The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-03-15
THE EARTHs ATMOSPHERIC
me Utility OF the Atmosphere as Means
of Maintaining Heat


the Utility OF the Atmosphere as "a Means
OF Maintaining Heat.
The lecture of last evening in the Lowell
institute course, by Professor Langley.
treated mostly of tho effect of the planetary
in modifying the SUMS rays.
The impression is pehaps general he said.
that the utility of the atmosphere for tho
purpose of life on this planet is in supply.
ing oxygen to the body by means of the
lungs. On an airless planet human life
could not be sustained, but many animated
creatures do exist on our planet without
breathing apparatus, and IL is conceivable
that oxygen might be supplied to the blood
by Other means than through the lungs.
A being who might be able TO re-
call the history OF the past by u,ons,
instead, rs We do, by centuries, would
be able to relate many instances of lie be.
ing preserved through long periods when
there was neither mir, rs we now know II or
lungs to breathe 1t; but he would not be
able to recall the time when lie and warmth
were not synonymous terms. No form of
life could be maintained without the all
viviiying element OF heat. The lecturer
remark that, in what had been said on the
previous evenings he had mainly spoken of
scietiilc results, which had been by the
investigations OF other persons. He had
now to speak of results gained thro,S6h GER
tain researches and experiments of his own
wherein the inquiry was directed TO ascer.
tanning what effect the suns direct rays
have in maintaining neat upon the earth
That effect is comparatively small and a
ready Illustration OF the fact may be had
in considering that on certain day OF
January, for example, Of particular
year the altitude of tho sun be.
ing low NJ the noon hour,
the mercury stood at zero. In the follow.
ing year. on the corresponding day of the
same month the Thermometer might regis.
ter at noon in this latitude coo or 700
above zero, yet in the effect of the direct
rays OF the sun must have been the same on
one occasion rs on the other In fact the
suns rays are n little hotter in the winter
than in the summer time. Prior to consid-
ering the results of this Investigation il
should be borne in mind that heat, light
and chemical action are but modes of one
common thing which lies beyond or exists
prior to them. This by means of the spec
trum, which has to deal Immediately with
the phenomena of light, an inquiry with
fruitful results may be made concerning the
action, or the presence or absence of heat.
but what is desirable to get at is not those
facts, which the spectrum as ordinarily
seen discloses but such as are beyond the
reach OF the eyesigbt The opj Ct is to gC
down into the spectrum, where the eve
| cannot see, that thus may be asCertained
the amount of heat produced BY
the direct rags OF the sun outi lie the line O.
the earth's atmosphere. This cannot be
| found out by any direct experiment, as W,
cannot get beyond that atmosphere MOI
| survive II we could reach that point il
space. The method, as the lecturer pro
ceeded to explain, is by getting an approx
innate, but SO far rs IL poes sure result
and then estimate or calculate what woult
be the result If the method of approxima
ton were carried to the absolute limit
the plan adopted was to make comparative
measurements OF the heat produced by tn
suns rays at the base OF high mountain
and at or near the top, the difference bein
Il consequence of penetrating through an,
getting rid OF about three miles of tn
earth's atmospheric envelope. The pIac
chosen was Mount Whitney, which is with
in the limits OF the United States, but nea
the northern boundary OF Mexico. II wa
chosen because of its situation in the mids
OF vast desert region where tn
atmosphere has but Sigh
amount OF moisture. The lecture
described and illustrated on the whit
screen, the apparatus used, which had b
be- so far as the heat.deiining and register
ing part of 1t is concerned, invented for tn
purpose; and he also showed upon tn
screen some pictures OF the desolate noun
tain region, to which, with his party, h
assembled. Among the curious result
which the lecturerer enumerated was this
That IL proves that the suns rays at tn
heighth named are blueish, and The cor
clusion is that If the sun were seen tror
some intermediate point in space it woul
appear to be blue. The main result reache
was proof that the heat by which life
maintained on the earth is owing to the oil
sorbing heat capacity Of the atmospher,
and that the function most important I
human beings, and to all animated crea
ures, which the atmosphere has, is In sto
ing up the heat which the sun throws OF
From this 1t may be concluded that Nel
tune, having an atmosphere, might be
warm planet, and Mercury, having none
cold planet, Boston Advertiser.