New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-04-24
Ounce of Light
Costs $50,0OO,0O0,
Scientist Shows
Revelation Is Made in Ex-
planning That Light Has
Weight to Members of
Philosophical Society

Somewhere between $50,000o00 and
$100,000,000 an ounce is being paid by
consumers in Philadelphia to the cleo
trio and gas corporation for illumina-
ton, according to DR.. Louis A. Bauer,
director of the department of terres
Of Washington.
DR.. Bauer made this statement be-
fore the American Philosophical So
ciety in Philadelphia. What he said
was not by any means revelation of
profiteering, but merely an illustration
of scientific sidelight to his discus
sion of the total solar eclipse of May
20, 1919, at Liberia.
Scientists throughout the world are
interested in these observations, be-
cause, according to DR.. Bauer, photo
graphs taken by English astronomers
tended to prove the famous Einstein
theory. One part of this theory is
that light bends; and this was shown
by two sets of photographs Of two
stars.
The lecturer started out to be ex-
tremely "high brow" but soon proved
that he has sense of humor. He
proved, also, that he can make a pun
when he pointed out that if one par
ticular theory relating to Saturn can
be proved it will kill two birds with
Einstein.
When the laughter from this had
subsidized the scientist produced a slide
showing himself in a wooden shack
making observations through one of
his scientific instruments. The shack
was located on a cement platform in
Liberia, from which the Carnegie party
worked
Photographs of Stars
DR.. Bauer explained that the place
WAS filled with similar concrete plat
forms, all put up by the hopeful Ger
mans before the war in the expecta-
ton of mounting guns on them when
the World War started. The British
navy took care of this plan.
Just over the edge of the platform,
ON this particular slide, protruded the
necks of three bottles, each bearing
labels strikingly similar to the output
of brewery in the damp days be-
fore January 16. All the thirty or
more scientists at the meeting spotted
the bottles first.
II see you have made discovery"
said DR.. Bauer. "Those bottles con-
tanned fiery stuff-kerosene, to be
exact.
"The kerosene was put into them
after the first contents had been taken
cut, and the bottles were placed there
by my native servant, Dam Phool. You
will observe that the said Dam Phool
failed to remove the bottles before the
photograph was taken"
The first photographs of the stars
trr - 1:-~L4
taken when the sun was totally
eclipsed, DR.. Bauer explained. Then
the distance between two stars, one
on each side of the sun, was meas
ured. Later, when the sun was not
near the stars, they were photo
graphed again.
Measurement of the second photo
graph showed the distance to be less
between the two stars than in the
first print. This, according to the
theory proved by the photographs, is
due to the fact that light is DETECTED
away from the sun.
Weight of Light
f. 1t was in explanation of this that
Dr.. Bauer made his comment on the
cost of light He declared that science
has proved that light has weight. Thus,
in effect, the greater light of the sun
loICeS Inc llgnC OF Lnc STARS away, so
that the image Of the star as seen
from the earth is not it's actual location.
The speaker also discussed other
phases of the Einstein theory, which is
all wound up with what astronomers
know as the doctrine of RELATIVELY.
"There may be hurricane blowing
through this ROOM" said DR.. Bauer.
"but it affects everything alike, and
therefore we do not feel it,
The scientist also declared that it
has been shown gravity is affected by
the centrifugal force created by the
spinning of the earth. Thus, if the
earth stopped spinning, everything
would be heavier, and if speeded up,
all matter would become lighter
DR.. Bauer's explanation of the Elm
stein theory was read from a pamphlet
written by another scientist. Appro-
pirate intervals we're allowed for each
sentence to sink in. Then when some
body murmured "A-ah," as though to
indicate it was all quite clear, the
scientist continued reading.-Philadel-
phia North American.