New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-20
COMETS AND METEORS.
THEIR ORIGIN DUE TO VOLCANIC ELECTION
FROM SUNS
A LETTER BY PROFESSOR RICHARD A. PROCTOR
DISCUSSING PROFESSOR NEwToN's RECENT


SIR Professor Newton, of Yale College, has
discussed orign in address OF con-
siderable interest, before the American Association
for the Advancement OF science IN session at Buffalo IL
appears to however that lie has neither recognized
the full nature OF the difficulties which the problem
presents the very striking character o the evidence
on which opinion to its solution must depend
May be permitted t. indicate brief here the evidence
to my mind overwhelmng-in favor Of my theory OF
the origin Of comets aud meteorsl
first note that other theory attacked for no other
theory eits Professor Newton points out that comets
are the only celestial bodies which have ever been OBJ
served break IN. and as msteorte5 fragmental
products here j. their true Origa And Schaparelu
has gone little further back. Comets occasionally
travel paths passing very or other OF the
giant planets; probably then, such comets owe their
Introduction into solar system % the capturing power
OF such giant planets; tneY hal been travelling as
flights OF mste1rc bodies through the interstoar spaces
were drawn toward the chancel 20 approach giant
planet. and forced thereafter 70 pursue closed
path around the Sup losing a his possible snip
posing 10 all proved there would still be 40 theory OF the
origin OF meteOrs and MeteOrs come from
comets; and formed OF flights Of meieOrs
travelling amid interstelar space; 0ut-how cams the
meteor lights he travelling there As mere matter
OF fact IL may proved fundamentally that NJ Giant
planet could capture meteOrrisht TO say nothing Of
those meteor systems whose paths pass near no giant
panet, while 1t my be proved pnyscauy that no me-
teorites could be broken OF such bodies as we knew
comets be he real IL merely the civisior
OF meteor cloud into two clouds not stripping Oh OF
individual meteorites meeoritic mass. But even
If these difficulties hal m existence the suggestion that
meteor- from and thar comets are formed
from CUTS OF cannot help in the least to-
Tari solution OF the problem: whence came comets
ami metcortesl
The facts for guidance humorous an decisive
numerous AMI striking that II Is not easy To decide
In what order they should be taken.
Frst-We haze the evidence o. Dmbree that m teor-
are absolutely identical in with Terrestrial
volcanic products such only found at great depths
bele ,th surface. They iOrmed il IS certain,
Ter such conditions OF high ten2eratdre and tremen-
DOS presur. only exist deep within the mass OF
/ planet or OF a
-econdly-sorly, OF sheffield, has demonstrated by
mcro,coplca examination that meteorites were formed
under PRESSURE ami NJ high temperatures such
only interiors OF sun, OF DOIas such as
earth and fellow planets when these ere in the
sanllke stage OF their career
Tnrly-Graham showed that certain iron msteorites
occuied within their substance such quantities
OF hydrogen as Indicate nous pressure in region
occupied by intensely not hydrogen, convincing him that
sucn meeortes brought to us across the inter-
depths the hydrogen Of fixed star or SUM-
Fourthy -Comets, which ars known to be meteor
clouds. r4velOn sucn paths as to form comet families
sevrray associated with the giant planets IL has been
demons the planets could not have captured
meteor flights after the manner imagined ny schapare
| There remains 40 other reasonaols explanation bat
that the meteor fights products Of some sort OK
planetary election rejection. winch must have been
from interior. and effected while planet was In the
sunl1e to be reconciIed with the discoveries Ok
| Daubree, ,Orhy and Graham
Filthy There Is class OF meteOric bodies. to be
counted by millions OF millions. which tue earth captures
tn such protusion that Sanslas Mennier AMI Tscher-
max consiier a terrestrial origin practically demon
straed Ball has discussed their reasoning mathemat-
Harm AIR ran frp
a volcanic election taking place under sdch conditions
a coui only have existed when the earth in the
Sunlike stage
.,xthly-The only body IN q sunlike state to which
! we can address questions on this suDlect-thc sun
answers emf haticay the affirmative that he can and
does eject boil from his interior with the enormous
veOclrI-s required for La rejection The giant planets
would hal much less power OF election but then
e. their attractive energy heinz mnch SINAI err our
earth and her ielow tsrrestral PaneIs "nnu lave aa
All the evd nee tends merely show but prove
that orders OF mrteors. ant therefore All orders or
comets. came the interior OF bodies like the suns
speeflve careers. AL The evidence tends further 70
prove that suuke bodies have the power Of election
wicn tails proved theory OF neleOrlc origin reuuIIes'
II would certain frOu Oue class OF Iacts tlht Do rs
having the characteristics OF meteor ana comets mus.
exist. even Il no sucn bodies hal neen op'er'ou: ~
would bc equally from another class OF facts
ueteors ana comets exist with such anu slc
cLaracteristes sucn processes must DC q. "o, hs
/ alone produce them Mher we recognize al tIe same
erred from their observed products ana tue products
existing which we might have observed rom lhe OBJ
served processes lave our oplrlon confirmed win
n"anis cer,@irN nr teeory ia nor only caught and
In the stane. hut II locked there AMI double Locked
We may be- assured. then, that II dihcaltes appear
they must admit being Feidy disposed OIL lhelr us
cussion vii TtOpaDlY lea to new truth. . -
Now there but objection OF any weight II pre-
indeed IN double FORM as advanced Dy no
lessor Newton. For he reasons mat While there Is
difficulty in supposng that Terrestrial OF unr Hosnsoe
could elected meteoric bodies WIN the necessary
velocity for absolute rejection, solar volcanoes could not
eject solid bodies This IA bat one objection toI i
10 the Ike OF any planets lite hat we are 10
look the when election OF the klnd reqreu was
and T. the only case oil sum lho Doi9
we caa INQUIRE into II he cannot eject s0uh bodies
neither could any p anet when II was sun But cannot
ana does moi the eject solid bOie1f those WHO
uagine The eruption prOminenres be what they seem
10 be-ets glowing gasmaY be disposed To answer Ia
the negative Bu reality nothing can ne much less
et-shaDe,i sfreaks OF hydrogen were
Themselves elected ManiestlY theY indicate Tue trac
OF bodies. not themselves visible uecalSe tne
spectrOscope Will not snow bodies near the sun Whlch
shine with all the spectral cOlOrs as such bodies wOu
only when shine with rev special hs ts tno
glowing hydrogen along Tue tr!cA Vi Sucu oo''o' "'
nor need we wonder the bodies elected from the
ann, interior nre solid from the time or their exit
remember how the e1pal son OF tne ,
vauor, driven biz upward from solar volcano aI
cno,in. nv which IA portion OF the vapor would neces'
sary condense into sOd FORM In fact this l. the
very process which SJrby recognized as Indicated Dy the
| mirrosc ouic structure o. meteOritss.
DOUBTLESS be the case tfst OF electei
bodies far tue greater nunUer return 70 Ile Sa",ln
orb rjec.lug them But II only one n-ht consiseis
haps OF thousands OF small bodies escapes rO our sun
year, Of how many millions Of suGH lsnS na1 e
been parent. HIS hundreds or millions OF leliow
done ami are DOING Ike Work tnr t.pl-anus
millions of planets have done similar WORK ID e pat
Each fight would be comet each component po'y
"A mseor; ana all that is OF comets and neteors
would be explained by this account OF their orsln.
RICHARD A. PBOCIol-
st. Joseph, No. sept 6, 1855.
THE TREE LABELS IN CENTRAL PARK.