The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, June 12, 1904, Page 15

~ WAGNERI/'TIC - /' TAGE - By dJerome K. oJerome THE FDORE'S JIER. ening to a orchestras tunes at the same time. sald, there are times r es me along W 1 exult in tk sh and his conterding ha there are those ¢ r-din- ner mo. ] something distinct] Still, there are grand cpera besides Wag with the late Herr W far as musj supply us with But it was that grand opera c© acting, and the great m singers they but the acting never yet never succee w TURNING HIS BACK VPOV HELRR , COPTES DOWIV IO THE; FOOTLIGHLE AND I2ZLS IYIE FTVDIENTCEF, HOW SE | 2 What Is Radi@ Activity? HE world’s foremost searchers sate secrets of the verse are at present devot- s to the studies of newly discovered element, in this re- is growing day by day, circles, as the a2 observed at the investiga- in contradiction of epted ldeas about gy, but also seem to some e fundamental laws of e as hitherto formulated. stigations, according authorities ject, were exceed- 4 exhaustive, having and controlled with and the results competent investi- e the same in hat any pos- s simply out of bout the therefore, rer hand, e interest to ed are, shed fact ually by produce ) glve off us guanti- established estab velocity, of scientific logiec, ‘matter” is inconce * is not possible with- ¥ which is moved. But r hand it is found that ra- s its rays without chemical , combustion or virtu- hange whatever, so that no Joss of weight takes place or if such should really be he loss consists only in an in- quantity and in miuions lions of years (Lord Kelvin, f r Becquerel, etc.), which is in proportion whatever to the “enor- ne mous quantities” of force and heat proceeding from the metal, whereby no jess than 7,200,000 electrons per minute into spac® from a very force are projec gn.all surface Since, however, atter can neither be created nor se estab facts about radiction f ener- hout appa welght which is I To attempt an explanation to solve the r article. It goes without saying, as we b remarked before, at force manifest itself without substratum of matter, Contact {s the “si jua of effect and con ace be- A solid 1, is set a sec- g against the first ball force” with ‘“‘solid’ matter as substratum. A : turned by water riotion by Y force” witl fluid” matter as sub- stratum. In stagnant water the wheel for no manifestation of le without motion. A s driven by ‘“steam- seous” matter as sub- Without motion, without the new steam, no is con- does not tur! stratum. continuous supply of manifestation of steamforce cetvable. So far everything is clear and fully agrees with our modern ideas because there is no difficulty for us to experiment with matter in these three states to investigate the effects physically and to establish; sclemtifi- cally the causes producing these ef- fects. 3ut when it comes to radium, to Roentgen rays and radiant matter gen- erally, we have to confess our in- ability to give a satisfactory explana- tion of a number of phenomena and manifestations of such forces, of which so-called “electrons” or matter in the “fourth state” (Faraday, Crookes) forms the materiai sub- stratum. For neither our physical senses nor our instruments nor meth- ods are adequate for the investigation of the “invisible” and the “imponder- able.” Tt is true we have invented a name for this subtle substance in the fourth state of matter “ether”; but of its nature we have not the faintest idea. Professor Haeckel in his “un- solved” World riddles (Weltraetsel) describes this ether as ‘“formless jelly”; but this is, in the opinion of a number of competent authorities, not only an arbitary assumption bu it does not in the least suffice to give an explanation of even the simplest phe- nomena. As there are fhnumersble kinds of solid bodies, 80 thire are numberless varisties of flul and gaseous sub- stances. This we can see with our eyes or we can prove it. But likewise there are a great number of different kinds of according to the opir sur modern varieties of subtle par- r or of matter in the , underlying as substratum kinds and modifications “ligh ¢ “‘elec- “magnetism,” Modern general declare all these erent vibrations or differ- of motion” of one and the same ether. other authorities do not indor: s theory. For vibra- tions or “undulatory motion” of ether her is inconceivable without a vacuum somewhere. It is, however, a scientific axiom that there is no vacuum in epace which is pervaded by the universal ether and, therefore, no undulatory motion of er is possible in this its own me- dium. On the strength of these arguments the undulatory theory of light is re- jected as erroneous by many authori- ties, who hold that a subtle mind of ether particles are projected from the sun with the’known velocity, which, after traveling through space filled with a still finer kind of ether, pene- trating the much denser medium of terrestrial air reach our earth, to form the different modifications of solar en- ergy—light, heat, magnetism, electrio- ity, ete.,, whereby the material sub- stratum of solar energy 1is likewise modified, so that a special and differ- ent ether serves these different forces each as substratum. No valld objec- tion can be raised against this theory, all the less as modern science has al- ready recognized that there is a cer- tain kind of subtle ether, “elections,” underlying