St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-07-02
THE SUNS ENERGY.
Its Generating Power and the
Work 1t Is Capable of Perform.

Its Generating Power and the
Work 1t Is Capable of Perform
ing.
The most satisfactory way of arriving
at an idea of the enormous energy of
the sun is by measuring the amount of
heat which his rays are capable of
generating; and further, by our knowl-
edge of the relation which exists be-
tween heat and mechanical work, we
are able at once to estimate the amount
of work which the sun is capable of
doing, and also the quantity of energy
he must be losing year by year. BY
suitable arrangements we can cause
certain quantity of his radiation
to be absorbed by water or other
substance, and note the rise of
temperature which results. and as we
know the mechanical equivalent of each
degree of temperature in water, for i'll
stance. it is only matter of calculation
to arrive at knowledge of the SUMS to-
tai energy. Like everything else con-
nected with this wonderful body. figures
give us, says the Scotsman. no adequate
conception of his energy, and various
illustrations have been used by different
Investigators. Thus, Herschel consid-
cred it in relation to the quantity of ice
which it would melt in given time,
and states that the amount of heat
which the earth receives when the is
overhead would melt an inch thickness
of ice in two hours and thirteen minutes.
From this it can be calculated that if
the body of the sun were entirely sur
rounded by sheet of ice on its surface
of more than mile in thickness, the
suns heat would entirely melt this
coating of ice in the same time-namely,
two hours and thirteen minutes. Prof.
Young uses an even more striking
illustration. He says: IF we could
build up solid column of ice from the
earth to the sun, two miles and quar-
ter in diameter. spanning the incOn-
ceivable abyss of ninety-three million
miles, and if the sun should concentrate
his power upon it, it would dissolve and
melt, not in an hour, not in minute,
but in single second; one swing of the
pendulum and it would be water. seven
more and it would be dissipated in
vapor." Of course, of this enormous
quantity of heat the earth receives but
very small fraction. The remainder,
except, of course, what the other planets
receive, passes away into space and is
lost forever, so far as can be aScer-
tanned, to the solar system. If we esti-
mate in mechanical power what we do
receive, we find this to be on each
square foot of surface equivalent, on an
average, to about fifty tons raised a
mile high yearly, or to one-horSe power
continuously acting, to every thirty
square feet of the earth'S surface. 1t is
by this enormous supply of energy that
the whole world is kept alive and act
i've. 1t keeps us warm and drives our
steam engines and water wheels, it
circulates our atmosphere and brings
us rain and snow in due season; it
grows and nOuriSheS our plants and ami
mails, and, in a word, is the source of
almost every earthly blessing.
The Decay of the Signal Service.
The meteorological work of the signal
Office began in 1870, when an appropria-
ton of $4,000 was made for it, says a
writer in Science. Instead of $4,000 a
year, the meteorological work of the
signal Office now costs $780, 900, and has
cost as much as Sl,000,000. In eighteen
years. and with such liberal eXpendi-
lures of money, this service ought to
have increased, not only in the extent
mously, but in the character of it's
weather predictions. But such improve
ment has not been made, at least not to
the extent that it ought to have been.
The public have found this out, and,
being more critical than formerly, as
they have right to be, complain when
they suffer in health, comfort or pocket
through failure of the predictions to
be verified.
Why is it that while the percentage
of successful indications in 1888 was
S9.1 it was in 1887 only 1873, or, allowing
for the fact that predictions are now
made thirty-two hours in advance, in
stead of twenty-four. as formerly, only
S0.91?