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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (July 31, 1914)
U I THE 8EMLWEEKLY TRIBUNE. NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA. color ia the Gbixter or rartk to Robert H.Moulton Lot 111 UEIU8 i a man in Chicago who can measure ono-flve-nillllonth of an Inch a distance amount ing to ono-flftloth of tho small est dlstanco revealed by n theoretically perfect mlcro scopo. Ho can rulo on a piece of polished glass, ono Inch wide, 50,000 straight, parallel llnriu nrtnnllvr otinnrwl Ho has determined tho length of tho 'standard meter so accurately thnt his figures cannot be nubjcct to a fault exceeding more than pno part In 2,000,000. Ho has measured tho rato at which light travels with a possibility of error not moro than one-fortieth of ono per cent of tho quantity measured and light llies 180,330 miles a nccond and, as a crowning achievement? ho hao de termined tho rigidity of tho earth. ThiB man In tho first American to receive tho Nobel prlzo in science and the only Amnrlcnn who has ever received tho Copley medal of tho Tloyal Society of London. Despite achievements that nro Btaggorlng in their significance, this man's namo Is llttlo known outsldo of aciortlflo clrclcn. Ho Is Albert Abraham Mlcholson, Pl. D Sc. D., LL.D., profesBor and head of tho depart anent of physics at tho Unlvornlty of Chicago. ProfesBor Micholson'a oxpcrlmonta to deter- fi r3 Ir5 &gL d 43STt vffliWBC' miMml --'W4S!KaX8SR.;' Ill OfCfV&tvOOKHOOfO-fOOfO004000400040OIO0OiO h ZS3Hi 72 s&t&ZaAV'$ 2A&LyZZztZr "WW K?.4ttv.y4tt 4 lP2$. Jtf&ZZ&rcfcXrS XfyZjUrG?- J5lrC WV)U M ii3fliiasr rMIMIttMBMlMTliTMliii 'nHHlI I iMwHrllltiii r'irSii . i ii ' '" ii in 'in ii ii iiiiiii Cfc E XTtS' " VHHHHKiUMKiHWIIHHIhhk -oxu,'i.v '. yi. 'w ByaiyHiiMgK.'Bi ljSI1BRgjfcS3HBfe2iI!5. 9. -v9!CVs 'vw 3? Xtl v--ia; 35ip'si f 8JviiSssasm.- 0 Ri? ,A J5i?j( . tttJk&J&yjymB wpBR7"1S5 tUVW .. s,' vfrcz-' nzsirszsj-..er?AV.T CSn7ZACz. ttKr&j7V& jrssfZ&r- ?yjrccy&4A'jp isar. 2?QC&LLr-J:&?J&ZAZir7 tf& StV&r ' ZZ$-' WW-? &W-Zi Jo, iJjMi.:?- x fa. mlno fcho rigidity of tho earth aro IntonBOly inter fltlng. Sclonco has long needed to know tho physical properties of this globo. It is lmpoBsI Ijlo to learn this directly, as tho doopest mines yet sunk ponotrato loss than two miles bolow tho fiurraco, a dlstanco proportionately no groator than tho thickness of tho varnish on a two-foot Klobo. Tho Interior of tho earth is believed to lio IntenBoly hot. This theory 1b based on tho fact that molten ava la thrown forth by erupting volcanoes. Also, in descending a mlno, there la a rise In tompornUnro, amounting to CO degrees per mllo of descent If -this rato of incroaso Is con Htant, tho temperature at only 100 miles down is above tho molting point of all substances under conditions as tfioy exist on tho surfneo of tho earth. Howovor, dosplto tho high tomporaturo, tho Interior of tho earth may bo held in solid utato by tho tromendoua prosBUro to which lt is subjected. Under tho now accoptod theory of tho coloBtlnl mechanics, scientists assume that a heavenly body Is hold In Us courBo by tho attractive force t)xerta.I by tho othor heavenly bpdlos on all sides of It. In this way is dotorminod tho earth's course- around tho sun and tho motion of tho ntlro eolar Ryotom through apaco. Assuming that tl'e oarth is not a solid masa, scientists have 'long ntrugglcd to discover how it reaistod tho at tractlvo forcca oxertod by othor planets and stnra wholl'cr aB a yIbcous masa or as a porfectly olastjo body. Thoy have long known that tho earth did re vdst tftcBo forcca in Bomo dogroo. Tho ocean tides w'llch Hweop our shores twlco dnlly nro proof of this. It hua long been known that tho tldoa pro caused by tho attraction of tho sun and tho moon. If tho earth offored no resistance to tthlH ah! action, tho whole oarth would respond quickly to lt aud there would be no tides. On tho ottiur hand, if tho earth wero a perfectly rigid liody, it would resist thla attraction completely; and tfco tldos would reach their maximum height. Tho Amount that tho tldoB fall short of tholr thoortftlcal majimum holght would meaBuro tho dogrofi of rlgldfty which tho earth possesses. Tho noxt atop wub to dotormlno tho actual liolghf of the MdoB. This long proved tho stum bling Nock. 1 shore linos woro perfectly straight and tho flow of tho ocean porfoctly lovol, tho liolghv of tho tides could bo mcasurod directly; but crooked uhoro linos and shelving boachea re lst I ho motion of tho tides and make it Impos lblo to determine thqlr holght with