The Eddy current., 1899-05-06
oLp sol nor A pALL or rlnr
Scientist says ~ Tavrishes Neat to the
narth by Eiccnic Currents.

OIn oC@ WI bRhl W FINE
Scientist says ~ Tavrishes Neat 20 the
narth ~ Eiechic Cufrenta.
From the Boston Transcript. Henry
Raymond Rogors NJ d.. Of Dunkirk,
n. Y. has evolved q new theory OF the
universe, which. II adopted generally,
will rov0lu,ionlzo Astronomical science,
or at least that part OF Il relating TO
the sun. From the days Of the star
gazers OF Palestine almost the popular
notion regarding this central ruler OF
our family OF planets has been that Il
"a n great whirllng globe OF molten
material IN n constant and perpetual
state Of combustion. Now comes the
maa from western New York with the
Information that this Idea Is false, and
that the conventional picture repre-
tentlng the sun with bright lines ra-
Hating IN ali directions into space,
thus implying that actual heat and
ight are produced within. and OF the
lody Itself, is an utter absurdlty.
This view Of the sun" he says. "ls
strangely inconsistent with and antag-
,nisllc TO certain well-known cosinicai
acts. Science teaches and demon
tratos 10 be true that the universal
'paco Is inconcolvably cold and utter
1arknesa. a burning. hre bnlr sun
'hus becomes an imposslbllity. m abb
uidity." Rather should the sun be
represented. this philosopher main
aims. rs a huge planet. like unto tho
'arth' only many times larger. perhaps
sven ~ for habltatlon. surrounded by
iarknoss and the stars, not on fire hut
tremendously electrical In its activl-
les; IN other words. vast celestial
iynamo producing currents OF eloc-
'ricity which pass invisible and free
through all the ninety millions OF
niles Of cold and darkness. until they
meet their resistance al the earth and
ts atmosphere. Such resistance Is an
hat is needed, In the mind OF this
wentleth century scientist, to develop
he Eo-called sun-heat and sunlight.
lust as light and heat are produced In
lie electric current by the resistance
1hered by carbon or other material.
Arc lights, such as stud our streets.
are IN effect the planets fed by the sun.
After exciting our atmosphere 10 these
and other activities, the electric sun
currents pass into the earth, awaken
Ing IN Il grayitatlon and other electric
nj effects. thence completing the circuit
by returning to the sun and arou ing
In II ldontcally the same functions as
on Us humble satellite. IL follows that
II the sun emlts neither light nor heat.
but simply electric currents which pro-
ducc these phenomena. lt can no longer
be said that the moon borrows from Il
its gentle enulgence. and the poet loses
subject for some OF his dalntlest con-
ceptions. What has been with him
heretofore a "ful-orbed glory" be-
comes simply n prosaic electrical ma
chine whose currents act on ut at-
mosphere AZ do those from the SUI. I,
though to n less degree on account o.
difference In power. Science. with It's
newly found facts and progressive tho
orles, has always been destructive OF
old imagery, but the old deluslons are
far less poetic after all than their sue
cessors when the poets minds have be
come roadiusted 20 them. But, says
the practical reader, "What shall we
say Of the suns dazzle. which Is 80 real
and so painful 20 the human eyer"
Simply an optical Illusion, answers the
new theory. Such dazzling bright
ness cannot be located at the sun;
neither Is Il found In the black OF in
hnlte space nor In our atmosphere;
therefore It can be found only In the
depths OF the eye OF the beholder-l. e.,
upon the retlna." So. too. there Is no
longer such a thing as a moonbeam;
that which seems such Is simply en-
Illusion and is no more real than the
existence OF actual spots upon the sur
face OF the sun! Dear. dearl