The morning times., 1897-03-07

est Scale-an lm1lie nSe CoSlIl1C dynamo,
driven by that all-peIvading mysterious
force called gravitation? Can it lie that
its light and heat generated by the tie
mendous stress eXerted by the planets
IN their unceasing revolution around the
central orb?
1t is an astounding proposition, and
10 one, in the present state OF scientific
knowledge, can assume to- demonstrate
it conclusively; yet it is no more in
credible than many other theories now
almost universally accepted, and there is
no5 a little reason for suspecting that
it is the true solution of a great cosmic
riddle.
That the source and maintenance of the
suns heat is an unsolved cosmc problem
is not to be denied. Here are the words OF
Prof. Charles A. Young, one of the hi CHEST
authorities upon this point. After vividly
describing the terrific heat which prevails
in our more than molten luminary, and the
almost inconccivable amount each instant
radiated into space, he says:
And now we come to questions like
these: How is such a heat maintained?
How long has it lasted already? How long
will it continue? Are there any signs OF
either increase or diniinution?-q questions to
which, in the present state OF science, only
somewhat vague and unsatisfactory replies
are possible. .''-("The SUM-" p. 269.)
The current theories are, indeed, unsat;s-
factory; some of them are even absurd.
One-and one that has been strenuously
advocated-is that the heat of the sun is
sustained by the concussion of ceaseless
rain Of meteoric stones upon its surface;
but thiSis improbable, Inadequate and gen
orally repud ated by scientists today.
On the whole, the most approved eXplana-
tionis S the shrinkage theory-that the suns s
heat is kept up by the collapse OF it's own
substance as it cools and contracts. This,
however, is little else than an ingenious
restatement OF the ancient idea that the
SUMS an inCandcscent mass which is grad
ually cooling o If and will ultimately be ex-
tinguished-the fundamental assumption be-
ing obscured by diverting the attention to
a variety of purely incidental phenomena.
Moreover, there is no actual evidence
that tine sun is shrinking, nor that it
| ever has, or ever Will, shrink or go out.
II is easy to say that the period OF
| fact remains that there is absolutely
no proof, and the assumption is gra-
| tuitous. All the indications of modern
| investigation are to the effect that force
| is indestructible and reciprocal-an ebb
| and flow of action and reaction. The
! proposition that the greater part of the
suns output of force-or, indeed, any
part OF its force-is lost in voids OF space
has Il strong antecedent improhability to
| overcome.
To some it may appear that geologic
history proves that the earth, at least,
has cooled very perceptibly; and if thC
earth, why not the sun? But all tina
is really proved by such evidence is tina
there have been secular alterations oI
heat and cold, the latter as remarka ble
as the former, with periods Of extensive
volcanic and seismic activity.
What, then. is the force-for in science
there is no such conception as something
arising out of nothing, any more than OF
! something becoming nothing-what is tht
! force adequate to account for theprodigiouS
hcat-energy manifested by the sun? Lei
me quote again from Prof. Young. Speak
ing of the attraction between the sun and
the earth, he says:
"If it were attempted to replace, b!
bonds Of steel the invisible gravitatioI
which holds the earth to the sun, We
should find the surprising result that /
would be necessary to cover the who'll
surface of tile earth with wires as large
as telegraph wires, and only half an incl
apart from each other, in order to get
! metallic connection that would stand tn
strain. This igament of wires would b
stretched almost to the breaking point
The attraction Of the sun for the cart
EXPRESSED in tons Of force mot tons o
mass, Of course) is 100000 millions c
millions Of tons t36 with seventeen Ciphersl
| and similar stresses act through the ap
parently empty space in all directions be
tween all the different pairs of bodies i
the universe" (''General Astronomy, 2
267)
Here is force enough, surely. And a
the earth and all the planetary systel
are constantly revolving around their con
mon center, it is a continually shiftin
strain-just such stress as is calculated
give rise to molecular tension in shOr
to electrical action.
That the sun is actually the scene {
tremendous electrical disturbance does nc
are conceded to be electrical storms {
incredible violence, and Of such magnitud
that the earth might be swallowed up
one OF them, like a drop Of rain. Tha
is not all. It is also conceded that thes
solar tornadoes react upon the EARTH 81
casioning extensive electrical disturban2,
here. For let it be rcmembered-an'i t.
factiS extremely suggestive that the cart
itself is an electro magnet Of great powc
with currents Of electricity continually ci
culating around it, much like those wh:c
pass through a coil of wire. The dirccviIl
power of the compass all over the worl
| is due to this.
No reference is intended to mere loc;
| phenomena, such as thunder storms. Bi
. the brilliant and beautiful displays OF tf
| aurora borealis tmore correctly aurol
polaris), which are almost continuous
! certain ATTITUDES, exhibit simultaneou
. fluctuations OF intensity in the Northel
and Southern Hemspheres, again shown
that the earth has all the characteristic
of n vast electro-magnet.
The earth, then, unquestionably, is 9
immense magnet travelling about the su
= and both bodies are highly electrified
very suggestive facts. to say the lea
And, of course, what is true of the ear1
in this matter may safely be assumed
Q true of all the other planetsin their degrt
e That the force of gravity can in vario
> ways be converted into electrical energ
e is a fact as familiar as that electrci
II can be converted into heat and ligl
: 1t is, perhaps, not quite so Wen knoN
that the law of electrical and grayitation
energy is the same; that both vary
-. u. 4, L. .. ,...,,., ro "a e ti,. .iiStnnn