tho accuracy tlonnflndod by sclonco. Sir Ooc-rso Darwin mado elaborate experiments to dltonnlno tho holght of tho tides, but was obliged to glvo up tho problom In dospalr. Pro feasor Mlcholson solved thla dllllculty by laying two VK's of Plpo, each five hundred feet long, and treasuring tho riBO and fall of tho water In thort Ono length of plpo was laid north and south, and tho othor length oast and west, In ordey to measure tho tldoB In both dlrectlonB. Tho pipes wero burled bIx foot undor ground to obtain a uniform tompqraturo. At both ends of tho plpoa tecs woro Inserted Tavlng glass windows for obsorvntory purposes, Vho pipes woro half filled with water; and tho changes in tho holght of tho water woro obtained "by measuring through a microscope tho dlstanco Ijotweon a pointer inserted Just under tho Burfaco of tho water and tho imago of tho pointor roilect od abovo tho water. Tho maximum tldoa In tlieso pipe did not ex ceed one-thouanndth of an inch; but so perfect wns tho apparatus and so nccurato tho readings by Professor Mlcholspn that all tho variations in tho tldoa woro accurately determine Tides aro complex things. Tholr height varltjy with tho position and dlstanco of both tho s:-.n and tho moon and, thoroforo, 1b never the sniua two days in succession. Professor Mlcholson's experiments 'vevenlod 30 of those variations, which correaponjed almost exactly with tho variations obtained theoretically by computing tho variations in th nttrattlvo forces exerted by tho sun and tho joon. Tho practical correspondence of tho nctuuA holght of tho tides with tho theoretical 'height croved that tho earth through and through la as rlld as stool and that it yields to outside forces as. a perfectly elastic body and not na a viscous mo, This oxporlmont rovoals tho Imagination and tho striking originality of Professor Mlcholson. Tho flrBt achievement to bring his name to tho attention of tho scientific world wns his accurato determination of tho velocity of H;ht, accom plished also aftor overcoming tromendous oxporl mental dlfllcultlos. Light Is tho fnaU-st thing In nature;, lt roprcaontB tho absolute limit of speed. Afto four yoara of work and studj Professor Mlchelson announced that 'Ight tra.ila with a velocity of 180.330 miles per second. Tho maxi mum error in thla figure t'oos not xceod one fortieth of ono per cent. On tho aubjoct of spoctrurii nnalysl.'. Professor Mlcholson has devoted many of tho b.U years of his llfo. Spectrum nnnlyFsa nro obtained by moans of tho Bpcctroscopo Every Hubstnnco when heated omlta a chntHCterlstl' light. By mentis of tho s'pectroBcopo t'lls light in analyzed mid tho elements giving off 'ho light Are thereby rovealcd. Tho apectroscop 1ub jfiablod scl ontl8ts to determine tho oli'Tnents hj far distant Btnra. Itjms nindo posslblo tmonft'vusly Impor tant discoveries concerning tt a natuvo of atoms, the minute partlclos of whl-M. nil nuittcr Is com posed. Tho dlfllcultlos of spectrin nimttiH will bo realized whon it In learned 'lut a slnclo atom of spdliun omits 800.000.000.00w vlbrafona per sec ond of two slightly different inds or light. Pro fosBor Mlcholson was cringed In apoctrum nnalysla very long before hs Improved tho spec troscopo, calling tho Imprortd typo an echelon Bpcctroscopo. This wondo'l'&l mnchlne divides light into Its various constlt'4i jits twd makes pos sible their soparnto nnalysl." Tho ocholon apectroscopo jflea a glass grating a pleco of highly polishci gl?u on which 1b ruled from 15,000 to 50,000 afMlnV equnlly-apnccd llnoa to tho Inch. To make hvao grntlngs Pro ' fossor Mlcholson Invented a -jl'.ng englno that Is tho most accurately conatrri Kid mochanlcal do vlco In tho world, lt is opr.'ated In a room tho temperature of which la kerl constant to within ono-hundrodth of a dogrco. To assist In analyzing the "'nes of tho spoctrum into their fundamental coi VUuonts, Profossor Mlcholson invented tho "luwaionlc nnnlyzor," a machine as complicated anc as delicate as tho llnotypo mnchino. By Its ubp nn assistant can In a fow minutes make calculations that would tako n skilled computor wooka to accomplish. Sclontlsta hnvo long ondenvored to dotormlno tho nbsoluto motion of tho earth through spaco. It la known that tho earth swings around tho sun New Indian Animal Stones How tfiQ Wild Boy Trapped the Wolves m iiiiii ii i By JOHN M. OSKISON n OKOIOOKiCHOIOK0OfafOOtO040OfO0OiOtOIOOtO - s Children, Color Up These Pictures. and that tho entire solar system li moving toward the constellation Hercules at tho vate of 12 miles per second, or 100,000,000 mllea ijjr year. How