The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-12-24
THE lNTERsTELLAR MEDIUM.
Even u Scientist's Pen Cannot Adequately
Describe Its Trnnscendent Properties.

Even Scientists Pen Cannot Adequately
Describe Its Trnnscendent Properties.
That space is not void is conceded.
That it is filled with medium capable
OF transmitting light and heat is not
questioned. This medium is believed
to DO uniform in density and elasticity,
but the exact nature of Its constitution
is unknown. Some believe it to bo
molecular. like gas, while others Ques-
ton If its structure has been correctly
defined. 1t makes no direct impression
upon tho senses and is known only
through effects produced, and yet. what
ever he its nature. it is known TO trans
mt wave of light ut the rate OF sc, 800
miles per second. there being, as mean
value, within the spectrum about SO, 600
waves i'll an inch, or more than 80, OOO,-
600, 600, 900, 000 i'll 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 nav be
had of its intense activity. The com
pllclty of the waves is transcendent. for
each shade of light has its own wave
length, there being about 80, 600 waves
to the inch in red light and more than
4,0OO III 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 sensibly 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-
lions, 1T would seem that if they did not
actually destroy each other they would
SO Interfere as to produce confusion
worse confoundcd, and the impressions
upon tho eye of an observer would be
valucless. But, on tho contrary, the
scientist believes that this medium truly
and faithfully transmits to the relnotcst
space every wave impaired to it, pre-
serving with the strictcst integrity its
individuality-except that planets and
other solid bodies may destroy the waves
they intercept.
n star ten or moro years ago started
wave which just now, we will sup
pose, arrives mt the earth and writes its
own record on some sensitized plates,
though the star may be G, 900, 900. OOO,-
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, AZ in the remarkable star of
1872, that 1T changes from IL star to
nebuia i'll few months. Inal this no
question is raised in regard to tho in
tegrity of the record, nor whether in its
long journey any planet, sun, comet,
meteorite or nebula has interfered to
modify or in any way corrupt the story
it was commissioned to tell.
What faith! But this is little more
than tho shadow of an illustration, for
Herschel, the astronomer, thought it
probable that we can see nebulfe from
which it has taken light 800, 900 years
to reach the earth, during which time
tho interstellar medium has been faith
full in transmitting at 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: 30 Lord, how manifold
are thy works. In wisdom thou hast
made them all. "-Science