Smyrna times., 1894-02-07
THE lNTERSTELLAR MEDIUM.
Even Scientists Pen Cannot Adeouate
Describe Its Transcendent Properties.

Describe Its TranScendent Properties.
That space is 1T void is conceded.
That it is filled V medium capabIe
of transmitting light and heat is not
questioned. This medium is believed
to be uniform III density and elasticity.
but the exact nature of It's constitution
is unknown. Some believe it to he
molecular, like gas, while others oues-
tlon II its structure has been correctly
defined. 1t 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 at the rate of sc. 300
miles per second, there being, as mean
value, within the spectrum about so. 600
waves In an inch, or more than 60. 600.
200, 900, 600, 900 in the distance nassed
over in one second.
When 1t Is considered that waves are
transmitted through this medium in
all conceivable directions with the same
velocity, some faint conception NAV he
mad OF It's intense activity. The COM
pIlclty OF the waves is transcendent, for
each shade of light has its own wave
length, there being about Sc. 600 waves
to the inch in red light and more than
"a, 600 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 a sensibly constant velocity.
When 1t is considered that the count
less number of stars and suns, scattered
promiscuously throughout limitless
space, are producing such waves. radi-
at1ng from each in all possible direc-
t1ons, 1T 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 the 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 its
individuality-except that planets and
other solid bodies may destroy the waves
they Intercept.
A star ten or more years ago started
a wave which just now, we will sup
pose, arrives at the earth and writes its
own record on some sensitized plates.
though the star may be 5000, 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
1t; that the two revolve about each
other, and he determines their probable
orbit, masses and velOcities. Or perhaps
he finds, as in the remarkable star of
1892, that it changes from a star to a
nebula in few months In all this no
question is raised in regard to the in
tegrity of the record, nor whether in its
long journey any planet, sun, comet,
meteorlte or nebula has interfered to
modify or in any way corrupt the story
1t was commissioned to tell.
What faith! But this is little more
than the shadow of an illustration, for
Herschel, the astronomer, thought it
probable that we can see nebulB from
which it has taken light 300, 600 years
to reach the earth, during which time
the interstellar medium has been faith
full in transmitting at the rate of more
than IL, 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
ful 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 hast
made them all. Science.