The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-10-19
THE SUMS HEAT AND POWER.

In a recent number of Nature the distin-
gui-ed engineer Capt John sets forth
inv esgaiions which he uihls during the summer sol
of thus upon the OF the
f,cc rhes. Investigations form part of memorable
OF studies in solar physics practical
which has been the construction of "A working appliance
for tho ac'usion OF machinery by the of heat
rived from collected SOAR rayE 1t il certainly
worthy to lind the renowned engineer who. more than
ago. rcvu!utloni&cd naval warfare by
the Princeton. the FIRST built
motive power protected and again twenty later
dictated Reconstruction :" the worlds nnves by the
Monitor the famous victor OF Hampton Roads and who
after another interval of twenty produced the Dc
stroycr. which designed great foreign iron.
clais that attack our harbors. now in his octo
gcnafiau day pursuing ,c studies
whose fruits wan inure the peaceful occupations of
manufacture. and commerce.
The power developed by Capt Ericsson's motor
Indicated that til. temperature of the suns surface
very great But the ey cylindrical heater of the motor
solely for the purpose OF generating
rcNpondinE air is for various well
its constructor has said for
the amount Of surface exposed to the action
Elected solar Accordingly for this latter purpose
he constructed n solar pyrometer. which has been
erected III this city during the
s;rument OF largo Dimensions. q poygonal reflector,
composed of inclined mirrors and provided
with central heater OF conca FORM acted
reflected radiation in such manner that each
its surface receives equal OF radiant
given time.
The central doctrine which Capt. Ericsson
lisl.d by demonstration and then the
perature produced by solar radiation density
the RAYS" without attempting reproduce the mati.
omatca processes resort-d detail
the apparatus of observation. II is enough
Capt Ericsson reaches conclusions ably close
those Of Sir Isaac Newton and ally different from
those OF Puuil-t, Nicarc Sautc Claire Deville,
others who have assigned comparatively low TEN.
perature to the suns surface Newton, estiu aiug
the Temperature which the
ed when nearest the based his on the
result of his practical observations that inun
temperature produced by solar radiation
of that OF boiling and he found accordingly that
the comet exposed to temperature of $50 OoOe
an intensity exactly 900 times greater than that of
hot iron a temperature sioo." Capt Ericsson adds
this deduction III the article referred to:
The distance of the surface being
that accordance with the N.wtonian doe trne Ihe
intensity OF 2,S3 uooS +.
The results of the
out by Capt Ericsson correspond arkably to those
Just recorded. They are thus briefly stated:
The diffusion OF the solar acting on the twenty
perature Of tho soinr surface cannot be Less than
21s ~ multiplied by lo231. equal This
be shown that the radiant he
Is not ihNersely AS the diffusion OF the
The high temperature here assigned the suns sur.
those French Investigators consider that it
reaches >. oo)' centigrade.
As to the sun motor. apart from general
to certain classes of work. it apparently be spe
ciay useful in all regions like of the
outhwestern Territories that almost always
the direct rays Of the sun in the daytime.