Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-07-13
a "SUN-sPOT" YEAR.
Is Usually Notable In the Earth for
manifestations for Great Electri-
cal Energy
NHI .IItIEN.
(lSOStOn AJNarti-n,.

tBoSton Advertser.)
~ is TO be beloved, from evidences
now 10 be seen in the sun, that Il pc
ROD OF great activity is in progress
there. and that the effects of his i'm
measurable force will he seen during
the next I'VE years in what is known
as sun spots" These sun spots are
supposed To be great solar volcanoes.
OF other disturbances OF the suns sur
lace In some visible way Tho sopts
can be seen easily by observers during
'he years up to 1905. when the maxi
mum VIII have been reached These
supposed cavities sometimes go TO n
width OF about 10000 miles. ana then
oreak up into two separate spots or
citNitieS. sometimes separating at tho
rate OF perhaps SEQ miles an hour.
ne energy sent out by the same
force that causes these sun spots must
he enormous. There are some reasons
Tor believing that before the spots
themselves make their appearance to
the sight. the energy Is at work and
is radiatcd from the sun to the planets
"t this system. At all events the sun
spot periods are usually notable OH
the earth for peculiar manifestations
OF electrical energy. The electric
storms that have been seen in New
England lately are due, I'm some de-
gree, TO the solar energy and the cleo
tricity sent to the earth as u result
Such. at least. is Il widely received
scientific theory.
1T may be that tho sun spots. or the
energy OF which they are merely the
result, work in some fashion that cam
not be so easily traced. During the
past three years. when the SUMS en-
ereies have hcen al work. strange
things have happened in the world.
Is it merely condolences? II so. It is
at least worth notice that condolences
OF this kind are not rare, II one takes
the trouble TO look up the story of the
civilized world In the few years pre-
ceding each period of outbreak of sun
spots, say. I'm the past SO years.
To trace back the periods, reckoning
eleven years as the cycle, the begin
nings of sun spot outbreaks would he
reckoned in 1889, 1873, 1867 and 1856. in
such count. These dates are not eX-
act measured In units of years. Still II
is surely worth some nUtice that be-
fore the period Of 1856 there came the
desperate outbreak OF the war in the
Crimea; that before the period of 1867
the United States was ravaScd by civil
war to an extent hardly ever recorded
in the history OF any other country.
and that the great tragedy of Lin
coins death had been recorded: that
preceding the sun spot period OF 1875
there came the narrowing experiences
of France. eliminating in the commu-
mist riots. and the Russian Turkish
HuI, tnal before 1851 came t-4c kOu-
menian revolution the NihiliSt out
break in Russia. and the war with the
Afghans. and that before 1900 came the
war with Spain, the jameson raid and
the consequent war between the Beers
and the British.
1t is also interesting to note how
financial movements of Importance
have accompanied the manifestation of
sun spots in the past century. Each
period has been accompanied by great
business boons. and the climax and
disappearance of the sun spots in close
proximity to a financial panic. except
in 1861. when the immense prcparn
tons for war in the United States
rather caused better business. Since
/ hat data HONEYMOON the years lSL2 lSSi
and 1895 were years of widespread
financial and industrial depression
This coincidence is also striking
enough to be noted. OF course such
condolences do not prove that the en-
erGy or the reaction in the suns energy
and the human energy on the earth
should have run in cycles SO closely
alike.