over, aa aclcntlsta have not yet been able to measure tho motion of Hercules, they still do not know tho nbsoluto motion of tho earth. In 1880 Professor Mlcholson attacked the problom of de termining tho motion of tho earth with reference to the ether, tho nll-pervadlng nvsdlum that fills Interstellar spaco. All of us have noticed that, when walking through tho rain, although it la actually falling vertically, It seems to be falling 4t an angle, tho dogroo of this apparent deflection depending upon tho speed with which wo have l iovcd. Looking out tho window of a faat-movlng train, acIentistB have noticed n similar deflection In tho anglo of tho light coming to tho earth fran Borne far dis tant star. Aa tho medium that tarries the light between heavenly bodies Is tho ;ther, Bclentlsts nrguo that tho doflection la due, to tho relatlvo motion of tho earth through thj, other. Professor Mlcholson eventunll; overcame tho tromendoua experimental dimcuUles In connec tion with this problem; but no motion of the earth with rospect to the ether vas found. This result ramo as a profound surprise to the entire scientific world In order to solve thla problem Professor Mich Olson Invented n most marvebus Instrument, which ho called tho "Interferometer." This In strument Ib 50 times more powoi ul than nn ab solutely perfect mlcroscopo would ,3. Tho micro flcopo's power Is limited by tho lo.igth of a light wavo: nnd tho smallest dlatanco li: can reveal la ono-hnlf a wavo length, or oni. hundred-thou-iinndths of an Inch. Hy utilizing to properties of light In nnothor manner, tho Interferometer can rovcal distances equivalent to oi flvp-mllllonth of an Inch. The mlcroscopo hna bt.n of immenao vnluo both In Hclentiflc work nnd in vmctlcal llfo; and tho Invention of the lntorfevneter. nn In strument 50 times moro powerful. .3 In Itself nn achievement thnt should win for tVfcssor Mlch olson undying fnmo He used thla instrument to aid Vn in measure Ing tho standard meter, tho foi'ulatlon of tho metric system. In terms of Infinite tunctltudo and in a manner tlpt will mnko this milt perpetual. Tho original motor length la carefully preserved nt ParlB but scientists havo Ioiik worried over tho possibility of Its destruction. i 1SD3 an in ternational commission on weight und measures asked Professor Mlcholson to dovUV. Borne method by which tho motor length coulfl bo accurately reproduced. Tho motor is thcoretlvully ono forty millionth of the enrth'a clrcumferuico; but thla definition is not nccurato enougr for scientific purposes Professor Mlcholson punounced tho length of tho motor In terms of Kdmlum light waves, with a maximum error of iv. part In two million. This definition will nlwaiB onnblo sci entists to'roproduco tho motor accurately, aa long as tho earth exists. These are tho most striking achievements of America's greatest scientist. An; ono of thorn Is sufficient to porpotunto a mnn'H nnmo In tho annals of sclonco Tho result of Professor Michel eon's experiments with reforonco .o the motion of tho earth has raised queBtlona that It will take sclonco many years to answor satisfactorily; and hla determination of Jho rigidity of tho earth has mado posalblo further and moro wonderful progress In tho aphero of celestial mechanics. (CopyrlRht, 1914. by tho McCluro News- 1 paper Syndicate.) Long tlmo ago tho little Indian boys uaed to get hungry at times -when ' thoro was no pot on the fire, and then I thoy would watch until thoy thought no one was looking so that they might get a chance to tako from tho store house of tho dried meat and roasted corn which they loved. But generally ono of tho old men, who could no longer go out to tho woods to hunt, would catch the boys before they got tho food. And when the old man hnd caught tho boys ho would tako them to his house, shaking his heail and saying: "Well, you must havo seen tho Wild Doy today!" And tho boys would then nsk tho old man to tell them about the Wild Doy. And while tho old man hunted around in his house for some bits of dried ment for tho boys, ho would tell them of tho tlmo the Wild Doy of tho woods saved tho two sona of Kanatl, tb Wlso Man, from the wolves. Onco Kanatl nnd his wifo Selu lived In e, settlement where there waa plenty of gamo and plenty of corn and beans, and no ono ever went hungry for even half a day. They had two young sons, and aa tho boy.i grew up they began to wonder how it wa8 that Kanatl and Selu could get game and corn bo eaally. Ono day when their mother, Selu, went into tho Gtorohouso to fill her basket, tho boyu pulled out a pleco of tho clay