New Britain herald., 1928-03-17
SUN COOL, SOLID
 ANCIENT BELIEF
Probably Inhabited, Take It From "Cabinet of Wonders"

The sun is q solid body as cool IS
 the earth and is probably inha bited.
 according to the Cabinet Of Won
 ders.' q pocket manual of science published some hundred years ago. A copy Of this little brochure is owned by Peter McCraun of this city and 1t contains many amusing and enllghtening articles on nature and sclentifc subjects. IL was printed in Ireland. and while there is no date Of publication mentioned, the line cngravings used for illustrations and the subject matter stamp il as a product of perhaps the middle 18th century. Many of the statements made are surprisingly modern and show advanced Knowledge, but o-h- CTS, like the one mentioned above are Enthusiastically an,iQuatcd in the present age.
 The sun, according ,o tho now dis proved statement in the book. is solid and opaque and is surrounded by q luminous atnospher. which gives off light. This light becomes hot in passing from the sun to the earth. says the book. and inc sun is probably cool and inhabited.
 The lifehoat is cited as 6 new and admirable invention. II is said that in no instance has one failed 10 take ships crew safely to land. The :lnlbre Of human voices is said 10 be ,t, fp1t q 1,., tl lt,.S that Greek and Italy produced more pleasing voices than the British Isles for the reason that the vocal organs are not so constricted there.
 The positive prevention of thunder storms is claimed by one contributor. His plan calls for the sending alott of small silk balloons filled with hydrogen sulphidc and linking them to the earth in the manner of light ming rods. Within q circle of these, tho inventor claims. there would be no thunderstorms IS the light ming would be drawn down in streams. The prevention ot rain hail. and dew are also claimed for the balloon ring.
 Light Is q suCcc sslon Of eXC"ed- ing small particles of matter issuing from q luminous body the hook says. This corpuscular theory has long since been abandoned in favor O! the wave theory, and the positive backing of the discarded idea is one of the quaintiy d-fashioned fea- turcs of the book.
 4 remarka ble statement is made under the heading of 'Influence of Air and Exercise on Health It is said that an English runner raced 1"O wards in II seconds. This record might bear checking Up by the A. <. |.
 The blue color Of air. now consid- cred to be due to moisture or 10 ice crystals in the upper regions, is said to be caused by the lack of reflection of light from the more rarefied strata high above the earth. This poorly reelected light consists only of blue rays. 1t is stated.
 The ancient fear of admitting night air to bedrooms by the simple process of opening the windows is evidenced by an argument for chim- rcy ventilators in sleeping rooms. The heavy landings and low ceilings of bedrooms are said to make them particularly unhealthy and the cause of early consumption, Let mother 20 from the pure air into her chil- dren's bedrooms in the morning be- :, fore 8 door or window has been opened s," says the cabinet | old superstition regarding | the unsalubrious character of night !! air.
 The frontispiece to the book Is an of the foot tunnel under the Thames river, considered the en- cipoerjp.r mai arye1 of the age