Washington sentinel., 1898-05-14
Double stars
BH Camille FIammayi0E. IN the Z" Bale
tin 1e Ia S0efste AStY0N0sHiqNs de
France"

So far there have been discov
cred about II5, 200 double ars, o.
which the orbits OF but twenty-five
have been calculated. The length
ofthese orbits varies greatly. One
Of fthem takes but a little more than
hve OF our years to complete its
sidereal revolution. From this the
orbits run up to nearly two centur-
les. There is in the constellation
Andromeda, however, a star visi-
BILE to the naked eve which the
smallest telescopes show to be
double. Seen through a powerful
instrument, il is found to be triple.
One OF these suns turns
around another in fiity-four years.
and these two turn about the third.
This last revolution it has as yet
been impossible to calculate but
if it proceeds at the same rate at
which it has gone on since I777,
when the third sun was observed
for the first time, the revolution
must extend to 600 centuriesl
1t would be mistake to classify
all double stars under one head and
to consider them as a separate class
of heavenly bodies. They are Of
various kinds. Some are two suns
of the same mass, the same light,
the same temperature, the same
relative age, as, for instance, the
star in Virgo, which has been de-
sCribed, and most OF the stars
whose orbit has been calculated.
Others show US an enormous sun,
around which gravitates a much
smaller star, as, for instance, Sir
ius. In other cases we have a sun
with an obscure star, the existence
of which is known only by it's eclip-
sing its companion, thus making
the latter variable star.
One of the most remarkable
characteristics Of the double stars
is the admirable colors which a
number of them disclose through
the telescope. 1t is next to impos-
sible to give any idea of the beauty
of these colors by any process Of
painting. To do that you would
have to dip your brush in the rain
bow and have for convas the cell
estial azure itself. 1t is to be re-
marked that the stars whose orbits
are smallest do not present the
same fine Complementary colors as
those whose orbits are longer. In
general, both Of the stars OF those
which make the most rapid revo.
luton are yellow. Astronomers
have inferred that in the systems
with pale and analogous colors,
the masses are the strongest.
These have, as a general thing, a
light OF the same order as that OF
our sun, In the star in Andro-
media to which allusion has been
made as being resolved by the
most powerful telescopes into three
stars, one OF these is orange, an
other green, while the third is blue.
What a splendid Jewel in the cell
eStial universe, an orange, emerald
and sapphire diamond! Another
very beautiful colored double star
is in the constellation CYgnus or
the Swan, star which the small
est instruments show to be double.
The colors here are golden yell
low a1d lucid sapphire.
II the worlds of Mars. Venus,
Jupiter, or Saturn differ so consid-
erablY from the world we inhabit,
although they are enlightened and
fertilized by the same sun, how
much more must these distant
worlds in the depths OF the sky
differ from anything with which
we are acquainted In ErePard to
these we can repeat, with even
more truth than in any other case,
the words Of Shakespeare:
There are more things in heaven and
earth, HoratIo,
Than are dreamed ofin your philosophy.
--a~D~-
SPANISH PRIDE.-Spanish pride
is proverbial. An incident in the
life of Lord Cochrane, the Earl of
Dudenald, is illustrative, says an
English paper. Lord Cochrane,
in command OF a little brig, the
Speedy, in broad daylight, cap
tured the Spanish frigate, the
Gamo. The Speedy carried a crew
of fifty men and threw a broadside
OF % pounds OF metal; the Gamo a
crew OF 800 men and a broadside
of over 100 pounds. The Speedy
had previously, through a ruse,
escaped from large Spanish ship
in the night, and some of her off.
GERS rather criticised the action OF
her captain on the occasion-in
that he did not make an effort
to capture the Spaniard. This |
made Cochrane mad. So when
the enemy came up he hove to, as
il about to surrender. Suddenly a
puff OF wind carried him alongside.
He grappled and boarded. The
Speedy lay so low her opponents
were unable to depress their guns
sufficient to hit her, while the
made every shot tell.
The boarders, after stout opposi-
tion, carried the enemy. When
the action was over the Spanish
requested some certificate
from Dudenald as to the way in
which he had fought the ship. He
received one: "This is 10 certify
that Captain, of the Spanish
frigate Gamo. fought his issue like
a true Spaniard" The defeated
gentleman was greatly pleased.and
so was the nation, Tor on returning
home he was Immediately given
another and more important COM