The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-10-31
Why The SKY is BLUE.
INVESTIGATION OF PROF. T. j.
j. SEE, OF THE NAVY.

scientists at Last Solve the Mystery,
ana learn That the Atmosphere Is
Deeper Than Has Been Supposed.
Everyone notices the blue color of the
sky. 1t has grown familiar to all by
daily observations from childhood. yet
few persons realize the great scientific
and artistic interest attaching to this
beautiful color.
Sir Issac Newton tried to explain the
color in the year 1915 by referring it to
the blue colors seen in the soap bubbles
used in his experiments. He thought
the air was filed with particles of water
which reflects the blue portions of the
suns light falling upon our earth and
thus produce the blue tints of the
armament.
Sir John Herschel explained the color
of the sky by Newton's theory, but later
writer's have proved that in some imz
portant respects his theory was wrong.
In 1S49 Professor John Tyndall, the
famous British physicist. found that he
could produce "sky blue by expert
ments in the laboratory. For this pur-
pose he filed a glass tube about yard
long and three inches in diameter, with
air of one-tenth the ordinary density
mixed with nitrite of butyl vapor,
; which Is extremely volatile. Then, on
passing through the mixture power
full beam of electric light in room
otherwise dark, the mixture pre-
cipitated a beautiful blue cloud,
which in color rivaled the finest
Italian sky. Further experiments
proved to Tyndall that he had at last
discovered the secret of the blue color
of the sky which had puzzled the
greatest philosophers of all ages.
Lord Rayleigh, the famous professor
of experimental physics at Cam
bridge, England, and one Of King Ed
wards original twelve members of the
new Order of Merit, has investigated
Tyndalls theory of the color of the sky
by profound mathematical researches
extending over many years. He con-
Arms Tyndall's theory that the blue
arises from the reflection of sunlight
from small particles in the air less than
one-hundred thousandth of an inch in
diameter
These atomic particles fill the atmos-
phere, and by rejecting. the blue part of
the SUMS light, give the dome of the
heavens a blush tint.
Some Of these particles are water, but
most Of them are composed of the oxy-
gen and nitrogan of the air.
Professor T. ]. j. See of the United
States navy is one of the American
scientists who has studied the subject
{v, IA ho
the color of the sky In various alti-
tudes. In high mountains and in dry
and moist countries, such as Egypt and
Greece and Arizona and the Mississippi
valley. His conclusion Is that the
beautiful red colors of sunsets and sun
rises SO much spoken of by Greek and
Roman writer's and so often illustrated
in landscape painting arise from water
vapor in the lower regions of the atmo-
sphere. absorbing the blue of the earth's
surface, while the deep blue of the sky
arises from reflections of minute par
ticles in the higher parts of our atmos-
nhere.
The water vapor does not extend very
high. clouds never rising higher than
ten miles above the earth. The blue
streaks cast by clouds at sunset show
that the red arises near the earth, while
the blue has its seat very high up
Above the atmosphere the sky has all
the blackness Of the darkest night.
Professor See has watched the dura-
ton of the blue sky after dark, and
found it to continue for about an hour
and fifteen minutes and from this he
shows that the atmosphere extends to a
fSea rt,% Je A
have usually found the height Of the
atmosphere by computing the height of
meteors. but none ever made the height
OF the atmosphere over 100 miles.
The study of the blue color of the sky
thus proves also that our atmosphere
extends considerably higher than
scientists have heretofore supposed.
On dark days the blue color of the sky
is shut out by clouds and combinations
of eolors due to rejecting clouds and
countless myriads of particles in the
ethereal regions high above the earth
give the bright light which is so much
relished in daily life. The nature OF
the blue sky so much admired by all
mankind since the days of Homer and
Job, now fully explained by modern
science still preserves its ancient
beauty, and will inspire mans mind
through coming ages.-Brooklyn Eagle.
NEW HAVEN WEST CONFERENCE.
The following churches were repre-
scented at the annual meeting of the
New Haven West conference of Com
gregational churches held this week in
Plymouth church, Milford. The United,
Center, Davenport, Dwight Place,
Howard avenue and Church of the Re-
deenler Of New Haven, also the colored
congregational church of this city.
Besides these there were representa-
tions from the churches in Westville,
Cheshire, Guilford, West Haven, Or
ange, Woodbridge, Ansonia and the