Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1890-11-15
TELEPHONE TO THE sun.
MIR. EDISON HOPES TO HEAR THE
ROAR OF THE SOLAR FURNACE.

Ii
The Receiving Instrument Located in
New Jersey, Where Connections Have
Been Made with an Immense Deposit
of Magnetic Material.
At Ogden, N. j., there is mass of
iron ore mile long standing parpen-
aicular and extending into the bowels of
the earth to great but unknown depths,
said to contain several hundred million
IONS of magnetic material. AS the vio-
lent storms and uprushes in the sun pro-
duce disturbances on the earth's Magnet
Ism, which are recorded on the magnet
ometers at the Kew and other observa-
tories, it has occurred to Mr.. Edison,
says the New York Herald, that the
strength of the solar disturbance as eX-
erted on our planet, could "be increased
enormously by utilizing vein of mag
netic iron ore, and running around the
body of ore several miles of wire, form
ing an inductive circuit, into which
powerful electric currents would be
thrown by any disturbances of tho
sarth's magnetism.
by the use of instruments every
change" he says, "could be recorded,
and by the use of the telephone all
sounds produced on the sun would be
heard on our planet. He is, accord
ngly, erecting telegraph poles on each
,ide of the Ogden ore hill and parallel
with 1t, on which he is coilng an insu-
ated wire many times around the whole
urea where the earth's magnetic lines
cave the iron mountain and extend into
space. The two ends of the long wire
will be taken into his observation station
and connected with the receiving tele-
phone.
From every point of view poetic,
spiritual, and scientifc-this promises
20 be one of the most thrilling expert
ments ever made. Its successful con-
luctor-like Wordsworth's
-curious child who dwelt upon tract
Of inland ground, applying to his ear
The convolutions of smooth-lpped she'll
hearing "sonorous cadences" and hold
ing converse with the unseen universe
itself-will be able to listen to the awe
inspiring rush and roar of the suns
mountainous pillows of fire as they
splutter forth in inconceivable fury from
his cyclopean furnaces. What SER
mon will be preached into the receiving
instrument! A voice from the central
orb of our planetary system-type an
swering to anti-type, laundering forth
the eternal power and Godhead of Him
whom the Christian pu pit, often too
feebly for our dull ears, proclaims tho
Light of this world.
From a scientific point of view the
value of this experiment may be inn
mense. E cry new fact brought cer-
tainly to light respecting the actual phe-
nomena in the re@ions beyond" how
ever insignificant it may appear at first,
becomes to science Il h"r onward path
of research the key.tone of an arch serv-
ing to bridge some hitherto impossible
chasm. Almost every great outburst of
solar cyclone is followed by magnetic
storm on our little planet, and stimuli
saneously the ices of its polar circle
glsten in the light of the aurora bor-
calls.
Familiar examples of this are found
IN all astronomical and magnetic obser-
vations. The n1gnetic storm of No
vember II. 1882 succeeding the appear
ance on the 10Th of sun spot which,
measured at Allegheny Observatory,
covered 2, 200, 900, 600 square niles, seri-
ously interrupted the telegraph lines at
New York and cable messages We're de-
layed nearly an hour, while at Chicago
the switchboard was a dozen times on
fire. AS an experiment one of the West
ern Union wires between Washington
and Baltimore was worked with the
earth current alone. There is every
reason, therefore, to expect that the
strength of all such disturbances will be
increased enormously in Mr.. EJlison's
inductive circuit of the Ogden iron
mountain; that by the use of his instru-
ment the variations of intensity can be
recorded, and, as he hopes, sounds pro-
duced on the sun will be heard through
the telephone.