Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1893-12-28
yae ,NreasreLlAR MEDIUM.

Even Scicntist's Pen CaHese Adequately
Describe Its 1ranscecde-a rropertiss.
That space is not void Is conceded.
That it is filed with a medium capable
Of transmitting light and heat is not
questioned. This medium is believed
to 10 uniform in density and elasticity,
Int the exact nature of ITS constitution
is unknown. Some believe it to be
molecular, like gas, while sothers ques-
ton if its structure has been correctly
defined. It makes no direct impression
upon the senses and is known only
through effects produced, and yet, what
ever be its nature. it is known to trans
NIT a wave of light ut the rate of SC. 300
miles per second, there being, as amcan
value, within the spectrum about 80, 600
waves in an inch, or more than 60, 600, =
600, 900, 600, 600 in the distance passed
over in one second.
When it is considered that waves are
transmitted through this medium in
all conceivable directions with the same
velocity, some faint conception may be
had of its intense activity. The COM
plicity of the waves is transcendent, for
each shade Of light has its own wave
length, there being about SO, 600 waves
to the inch in red light and more than
81, 900 in violet, and outside the visible
spectrum there are less in number in
one direction and more in the other.
Every self luminous body in the uni
verse is imparting to this medium waves
of these varying lengths all travelling
with sonsibly constant velocity.
When it is considered that the count
less number of stars and suns, scattered
promiscuously throughout limitless
space, are producing such waves, radi:
ating from each in all possible direc-
tons, it would seem that if they did not
actually destroy each other they would
SO interfere as to produce confusion
worse confOunded, and the impressions
upon tho eye of an observer would be
valueless. But, ON the contrary, the
scientist believes that this medium truly
and faithfully transmits to the remotest
space every wave impaired to it, pre-
serving with the strictest integrity It's
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES that planets and
other solid bodies may destroy the waves
they intercept.
a star ten or moro years ago started
| a wave which just now, we will sup
pose. arrives ct the earth and writes its
own record on some sensitized plates,
though the star may be 5000, 600. 900,
600 miles away. From these impress
sions the physicist finds perhaps that
the star is double. although the most
| powerful telescope had failed to divide
| it; that the two revolve about each
other, and he determines their probable
orbit, masses and velocities. Or perhaps
he finds. rs in the remarkable star OF
1892, that it changes from star 10 q
nebula in n few months. In all this nc
question is raised in regard to tho in
tegrity of the record, nor whether in its
long journey any planet, sun, comet,
meteorite or nebuia has interfered to
modify or in any way corrupt the story
| it was commissioned TO tell.
What faith! But this is little more
than the shadow of an illustration, for
Herschel, the astronomer, thought ii
| probable that we can see nebulse from
which it has taken light 800, 900 years
to reach the earth, during which time
t1Ao AutefSteiltH uieuiuIu Nus Ueeu IaltI'
full in transmitting ut the rate Of more
than 100000 miles per minute the
impulse committed to it, notwithstand.
ing its path has been crossed and re.
crossed by other waves without number.
Pen cannot adequately describe the
transcendent properties of this wonder.
| full medium called the "luminiferous
ether" nor too highly exalt that faith
which enables one to implicitly believe
the truthfulness of the stories commit.
ted to him. One is led to exclaim with
the psalmist: 80 Lord, how manifold
are thy works. In wisdom thou has,
made them all. Science.