Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-12
What the Weather Map Tells-Is Elec-
tricity an Entity?

An article emanating from high authority,
recently printed in The STAR, is going the
rounds Of the press which would seem to con-
vey the idea that there is no such thing as
electricity. And yet when We come to read the
statements there are no positive proofs or
even positive assertions; they are all in the
potential mood.
THE word electricity may have to 20,
simply because it does not stand for a reality
&C." Then we are asked what is odor, or
brightness, or Zero" and further on a COM
parison is implied between electricity, phlogis-
ton and caloric.
What seems to trouble the writer's on this
subject is that what we have regarded as an
entity may some day prove TO be what they term
sensation. Under the ancient system before
we had advanced to the more thorough invests
cation and analysis Of the present, it was taught
that there were four elements-earth, air. fire
and water. Now we know that neither of these
names stands for a simple element. They are
made up OF number of primary elements
The simple term earth is . compound Of manv
elements; air and water of few gases; while
fire Is an effect, yet essential effect OF COM
bustion, whereby great results are accom-
pllshed. Notwithstanding these names no
longer stand for an entity or for an elementary
substance, they nevertheless remain, as words
as important today as in the days of old, when
' oAe 'nouShs W oe original packages, and
l believe these names will forever hold their
own. They may be resolved into MANY subdi-
visions, but no subdivisions will ever represent
or IN any manner take the place OF the combi-
nations which individualize either of the four
names-earth, air, fire and water
But instead of making any such comparison
as TINS. one that would seem the most natural
and sclentinc. these writer's introduce pblogis-
ton, odor, brightness and zero, neither Of
which is applicable to the case.
IL IT SHOULD BE DIVIDED.
What If electricity should, like air and vaser
be resolved into two or three or even mora
primary factors, or prove to be to heat what
ozone is to air, what would that matter. We
might say house was not q house becausa II
was made up OF q number Of materials. or mot
a house because it was q structure for soms
peculiar purpose rather than for an Ordinary
dwelling.
We know how difficult it il to name anv.
thing. But after all the world cares little for
the name so long as 1t thereby has q convenient
way Of designating an object or property, So
1t would seem foolish at this day to find fault
with so good q name a. electricity -
Now what 10 electricity? No answer has "a
yet been given, L., no answer that has been
accepted by the world. Yet if we will turn to
the evidence OF that wonderful little illumin-
ator, the weather map, We will get more light
upon the subject than Ii perhaps vouchsafed
70 US through any other channel II is a. plain
| as any geometricai or mathematical problem
that the property We term electricity, Whereby
thunder and lightning are created, win be pro-
duced and will only be produced by certain
combinations OF high and low barometer. The
right juxtaposition Of the "hiphs" and the
lows" and We have the electric manifesta-
] tions in the heavens; II the iuxtaposition Of