672 HENRY A. EOWLAND 



That portions of the molecules and even of the atoms are electrically 

 charged, we know from electrolysis, the action of gases in a vacuum 

 tube and from the Zeeman effect. 



That some of them act like little magnets, we know from the mag- 

 netic action of iron, nickel and cobalt. 



That they are elastic, the spectrum shows, and that the vibrating 

 portion carries the electrified charge with it is shown by the Zeeman 

 effect. 



Here, then, we have made quite a start in our problem: but how far 

 are we from the complete solution? How can we imagine the material 

 of which ordinary or primordial atoms are made, dealing as we do only 

 with aggregation of atoms alone? Forever beyond our sight, vibrating 

 an almost infinite number of times in a second, moving hither and yon 

 with restless energy at all temperatures beyond the absolute zero of 

 temperature, it is certainly a wonderful feat of human reason and 

 imagination that we know as much as we do at present. Encouraged by 

 these results, let us not linger too long in their contemplation but pre?^ 

 forward to the new discoveries which await us in the future. 



Then as to electricity, the subtile spirit of the amber, the demon who 

 reached out his glutinous arms to draw in the light bodies within his 

 reach, the fluid which could run through metals with the greatest ease 

 but could be stopped by a frail piece of glass! Where is it now? Van- 

 ished, thrown on the waste heap of our discarded theories to be replaced 

 by a far nobler and exalted one of action in the ether of space. 



And so we are brought to consider that other great entity the ether: 

 filling all space without limit, we imagine the ether to be the only 

 means by which two portions of matter distant from each other can 

 have any mutual action. By its means we imagine every atom in the 

 universe to be bound to every other atom by the force of gravitation 

 and often by the force of magnetic and electric action, and we conceive 

 that it alone conveys the vibratory motion of each atom or molecule 

 out into space to be ever lost in endless radiation, passing out into 

 infinite space or absorbed by some other atoms which happen to be in 

 its path. By it all electromagnetic energy is conveyed from the feeble 

 attraction of the rubbed amber through the many thousand horse-power 

 conveyed by the electric wires from Niagara to the mighty rush of 

 energy always flowing from the sun in a flood of radiation. Actions 

 feeble and actions mighty from inter-molecular distances through inter- 

 planetary and inter-stellar distances until we reach the mighty dis- 

 tances which bound the universe all have their being in this wondrous 

 ether. 



