New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-15

and riffs in the indicate matter repealed In various
quantities from the by forces which may be electrical
This neglects OF the established features or the
corona aud has apparently eonented most writers IL rs
essentially the explanation given by Professor Young III
his work the SUM- though he does not fail 10 note grave
dltculle5 IN tho way OF Its complete occupation Nne
however, tho theory IL asked Tor quahutatNe
agreement with observation, it utterly breaks down.
gy Improbable that the mind refuses accept as even
plausible hypothesis resting them Others equally
rs essehual 10 the theory are aDsOiute negaye W oo
sefVatlOns FOR III the first place. the spectrum Demon
srates that the pressure ut the limit OF the chro
IS Wy S i proDa,y iaI Us ma. an ~ VI an
men OF mercury ms supp0dltlO requires Inat the pres
sure or the assumed atmosphere from 100000 to l2OO
900 miles deep shall he thus inconsderable notwithstanding
ing the TACT that the force OF gravity Is more tnan twenty
seven utS as great on tqe SURFACE rt T ts
ms consideration renders the assumption OF q
gaseous atmosphere highly improbable, there Is still
evidence OF e existence OF our own atmosphere ceases
at height OF about Ortytye miles; still the density at
more than twice that altitude Il sufficient TO offer resist
ance 70 bodies moving with yeloces averaging fourteen
times that OF the earth in Its orbit such to render them
particle In the corona Is not indefinitely greater than
that 0t one In atmosphere the ratio being that VI
the angular area Of the measured from the two
points It follows, then, that the density OF visible at
m0phere near the sun cannot be indefinitely less than
eah Bnt there t caaTest eydeP pC tbat
Iar within the limits Of the corona the density
atmosphere at GO miles above the earths surface
For ne great comet of the last passed at distance
the assumed cOrOna atmosphere This comet traycrscd
thtintercOrOnal space for several millions ~ miles with
being stopped and precptaed upon the surface pf the
SUM- but even without having been checked IN the least
observations after pcrihcOn passage was scushIy the
same as before that passage. stu more conclusive
PROOF u. ocrci ny the comet OF 1913, which passed stu
nearer to the surface Of the sun. 10 j. true that its orbit
before aud after Pcrh0n passage did not admit OF such
comparison that Of last year But every law OF
probability lorDds the assumption OF "A higher velocity
before nearest approach to the sun than that due 10
pdribOli. Surely more decisive argument against
the existence Of an atmosphere extending far
tho pCrhclOn distance OF chcrcOmc could be imagined
tD
contradiction to our experience wholly Independently
of such considerations which would render lnenablG
According To theory well observation the upper
ordered according 10 these drnsitIes The material
this cer IN as unmist dcnlcr than hydrogen "a is
coronal spectrum evidence OF the existence Of AN at
mUsphere, we arc by exactly the sumo principle driven
to the conclusion ,hLt the f474 material far less
dense than hydrogen. The contradiction could not bo
more abrupt aud incNpllcablc There are other argu
OF Uncomfortable weight which are opposed 10
the suppOstOu OF a cOrOua atmosphere.
First, the photographs Indicate what may be styled
Gt arrangement Of the corOnaas though the forces which
produce IT. irregularities act only H. plano at right anslcJ
TO the line Il yn That Is to say the riffs and stream
Ia have their origin nj the limit OF the
and are often narrowly limited IN width such char
acter might wen elt the corona were determined by
the dusk of the sum- but would he highly improbable II 1t
were distributed about the solar globe.
Secondly, We arc compelled by this theory TO assume
most improbable changes In The Hypothetical atmosphere
For example. the line l,474 traced Ia distance OF
l-U9OOO nies nom the sun Ia = Whf iDur yeais
later IL feeble "a to have cudct all but two OF the
standing that the conditions vision
were probably bciier then than ever before inc Inc
demonstrates the existence o. atmosphere il de-
IuOu-tratc- also ncuuccylbc changes in it, In regard
{" the matter h which rnits ne wntc nght Our state,
lncuts must he little les positive. That II Is not OF solid
OF nlhu PAlu'es 5u,poLu.a III an s.up9PuIlo aller te
nature uf our clouds Is pretty evident from the necessary
rarity of such atmosphere II s perhaps worth noting
thn Wha'yGr higum,Hi can 10 HI%n nom ,if niue
Icuurhcc' IA" suPppsil'oh lhdt u EIEc qiahuiy OF
mctruuc matter T. falling into the sun offers almost as
great dniD itic- We must conclude that Il f. falling
nearly vertically downward In the immediate neiShbor-
hood OF the sun. because tho necessary Ortu NrlJcucS
bS S', 5o 1i.od EiSSa EXON 0'G Ne HG G.ro a
the difficulties in the way Of accepting theory which
pri- urp tfbut,l uniformly the heavens Hence
OBJ. must Doe continuous supply nom without IAs
supply cannot come from paabnbc comets unless those
oi sui I~uh'ii'h distances are more nblmliut MAN
those Or great The polarization, when considered quauil
theory than either OF the phrn"mrAa Yiou7l discussed
IL clear, ms been lpiuiHt oar uy 90 number "
particle nj the -uilarc of the sun J because lu-
iuluous tae.c h. surface with am angular rub
' a, ~. , i'i,, H. i.,isll by mater In .'i.
