAL and
may well be said to be Inexhaustibc;
or if it were not inexhaustible, it
may ne that the sun only draws from the
great spaces about him the same material
which he rives back again, and the circuit of
power is thus eternal. Nature, then balan-
ceS herself in wonderful orderings of WAYS
and there is no need to go far TO seek for
such extraneous supplies of fuel with which
to keep up the heat and light OF the sun.
And In the same manner that he gives lie
receives. He lights and warns, and is
warmed and lighted in return. Doubtless
objections can ne. and will be made to this
revolutionary theory, which is, so far as l
am concerned, original with myself. But l
believe that the theory OF Newton as to
gravity, which is now a fundamental law,
q OblppflDnS W
first promulgated. And l think it was
not until Sir Isaac, or the mortal part of
him, had been many years in the crave. that
all the perturbations ami inequalities of the
celestial bodies and their motions yieldeu,
one after another, to the demands OF this
marvellous law.
l might endeavor to anticipate some of
thesn nhianlinns esnaciallv sn1ll ls tna sraac-