the Roentgen rays—a modi- fication of electricity—as substratum, and even electricity itgelf has been de- clared to be atomic, viz.: “matter” (Tesla, Lodge, L. Wright, etc.). Besides this, Professor Haeckel tells us: “The whole of the wonderful world of forms surrounding and animating our globe consists ultimately of con- densed sunlight” (Weltraetsel, page 247). But a planet of granite and iron cannot be formed solely of condensed “forms of motion”; it must be “mat- ter,” however fine originally, con- densed, as steam forms water and wa- ter ice. Modern science inclines more and mure to the opinion that the molecule SAN FRANCISCO SUNDAY CALL is a system in a state of intrinsic mo- tion, as a vortex ring, a constellation of atoms in orbital motion. On the basis of this assumption Professor Hertz of Bonn already years ago made certain experiments with a view to split the molecule by “resonance” (sound) vibration; but even with a million vibrations a sec- ond he failed. But another Investi- gator with proper appliances sug- ceeded to tear the molecule asunder with only 42,800 vibrations a second, and he established that every moecule of matter, be it solid, fluid, gaseous or etheric, etc., consisted of atomic triplets, which inside of their own special - surrounding atmosphere, their so-called ‘“dynasphere” of still finer matter, turned around each other, while revolving around a neutral cen- ter (the second constituent of the molecule revolving around the first, and the third around the first and second, so that their respective veloci- ties are as 1:2:3). Superficially the three constituents of a molecule of solid matter would themselves consist of atoms of fluild matter, the triplets of fluld matter would consist of gase- ous atoms and gaseous matter of etheric atoms, etc, up to the finest substance. The explanation of a phenomenon tends to reducing its genesis to its simplest beginnings and to its earliest forms. Modern science commences with an atom of solid matter, but solidity as postulated is no real fact at all in nature, In the sense in which it is ascribed to the atom, according to the foregoing and as we know it by oo s i N Lrammy,” wrasemses 700 NoyGrmseran ZIVIUsIZsST 7 127, TP Ol T 1S VO W 2T BRUNIATLILE (POTIVE 2 turning his back upoh her, comes down to the footlights and tells the audience how he adores her. When he bhas fin- ished, he, in his turn, retires inte the corner and she comes down and tells the audience that she is simply mad ebout him. Overcome with joy at find- ing she really cares for him, he comes down “right” and says that this is the happlest moment of his life; and she stands “left,” twelve feet away from him, and has the presentiment that all this sort of thing is much too good to last. They go off together backward. side by side. If there is any lo making, such as I understand by term, it is done “off.” This is not idea of acting. you are going to substi thing more na singing at don’t want a round your ing a man and same time, you don't around you defending hi want him to have a patience and to walit in his § till you have fin rather te the , you hate and despise him proper time com expect to tune. If you nded in battl row, and have g lad before you finally feeling bad abo that he would n The woman wh not encour: want h herse! anything that If a bloodthirst stalrs after you stand upright v out » good e s fronf that door, whi some length the push against that i and yell for a chest of draw bedstead. ngs like that, to pile up against If you were a king, and were gi & a party, you would not want your B up at the other end of leave you there, wit but your own their backs up and comy selves. You you would wan you were king. tle points have sts to fix you the room and obody to talk to e they turned and had a long 1 these lit- idered. In opera, eve cificed to musical seen the young, er e opera singer who thought th. or she Id act and sing at the same t The expe- rienced art stage and er resc only waiting till before attack the back cloth w goer indifferent It cannot be d lieve me. You Music Drama The object to be composer should be listening to his music, remainin leave the opera- Wagner, bstitute the rts combined. d at by the wise o make us, while forgetful of all B et Analysis by Robert Bloom | ines, as In such be noticeabla throughout the experience, “solidity” 1is not the rent of force necessarily c.nsist of projected In straight simplest but on the contrary the most three ray Modern science cannot a case their odor would complicated phase of material con- contradict this assertion, as it has been almost instantaneously stency. The denser the tter, the found that Roentgen rays, as well as room, which is not so. more constellation of atoms are radium ys, consist ingeed of three The process is analogous to the color- pressefl together in the molecule and the smaller are the circles described by the constellations, whereby, how- ever, neither their inherent force. mor the quantity of matter in the aggre- gate is decreased in the least. For matter and force are inseparable and therefbre all the force inherent in-ail the different conste ions of atoms, of which the molecule of solid matter consists, must be concentrated there and latent, which again conforms with experience, for where would the immense mount of energy come from which ped at the