El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-02-08

service Mr.. Walcott Is one Of the
leading American biologists and has
borne an important part in the devel-
Opment OF the natural resources Of the
United States.
Solving Heat Problems.
Perhaps the most interesting under
taxing in which the Smithsonian is
engaged today is the effort Of Prof.
Z. g Abbot, Of the astrophysical OBJ
seTTatOry, to solve the problems OF the
heat and light Of the sun. All life,
all being, everything with which hui
mainly is concerned, depends upon this
neat and this light Decrease the
amount of heat which comes from the
sun by few degrees and the world
would become a frozen sphere, en-
shHouded In impenetrable darkness.
Prof Abbot who succeeded DR..
Langley as director Of the observatory
aIter a series Of investigat tons de-
clared II probable that there were Ger
tain variations in the amount Of heat
received from the sun at different
times, and that these variations prob
ably lie at the bottom OF all weather
changes on earth So he set to work
10 study sunbeams. From that day to
this all manner OF traps have been
constructed in which to catch these
sunbeams and to compel them to add
their mite to the sum Of human knoWl-
edge about the great source of our
light and life. All sorts OF remark
able instruments have been made to
study the sunbeams, and to measure
their relative intensity. One OF these
Is known as the bOiOmeter. a device
OF Prof Langley. His earlier instru-
ments would record a difference Of
temperature as minute as a hundred
thouSandth part of a degree. Later
It's sensitiveness was so increased that
II was able to record a change as min
ute as the millionth part Of a degree.
This has been increased still further
from time to time. until now the bolo-
meters OF the astrophysical observa-
tory are able to detect changes in
temperature even down to the hum
dred-milliOnth part of one degree.
How much more sensitive this is than
the human body IS disclosed BY the
fact that few men are able to guess
the temperature within 5 degrees.
The BOIOmeter's Manufacture.
The manner in which the boIometer
Is used and constructed is most in
teresting. It is operated upon the
principle that a wire will carry less
electricity when warm than when cold.
Therefore, the end sought is to con-
centrate the light or heat waves Upon
a wire and register the change Of the
amount Of electricity passing through
IT, The light and heat from the sun
is received first by a plain mirror.
which throws the beams OF light into
another mirror, cOncave in shape. This !
In turn concentrates the beam which /
has meanwhile passed through a great 1
prism OF rock salt as clear as glass
onto a platinum thread smaller than /
q SPIDERS fllament through which 4 4
current OF electricity IS kept passing (
The prism serves to snalyze the bea5o ]
into its different component colors
Then the bOlOmeter. placed sncces- !
sively In these different colors. meas 1
Ires their tempera lures. The cr1rraDt /
Is measured by a galvanometer or If I
tie balance made Of thread Of s1ry, I
glass five inches long and as fine as I
a human hair. This IS fastened to q I
support by suspending It on a thread I
or spun quart two feet long and a I
five-thousandth part of an inch in die /
meter In the exact middle OF the /
spun glass beam is fastened q mirror I
as small as a pinhead. so perfectIv 1
c1ade that every point Of the mirrors /
side viii touch when placed on a si,-
foot globe. The mirror weigbs no 4
more than the hind leg Of a Nv.
Most Delicate Work.
With this instrument a change in I
heat no greater than that given OFF nv /
candle 1lEe miles away is easily rec 4
)gnized- By the use of a sDectrOsrona &
In connection with the bolometer a. 4
rector Abbot is able to study the bea+ /
Of the invisible rays Of light known 4
as the mira red and the ultra-yio1et !
The astrophysical observatory r,1oIT.- {
Use Of pyrheliometers and otbe-
-remely sensitive instruments in fts ~ Z
designations II has constructed a /
pyrheiiometer which viii be (
recognized as such by all of the in
-estigating agencies Of the world II
a station on the summit Of
Mount Wilson, Cal, 5000 feet abova
the sea level, does occasional worl-
upon the summit Of Mount Wbifne-
1880 feet above sea level. and az
near sea level
The work which has been done dur
NJ the past two or three wears v,-ffI - F
worked out, and that in the vearS 70
,ome mankind will be able to forecast
he weather with far greater acc1r-
ICY. How important this mastery Of
weather conditions would be ca1 nj
pc appreciated at first blush The
armer would never need to plant
.rop and have II overtaken BY a de-
tructive drOuth- Knowing What the
easOn would be in advance. he wouid +
ow crops requiring little moisture in
Try seasons. and those requiring a
;reat deal OF II In wet seasons The
ailroads could make their business
conform to future weather conditions. /