Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-27

equivocally that "he would act on no con-
dItion but the dismission OF the Commits
sioners, or his being made Independent OF
them" The latter being impossible" says
Mr.. Jefferson in a letter TO MIR. Walker,
"and the former too arrogant to be an
swered. he was notified that his services
were at end"
So ended the connection of this brilliant
engineer with the federal city. The gen.
eral features of his plan were carried out
by other hands, but to him is due the
credit of originating Il. The American peo-
pie. and especially the people of WASH
ington, must always be grateful TO the
eccentric genius to whom they owe the
beauty of their capital Washington, after
L'Enfant's dismissal wrote the Commits
sioners; The plan of the city having met
universal applause. as far as my informal
ton goes. and Maj. L'Enfant having be-
come very discontinued person, IL was
thought that less than from s.. 500 TO 5000
would not be proper TO offer him for his
services. Instead OF this, suppose five hun
dred guineas, and a lot in a good part Of
the city were to be substituted? / think
II would be more pleasing and less expen-
sive An offer of this kind was made
but II seems that the indignant L'Enfant
completely ignored IT. He lived many wears
IN comparative poverty in the city his
genius had laid out, and died without re-
ceiving any reward for his services. There
mas been some talk of erecting a monument
TO his memory, and IL should be done But
as II took this country one hundred years TO
erect the Yorktown monument. and more
the gratitude OF the republic is slow. T.
No Oxygen in the SUNS Atmosphere.
From McClure's Magazine
Science has predicted that one day the
nres OF the sun will cool. As this cooling
process goes on, the temperature Of the en-
velope Of the body will be affected. This
latter contains. We know, great Quantities
Of hydrogen. If. at the same time. Il con-
tains oxygen. necessarily, when a certain
point has been reached in the reduction OF
the temperature. the two gases will unite
and form vapor. greater disaster to our
solar system than a screen of vapor about
the sun could not be imagined In this fog
the heat of the suns rays would be absorb
cd, and the death OF the planets from cold
greatly FASTENED.
NJ. Jansen resolved to find out II this lot
was awaiting the earth; if her futrue WAS
TO be cut short by a veil of yapor Thai is
he resolved TO find out the origin OF the
oxygen lines in the solar spectrum But
now could II be done? How separate the
certain action of the terrestrial atmosphere
atmosphere?
There was one evident method. II he
coulo reach the limit of the earth's atmos-
phere. and there examine the solar spec
rum, the question could be solved at once
III the spectrum there was free from oxygen
marks. why, then, those observed at the sur
~ ouc 70 absorption as the
passed through the earth's atmosphere
Not being allie to reach this limit NJ.
Jansen decided TO ascend as high as nos
slble above the earths surface for obserya-
ton. III he found that the lines grew paler.
or disappeared. and that the degree of the
oiminution in intensity and in number cor
responded to the difference in the quantity
OF oxygen in the earth's atmosphere al and
below the point of observation, then he
would be justified in concluding that in
reaching the limits OF the envelope (the
disappear from the spectrum and that con-
sequently, the atmosphere of the sun con-
tanned no oxygen.
IT was in October, 1855, that the first ex-
pertinent was made. The place chosen was
the station on the route to the summit OF
LIT. Blanc, called the Grands Mulets 1000
feet above sea level. The difficulty Of maxi
Ing this ascent so late in the season-the
refuge at the Grands Mulets was already
iosed. and quantities of snow had fallen
as great Tor any one but an experienced
Alpinist. But NJ. Jansen is not easily
bafiied. He called a company OF picked
guides. ana laid out campaign which re-
suited successfully, the party reaching the
station after thirteen hours of toll over a
read which in the season does not REQUIRE
more than four or FIVE
II the ascent had been severe. the reward
was more than a compensation The
weather proved TO be favorable, and NJ
Jansen succeeded in making a series of
the Academy of Science, THE lines and
bands of the spectrum due TO oxygen re-
suit exclusively from the earths atmos-
phere. The solar atmosphere has nothing
to do with the phenomenon. Ii is exclu-
sively telluric."