Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 September 1891 — Energy of Sunshine. [ARTICLE]

Energy of Sunshine.

“All the energy In the world,” said Dr. C. F. Chandler in a recent lecture before the Columbus School of Mines, “comes from sunshine. Even the energy in the electric battery that rings the doorbells of our homes has its origin in the light of the great solar system. The force in the copper wire that sets the bell to ringing comes from the zinc plate in the battery jar. the energy in the zinc plate comes rom .the anthracite coal with which it was burned when taken from the mines; and, finally, the energy in the anthracite coal was put there by the sunlight that fed and nourished It ’when it existed, ages ago, as trees and plants. An Interesting misapprphenslon that exists in the minds of' a good many persons is concerning' the vital dangers that lurk in the pressure of, say, a thousand volts. The newspapers often tell us that a man has been killed from such a pressure, whereas, in fact, such a pressure alone could not kill a humming bird. I have frequently caught in my hand sparks possessing an elec-tro-motive power of 100,000 volts without feeling more than a very slight burn. The danger arises only when the volts are- reinforced by a good many amperes or currents, and when one takes hold of a charged wire. Then one feels a shock that is unmistakable, because the force of a great many currents in the wire suddenly decomposes all the fluids in his body. The salt in the blood at once turq| to chlorine gas, and the man whose veins are charged with this deadly polson cannot in reason be expected to live.” ’ ' ’ Tor will seldom see .a married man whoiuwn’tgotit'“ni’'for some particulax, member of his wife’s family. fa’ t , ‘ ,