The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1893-05-24
THE SOUND OF A SUNBEAM.
A Wonderful Scientific Fact That Was
Discovered Only Short Time Ago.

One of the most wonderful dis
coyeries in science that have been
made within the last year or two is the
fact that a beam of light produces
sound, says Pearsoas's Wee6ly. A beam
of sunlight is thrown through lens
on glass vessel that contains lamp
black, colored silk or worsted, or other
substances. A disk having slits or
openings cut in it is made to revolve
swiftly in this beam of light SO as to
cut it up, thus making alternate flashes
OF light and shadow. On putting the
ear to the glass vessel strange sounds
are heard SO long as the flashing beam
is falling.on the vessel.
Recently more wonderful discovery
has been made. A beam of sunlight
is caused to pass through prism so
as to produce what is called the solar
spectrum or rainbow. The disk is
turned and the colored light of the
rainbow is made to break through it.
Now place the ear to the vessel con-
tanning the silk, wool, or other material.
AS the colored lights of the spectrum
fall upon it sounds will be given by
different parts of the spectrum, and
there will be silence in other parts.
For instance, if the vessel contains
red worsted and the green light flashes
| upon il loud sounds will be given.
Only feeble sounds will be heard if the
red and blue parts of the rainbow fall
upon the vessel, and other colors make
no sound at all. Green silk gives
sounds best in red light.
Every kind of material gives more
or less sound in different colors and
uttara No Sound in othera
Prof Huxley and the Sea Serpent.
The sea serpent once came in my
way, says Prof. Huxley in letter to
the London Times. But before l tell a
story of what happened many years
ago I may be permitted to remark that
| | have not the least objection to the
existence of that retiring creature,
| which, like the classical maiden, al
ways fugit ad salices, but, unlike her,
seems not to desire to be seen. There
| is no priori reason that know of why
snake-bodied reptiles, from fifty feet
long and upward, should not disport
| themselves in our seas as they did in
those of the cretaceous epoch, which,
geologically speaking, is a mere yes
terday.
a gentleman who had been cruising
on the west coast of Scotland sent me
an account of an apparition of the
monster, backed by the lengthy depo-
sition of companion, a person o1
proved intelligence and competency in
some departments of scientific work.
read this document attentively, and
when I came to the end of it l was al
most convinced. Unfortunately there
was second deposition, supposed and
intended to be confrmatory, from one
of the yachts crew, quartermaster,
1 think. From this, however. it ap.
peared to be beyond doubt that the
circumstances under which the first
deponent saw the apparition were such
as to make it impossible that he could
have properly assured himself of the
facts to which he testified. He had
done whatswe are all tempted to do
mixed up observations and conclusions
from them, as if they rested on the
same foundation. l pointed out the
state of the case to my correspondent,
and from that day to this have heard
no more of that particular sea serpent
| First Rov-Whenever thereis n roio.