Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-09-05
DIST ON sHrps ArsE4.
Mariners Hypothesis Which May Solve ,
Old Problem.

mariners hypothesis Which May Solve nj
| Old Problem.
New Orleans Times-Democrat.
Some time ago read short sketcl
in one OF the leading magazines of thu
country which dealt with one of th,
mysteries OF the sea- said an ole
mariner, land after l had finished it
was as much perplexed as ever. Th,
writer was dealing with the accumu
lation OF dust on vessels in mid ocean.
But few persons have been able tt
understand this curious phenomenon,
and there are really many persons who
refuse to believe that dust aocumulates
on vessels while they are Mt sea. Ii Is
a fact, nevertheless, aud il has caused
a deal Of wondeiinent among the Ole
mariners. The problem has been pretty
generally given up as one unsolved.
Scisntito men nave theorized about it,
and l observe that the theories of the
Gust coming from fret one place and
| then another have all met the samu
fate, and have finally been reasoned
out of existence.
There does not seem to he anything
particularly strange about the fact that
dust is found on the high seas. And
II dust may be found on these broad
why it should not settle on the various
craft that ply these waters. Fine par.
ticles of dust and other solid substances
are unquestionabiy found in the mists
of the sea. The atmosphere of the sea
ia unqusstionably laden with particles
OF considerable specific gravity. If this
were not true, part of the theory of
the evolutionist with reference to the
distribution of plant life by high winds
would fall, and Darwin and his col
laborators would he left with a Fart of
their theory considerably weakened.
But how is it that these dusty PARTICLES
are squeezed, as it were, out of the
wet mists of the sea? What causes
these PARTICLES to settle on ships that
ply the ocean? These questions present
no difficult problem from my way of
looking at the matter. In the first
place, these dusty particles found in
the atmosphere at sea have greater
specific gravity than other atomic
things about them, and are only kept
atoat in the air because of the strength
and activity of the sea winds, Now.
any resistance offered to the regular
course. and eten flow of the currents
in the air would tend to give these dust
particles a downward shove, if l may
say it, because they are heavier than
the air in which they float. This is
exactly what the vessel does, But il
does more than this, and brings another
force into play which tends to draw the
dust PARTICLES toward the vessel. The
movement of the ship brings an at
tractive force, oentripetal force il you
please, into play, and this fact tends To
gather in tho PARTICLES that are already
struggling to make their way toward
the centre of the earth. So here we
have two things, two forces working
apparently in perfect harmony, and
each having the same tendency so far
as the dust PARTICLES are concerned. /
believe this is the way it all hapEens
and while making no pretentions to
scientific knowledge, the theory seems
to me to be we'll grounded in reason.
1t may sound tritie curious TO talk
about squeezing dust out of water, but
this is exactly what happens. and the
squeezing is simply the work of natural
forces"