Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-11-08
THE WONDERFUL CENTURY.
SOME OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE
HUNDRED YEARS NOW CLOSING.

Alfred Russell Wallace, author Of
"DAr winlsm," In bis latest book, "Ihe
Wonderful Century" thus summarizes
the achievements OF the nineteenth cent
ury and compares them with what has
gone before: Taking hrst those inven-
tions and practical applications OF science
which are perfectly new departures, and
which have also 20 rapidly developed -
to have profoundly affected many Of our
habits, and even our thoughts and our
language, We find them TO be thirteen 10
number:
/. Railways, which have revolutiouiz-
ed land travel and the distribution Of
commodities.
2. Steam navigation, which has done
the same thing for ocean travel, and has
besides led TO the entire reconstruction
OF the nsvies Of the world.
8. Electric telegraphs, which have
produced 40 even greater revolution In
the communication Of thought.
4. The telephone, which transmits,
or rather reproduces, the voice Of the
speaker at distance.
8. Friction matches, which have revo-
lutionixed the modes Of obtaining hre.
6. Gas lighting, which enormously
improved outdoor and other illumina-
ton.
I. Electric lighting, another advance,
now threatening 70 supersede gas.
8. Photography, an art which ID to
the external forms Of nature what print
Ing Is to thought.
3. The photograph which preserves
and reproduces sounds ~ photography
preserves and reproduces forms.
10. The Roentgen rays, which render
many opaque objects transparent and
open up new world to photography.
IL. Spectrum analysis, which 90 great
" extends our kno Wedge Of the universe
that BY Its assistance We are able TO
ascertain the relative heat and chemical
constitution Of the stars, and ascertain
the existence and measure the rate OF
motion Of stellar bodies which are entire
ly invisible.
Il. The use OF anasthetics, rendering
the most severe surgical operations pain
less.
l3. The use Of antiseptics In surgical
opera.ions, which has still further ex-
tended the means OF saving life.
Now, II We ask what Inventions CON-
parable with these were made during the
previous (elghteenth) century; 1t seems
st first doubtful whether there were any
But We may perhaps admit the develop.
ment Of the steam engine from the rude
but still useful machine OF Newcomer
to the powerful and economical engines
Of Boulton and Watt. The principle,
however, Was known long before, and
had been practically applied In the pre-
vious century by the Marquis OF wor-
cester and by Ssvery; and the improve
ments by Watt, though very Important,
had very limited result. The engines
made were almost wholly used In pump.
Ing the water out Of deep mines, and the
bulk Of the population knew no more oi
them, or derived any more direct bene.
fit from them, than II they had not ex'
isted.
10 the seventeenth century, the one
great and far-reaching invention was
that Of the telescope, which, In its im.
mediate results OF extending our kn0wl-
edge Of the universe and giving posi-
biiities Of future knowledge not yet ex'
hsusted, may rank with spectrum analy.
sis 10 our own era. The barometer and
thermometer are minor discoveries. In
the sixteenth century we have no lnven-
ton Of the frst rank, but In the fifteenth
we have printing. The mariners com.
pass Was invented early in the fourteenth
century, and Vas Of great importance In
rendering ocean navigation possible and
thus facilitating the discovery oi
America. Then, backward 70 the dawn
Of history, or rather TO prehistoric times,
We have the two great engines OF Arabic
numerals, leading TO arithmetic and
algebra, and, more remote still, the In
vention Of alphabetical writing.
Summing these up, We And only hvs
inventions Of the 6rst rank 10 all pre-
ceding time-the telescope, the printing
press, the mariners compass, Arabic
numerals, and alphabetical writing, e
which we may add the steam engine and
the barometer, making seven In all, u
against thirteen In our single century.
Coming now TO the theoretical dis
coveries Of our time, which have extend
ed our knowledge or wideDed our con
ceptions Of the universe, We found them
to be about equal In number, ~ follows
The determination Of the mechanl
cal equivalent Of heat, leading to thu
great principle Of the conversation o.
energy.
2Crhe molecular theory Of gases.
&The mode Of direct measurement o!
the velocity Of light, and the experiment
sl proof Of the earth's rotation. Thes'
are put together, because hardly SUN
cient alone.
4The discovery Of the function o.
dust In nature.