The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-21
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invisible heat die out on the scale of the in
strument, until he came to the apparent
end even OF the invisible, beyond which the
most prolonged researches of investigators
had shown nothing up to that time. There
he watched the indications grow fainter
and fainter until they too. ceased at the
point where the latest French investigators
had found, they deemed the very end
of the end. BY some happy thought he
pushed the indicators of this delicate in
strument into the regions still beyond. In
the still air of this lofty region the sun
beams passed unimpeded by the mists of
this lower earth, and the curve of heat,
which had fallen TO nothing, began to rise
again. There was something there, for he
found, suddenly and Unexpectedly, a new
spectrum of great extent, wholly unknown
to science. and whose presence was re-
vealed by the new instrument. the bolo-
meter.
Ii afterward proved that here was the
principal seat of the changes which affect
the climates and the crops and agriculture.
He had been working for nearly nfteen
years to map out this region. 1t was now
before them. Briefly speaking. they could
see by its extent on the map that II the WIS.,
ible spectrum, sometimes called the New
tonian spectrum, was represented by a
length of one foot, the new spectrum ex-
tended TO a length of nearly twenty feet
on the same scale, and through the greater
part of this immense extent the discoveries
had been added solely by the bolometer.
an instrument which is so sensitive to heat
and in such narrow portions that 1t might
.
what was light to the eye being heat to the
boometer; what was dark to the eye being
cold TO the bolometer: so that as this In
finitely delicate instrument passed down
beyond the spectrum which see into
that which IS invisible but none the less
exists cropping its way in the dark. wher-
cold but registered it is a separate black
line in spaces not a hundredth of an inch
apart; and in this way was mapped before
the academy more than seven hundred in
TOR her ha1
been laid down by Kirchhof and Bunsen
ir the visible spectrum.
ALL LIFE MAINTAINED BY SUN.
The instrument was as accurate as IL
was sensitive. The first observers like Sir
John Herschel. who succeeded his father III
the research, had only indicated two or
three OF these alterations of heat cold.
and indicated them with possible error of
half a degree SOL In this case the hun
Creds of lines which had been thus CROPPED
for had their places settled with a certain
ty corresponding to the precision of
Economical measurement of visible things,
the probable error of measurement OF each
one Of these being less than one second
Mr. Langley stated that in the brief time
he had to speak he could only al
Jude TO the most important feature of
these researches, which were not their
efficacy or precision. but the promise
they gave of future utility. Every form OF
life upon the earth, without exception, is
by the sun. So much is known,
but we are now coming by studies such rs
these to look forward TO some knowledge
of the way in which the sun maintains 1t,
which had hitherto been hidden from US.
Charts which had been drawn at the Smith
sonian ObSerVat tory and which were not
here shown had Indicated most distinctly
the spectrum's progressive change through
enring summer autumn and winter and
we are beginning to see how future changes
IN the character of the coming seasons and
in their effects upon the crops somewhat
similar TO those made day by DAY by the
reaching. might be made from the direct
study of the sun
Joseph. we are told. was able to predict
seven years of plenty and seven years or
fanoine We are still far. II is true, from
being able 70 do this. Mr. Langley said. but
II is not too much TO say that these more
recent studies strongly point In the direc-
ton of some coming power of prediction.
Mr. Langley referred. however, 10 the
fact that he was deserl'ihg the worK e.
to give IL In these last hours or the acad-
emv's meeting and could not enlarge upon
He had the honor to present to the acad-
.r,v a hook. the first volume OF the Annals
&c The Smithsonian Astro-Physical Observ-
otory- which would give in detail the facts
he had now no time to give and which ne
boned would show that the observatory
had fulfilled the intentions OF congress IN
aGsfract scientific interest. but gave
.ron,ise of rendering service TO agriculture
md other national concerns: and ne dis
,,sssed this long part Of the work or his life
with the hope that II. would ieaa IN com
'rg wears to great utilities and the protec-
.io,, Of coming harvests founded on rela-
sor. between the seasons. the crops and
heir great producer, the sun.