from between tho loga of tho Btorehouae arid watched their mother. Thoy saw her come in and set down her basket and rub her hands over her stomach and at once the baakot waa naif full of corn! Then Bho rubbed her hands under her shoulders and tho basket was lilted with beans! "Our mother la a witch-woman!" cried tho boya, and thoy decided that thoy must kill her. And whenanatl camo homo from tho hunt with some deer meat over his shoulder, ho found, that the boys had killed Selu and put her head up on top of tho house. Ka natl was angry, and went off to talk to tho wolves about his bad sons. "Wo will go and destroy your sona," said tho wolvea, and Kanatl told them how to find tho house. But tho Wild Boy had heard Kanatlr say ho was going to tho wolves, and bo ho changed into a tuft of bird's down and went along, perched on Ka nati's shoulder. And when Kanati had told tho wolvea how to find hia sons, tho Wild Boy changed back into hia own sliapo and ran to toll the sons of Kanati how to prepare for the coming of "tho wolves. ' Tho Wild Boy told tho two sons of Kanatl to run around tho house in a wide circle and mako a trail, leaving just one narrow opening at tho point where tho wolvea Avould comp.from. And then they mado somo"bundlc3 of nrrows, which thoy laid down just out side tho circle. And when tho wolves camo running to deatroy tho sons of Kanati, thoy did not see tho circle until they wero in side; and then tho- circlo becamo a high brush fenco, with just tho narrow opening tho boya had left. With their bowa and the arrows thoy had fixed tho Wild Doy and tho two eons of Kanati began killing tho wolves. They thought thoy had killed all of thorn, but two got away, and those two be camo tho father and mother of all tho wolves in tho world today. And then tho old man would say to tho boys ho had caught trying to break into tho storehouse: "Today there lo no Wild Boy to help you out, but there aro plenty of wolvea in the woods! So, you must wait until tho pot is on tho flro an"d your mother tells you that alio baa something for you to eat." MAKE FUNNY LITTLE RABBIT1 BOYS CALLED "SILLY SIMPS" Bunny's Body Is Round, Dried Fig, With Head Mado of Prune and Ears of Raisins. Can you gueaa how to make thla funny little ribibt that has been sketched hero. Tho rabblt'o body Is a fig, not ono of tho pressed kind, but a round, dried llg. You can uluipo It with your fin gers to mako it look like tho bunny's body. Tho head la a prune, fastened Bunny Made of Fruit. to tho fig with toothpicks, or a fine Avlro, or oven a pin will do. Tho ears and legs aro raisins, also pinned on, You can mark tho eyes with white crayon 'or pin on a pleco of round paper. Fancy how much fun you would havo at a party if at each plato thero wns a dear llttlo animal that could bo eaten, aud if each animal woro different from tho other. College Professor Remarks Number of Dandles In Freshman Class Was Really Appalling. A girl of oleven camo homo from dancing school tho other day and said to her mother: "Nearly all tho boys at dancing school aro so queer; their hair is all fussed up, and they do nothing but simper around us girls and look In tho glass to straighten their neckties, and pull down their coats. I can't think of any namo for them but 'silly simps.' " A little In quiry revealed that In other quarters besides that dancing school tho "silly simp" (tho Bumo that used to bo called tho "cissy boy") seems to bo flourishing. A collcgo professor re ports that ho has recently remurked to ono of his colleagues that' tho num ber of dnndien in tho freshman class was really appalling. "Wo uaed to havo to appeal constantly to tho fol lows to look aftor their nppearanco," ho said. "But now wo havo oftenor to tell them not to think bo much about It." This led a lady who heard heard him to say, "I know a boy of fifteen who actually spent ono solid hour tho other night in getting hla hair 'fixed' for a party." Peiiaps wo shall havo to Btop scolding io glrla for awhilo and turn our attention to theao vain boya. Kato Upson Clark, In Leslie's. A Sensible Question. "Whalebone," began tho teacher, "isn't a bono at all." 'Well," broko in tho bold bad boy, "lt isn't a whale, either; so what la itr Higher Mathematics. "Dad, you're pretty good at mathe matics, ain't you?" asked tho hopo (and despair) of tho family. "I I used to bo," confessed old Dill Payne, scenting dnuger. "Well, whcTo a side track nni a main track Join they form an aule, don't they?" "Yes." "Well,, if a wreck should tear up, tho track right thero would It bo a rectangle?" Kansas City Star. .