.,, ~. .,..l.r IuI nj 81. i,l..,c contrary
To- ,,''. ~ '', ..' i ne sum- rgt h. d.. r.r
,'D @ ', ID r'.rt ,Itir,ti,. I,yI.I,
cannot o., ADMITTEDLY near the sun. the hua assumption
ton that CO., 'uruuli rtr uucIs arc FORMED b.! matter re-
r'iod Hom h, sun '' .',.oI,,., "n account L'I MnaI
than tuc ,trrIIn,Ts 70 iD ows that n"uTy all the white
lsnt comics from oucu ccciyd matter Moreover, since
r.gLt bc,aus, illuminated 10y the hut because It h
ri luminous, Au7uu la, been made % the oNtraorul-
mary arau.lurut ut the rtIrucrs tGOuyI CuuhuCd 10
q plane at ID ut .iis lc, to Tie line oI vision.
Tai. was the conclusion Of ms ci.l ism upon received
ordinations. lie followed II up uy attempted
lault,on based upon The diacliOu OF light 10 support
this hc armed himself with all the tsrors OK analytical
and integral cucliui and intagrlied with liacncy
which for him the admiryion OF gray professors lie
concluded his paper fifteen minutes after The expiration
Of the hour for adjournment and the discussion upon
was postponed until the afternoon. In the afternoon
Professor Young said that he had listened to the paper OF
his young friend with Intense interest lie would
say that he had always thought aud taught that
the accepted hypothesis was Lm from perfect.
The almost hcrc the not atmosphere IN the
same sense ~ which speaks Of the c1rts atmosphere.
The particles were comparatively independent OF each
other ami mi t be compared TO aloJ OF balls thrown up
into the air. Hence this would materially diminish the
force OF the argument, drawn from the pcrhcuon pas
slgc of the coucs n,tauccd by Dr. Hastings. But tho
experiment. polarization moro difficult TO con
Tend with lie would say tllt Tie theory u dihrIcuouot
solar ght and the mathematical arguments based upon
the equations uf Trcucl 10 him valuable AID inter
cs,ug II lot altogether true, TIC theory contained 50
much Of truth that must bo treated with cpcct aud
could not possibly Dee ignored by any inquirer.
Professor Rowland said that the observations Of Dr.
HASTINGS upon the equations Of Fcrsncl introduced new
problem which demanded solution at the hands OF
mathcmatci.us. The theory Of diancuon Of light was
To him attractive one, and II seemed as II might be
prtdcut.d what known oil the polarization OF
light
Professor NcWcUmb remarked that hc would accept
without question what Professor Rowland SAID WIN
regard equations OF Fersnc and would not dis
Gus, H. though strange TO him. Bat he was not Qn'c
satisfied with the disk experiments Win which ID.
Hastings had proved his theory OF dTactcd hht aud
his method OF producing an artificial corona. nag ne
eliminated the action Of Illuminated atmospheric nuati
II seemed 10 him that ts point had ho1 D,eh in'uc
clear.
Dr. Hastings showed that In order 20 save time lie lad
omitted from his paper the part which bore upon Tue
question OF Prof, ssOU NcHCOmb lie then read al length
e Mole OF the passage. which completely shiIdc-
Further remarks made by IEucSSplS Wright
and Langley, but II obvious that the respectful ana
even admrug tone with which Professor Young had dls-
csscd the theory Or his old pupil had produced an I'M
potat effect upon the Acadcclans. Ine discussion ac-
codngy tagged and ceased after Dr. Hastings had re-
ulicd to Dr. Wright.
Professor Marsh then called upon Professor Newcomb
-. IL-LLn M