ex- plosion of gunpowder or dynamite, si force ¢ not.be created but only transformed, it had not been press- ed into the molecule during its forma- tion and been held there? It is true, there is a theorem according to which energy is dissipated in the proportion in which ‘matter is concentrated, “Evolution is an integration of matter and concomitant dissipation of mo- tion (Synthetic Philosophy; first prin- ciples. H. Spencer): But this theorem would have to ba modified, for “force” can not be separated from its sub- stratum ‘“‘matter,” and it gets stored up in the molegule as the atoms of subtle ether grotp themselves to form denser matter. An atom of oxygen and the two atoms of hydrogen form- ing together an atom of water retain their respective latent force and prop- erties, no matter how often we may decompose the water into these con- stituents. As there are innumerable different states or grades of solid, fluld, gaseous, etc., bodles, so are the possibilities in- finite of different combinations of ag- gregates of atomic constellations., The results which we get in calculating the number of atomic minima constituting the molecule of different kinds of mat- ter and of the respective velocities of those atoms are inconceivable,'it is true, but our incapacity to comprehend a thing is no proof of its impossibility. As every molecule of matter consists of atomic triplets, so must every cur- distinet and different rays of enersy (Professor Crookes, etc.). (One of these rays is propelling and positive, the sec- ond is negative, enveloping and en- cireling the first one, while the third encircles both the others and keeps them, so to speak, in equilibrium. Their respective velocities-are as 1-2-3.) The finer the substance, the _reater the force, or its inherent velocity. It is clear that the finest and most rapid of the substances filling the uni- verse penetrates the easiest and quasi unimpeded the demser matter, while the atoms of the more substantial ethers have to force their way through the interstices of the molecules and their dynaspheres in spiral waves, 0s- ciilating temporarily with the atoms of the molecule of denser matter, part- Iy changing their velocities and thus determining the properties of such matter: chemical, thermal, electrical, etc. This, as well as the fact that the atom of even the finest substance is composed of atomic triplets, each of which consists again of triplets, etc., ad Infinitum, tengs to show that matter is Infinitely divisible, as many learned men of past centurles have contended (Schoppenhauer, Male- branche, et alif) and as several intul- tive authorities of our present day (Professor Crookes, Lodge, etc.) are forced to recognize {n consequence of the facts disclosed by radio-actlvity. The kinetic gas theory, according to which the gas particles shoot through space In straight lines and in wild confusion, rebounding from confining walls without diminution of velocity or force, is contradictory of =il sclentific experience. If a small quantity of powder 1s burned in a room, it takes considerable time before the gases de- veloped by the explosion have spread through the whole room; for, accord- ing to what has been said so far, the gases have to force themselves in spiral waves through the interstices of the molecules of the air, with which they oscillate sympathetically for a time; but never are these gas particles ing of water in a glass, for instance, by a drop of red ink, whick takes place gradually in a similar way. Ofl and water do not vibrate harmeniously, therefore they do not mix, ete. All the assertions made here are but the logical deductions following the theories and opinions of the different authorities of every age, which are in accordance with the experiences and observations of exact sclence. 4 Radio activity, according to the fore- going, would then be but a modification of selar energy, which, Including its accompanying substratym of subtle substance in the form of ether or mat- ter in the fourth state, penetrates ter- restial bodies, whereby this energy, this form of motion, is changed, accord- ing to existing conditions, inte light, heat, electricity, etc. At the same time, g§s is but natural, its material sub- stratum, the ether, is likewise trans- formed. And as the visible solar rays passing through a prism without af- fecting the latter in the least, reappear as differently colored rays of light with different properties, so the:invisfble rays of energy, when they pass through radium, suffer a modification without changing the radium itself and lssue forth as visible rays and electrons, showing different properties. These modified rays, as they pass through other bodles near by, oscillate for a time with the atomio minima of those bodies whereby thetr molecular vibrations are changed and the differ- ent unexplained effects and phenomena are produced of temporary fluores- cence, of temporary coloring glass— blue, brown, green, according to its constitution, ete. And in order to follow up these ar- guments to their 1 mate ultimate conclusions we might consider the sun itself as a center d focus, on which the rays of energy of still higher and invisible centers are cdncentrated and modified, arpearing om our sum as luminous rays and penetrating from there our planetary system as rays of life-electricity. Verbum sat sapiefiti,