New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-10-06

FRESH AND AUTHORITATIVE STATE
MENT CONCERNING IT.

LIGHT THROWN ON MANY FAcTs-rHE CONSTR
TUITION AND NATURE OF MATTER
President Rucker the British Association for the
Advancement of Science.
The three chief conceptions which for many
years have dominated physical as distinct from bio
ence OF atoms, of the mechanical nature of heat
1t is Wen known that of late doubts have arisen
as to whether the atomic theory with which the
mechanical theory of heat is closely bound up and
the theory of the existence of an ether have
served their purpose and whether the time has not
sue is whefhsr the hypoheses Which are at the
base OF the scientific theories now most generally
accepted to be regarded accurate dcScrip
lions OF the constitution of the universe around us
tons be it observed for, even if they are ctions.
they are not useless
tuition of matter and the possibility of representing
it accurately We may grant at once that the uti-
known. but it does follow that immedia tely be-
low the complexities of the superficial phenomn m
a simpler machinery of the existence of which
sive There are those who cry "Halt!' at
the point at which divide gas into molecules,
and atoms cannot be directly perceived. cannot be
seen or handled, and are mere conceptions. which
have their but cannot be regarded as realities
1t Is easiest to reply to this objection by an Illus
The rings of Saturn appear to be continuous
masses separated by circular riffs This is the
ba,dI tbn rinps Vet avervbodv who understauds
the evidence now believes that they not what
they appear to be- but consist of minute mOonlets,
closely packed indeed but seuarate the one from
the other. In the first place, Maxwell proved math-
ematicaly that II Saturnan ring were con-
WORLD necessarily break into fragments. In the
place IL it possible for the ring TO re-
vOive like solid body. the inmoSt parts would
move slOwest. while satellite moves faster the
ton. based on the beautiful method of Sir W. Hug
gins shows not only that the inner portions of the
ring move the more RAPIDLY but that the actual
ve1ocites of the outer and the inner edges are In
close accord with the theoretical velOcies of satel
ltes az like distances from the planet. This and
hundred similar prove that II is possible 10
obtain convincing evidence Of the constitution of
bodies between whose separate parts we cannot d.
rectly distinguish
Matter i'm bulk appears be continuous. Such
substances as water or air appear to the ordinary
observer to be perfectly uniform in all their proper
cluson that these bodies really uniform is
nevertheless. unthinkable. In the first place, the
phenomena of diffusion afford conclusive proof that
matter when apparently quiesCent is in fact in a
uate the familiar evidence to that gases and
many liquids when placed in communication inter
penetrate difuSe into each other; or that air in
contact with surface of water. gradually becomes
gases In mingle with the water. Such phe
nonena not exhibited by liquids and gases
alone. by solids at high temperatures only.
If matter is regarded as continuous medium the
phenomena OF expansion are unfntelligible. There
is apparently limit to the expansion of matter
to fix our attention one kind of matter. let
us say 10 the expansion or gas; but IL is inCon-
ceivable that continuous material which fills is
present in every part of a space a million times
great. Such a statement might be made of
mathematical abstraction; il cannot be true of any
real substance or thing II. however. matter con-