Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-12-27

sentence is revolutionary. 1t Is this
1.-THE study of the effects which occur
when a current of electricity passes
through gas at very low pressure has
recently led to results having a vey
direct bearing on our ideas of matter and
If our ideas In regard to these subjec;s
had undergone or were undergoing 10
change why this sentence q?
He goes on to show that the cathode
rays are composed of material particles,
which move in straight lines, like al
other light, and the conclusion of the
quotation made by the Free Press ending
as they give it with comma, is: "ani
the cathode rays, as we shall see, have
an extraordinary resemblance to the con
ditions postulated in that (Newton's.
theory for ray"
That is this quotation in full would
read:
"Altbough in consequence of the universal
acceptance of the undulato1y theory OF nght
a ray Is generally associated in the minus OF
physicists with an undulatory motlon In the
ether, this association is only accidental ana
there is no necessary connection between a
ray and undulatory motion; indeed nelson
uses the term in connection with his corpus
cular theory of light, and the cdthode TdyS, rs
tce shall see, hare an extraordinary resemblance
to the conditions postuidted IN that theory foF
rag ofHgM."
We print in italics the part OF this
paragraph which the Free Press omitted.
A most remarkable omission if the object
of the writer was truth; but not 50 if
it was to mislead his readers.
Prof. Thomson then goes to show that
cathode rays, like the ordinary rays OF
light, heat bodies on which they fall, may
be focused so as to raise piece of plat
mum foil to white heat, and even char
a diamond.
He also states that, 1.-THE rays when
thew strike an object tend to push IL
away, the object behaving just as il 1t
was struck by a stream of particles COM
ing from the cathode.
Another very remarkable thing re-
ferred to by Prof. Thomson is that these
RAYS affect the color of substances, and
this appears in such way as certainly
to Suggest that they have the power OF
imparting color; that is that they are the
color giving substances. 1t is indeed a
most beautiful thought that these IN
finitely small particles, which Prof
Thomson says are not over one one
thousandth of an atom of hydrogen IN
size, are the pigment or part OF the pig
ment that gives the beautiful colors OF
the universe, those which hover upon
the border of the clouds, or those which
nestle in the exqulsitely sweet bosom OF
rose. In His great universe, God GER
tainly has such pigment, or as many OF
them as may be wanted, and that they
are of the character of these particles is
now most highly probable.
Prof. Thomson says, "That some SUBJ
stances such as salt experience peculiar
change in color when exposed to these
rays; crystals of rock salt become a
pretty violet blue, looking almost like
what fugative if the crystals are exposed
to moist atmosphere. Some, however,
in my possession, which have been kept
dry, are still blue, although they are
now nearly four years .old".
Prof. Thomson dwells further upon
this color-producing quality and then
goes on to speak of another very i'm
portant property of these rays, that they
are affected by the action of magnet
so that their path, which is naturally in
straight lines, is curved, and bends up or
down, to one side or the other, according
to the direction of the magnetic force.
He saws further "that the cathode
Roentgen rays have many points of re-
semblance, they both affect a photo
graphic plate, all light does this, they
both cause substances against which
they strike to phosphoresce, and they
both make gas through which they pas
a conductor of electricity. The cathode
rays, too, as we shall see, have SOM
power of penetrating opaque solids
though this is small compared with tina
possessed by the Roentgen rays ;the essen
tial difference between the two rays ar
that the Roentgen rays are not affected
by magnet, nor by an electric force
nor do they carry with them charge o
electricity.
Mr.. Thomson states that physicist
until three or four years ago were yer.
much divided in opinion as to cathod
rays; the. German physicists, with yer.
few exceptions, holding that the
were waves of ether, but the Englisl
physicists almost unanimously regarde
them as particles Of gas projected wit
great velocity. In 1892 Hertz shove
! that solids were not absolutely imper
etrable by these rays. Lenerd made
tube which had in it small window O
very thin aluminium, and shooting tn
cathode rays against this window the
penetrated it so as to be Investigated o