Henry Raymond Rogers

“ All these theories are therefore inconsistent with the immutable law of the Conservation of Force.
The true Source of Supply.
In seeking the source of supply of heat and light, we are compelled to look for a philosophy more consistent than any hitherto advanced. Controlled too much by the literal evidence of the senses and the superficial appearance of things, we have ever regarded the sun as all alone in developing and exercising these great forces.
The law of conservation compels us to look to the earth, a heretofore neglected factor in this problem. ”

“ Faraday, perhaps the most distinguished man, in the whole of his own field, which the world has ever produced, recognizing the power of this great obstacle to true advancement (i. e., preconceived and pre-existing ideas) , once said: "When such a one as myself gets out of the way, then new conditions, new men, new views, new opportunities, may [Pg 92] allow of the development of other lines of active operation than those heretofore in service." He believed in the existence of one great universal principle, from which gravity, heat, light, electricity, magnetism, even life itself might come. ”

“ The sun acts, but it must [Pg 19] also be that the earth and planets react. The sun gives and dispenses favors, but science has too much overlooked the great fact that the sun receives and sympathizes.
Let our philosophy but accept the idea that the sun rouses the earth into action through their mutual relationships; that the two interchange good offices and essential services, rather than that the sun is wholly independent, and simply gives outright, as philosophy has hitherto conceived, and we think that the dawn of a better day has come. ”

“ This great principle which fills the earth and all spheres, and governs and binds them together—this great principle which is the source of all life, animate and inanimate—this principle dominates in every vital system, from man down through and beyond the microscopic forms of existence. ”

“ The air having no inherent propulsive powers, that originate and control its directions, velocities, and varied forms of movement, is yet subject to definite laws. What these laws are has never been divulged.—"The wind bloweth where it listeth." Yet in viewing earth and atmosphere as vast reservoirs of vito-magnetic fluid, shifting back and forth to maintain an equilibrium, we believe we see the workings of the very force which moves and sways the atmosphere; which causes its currents, both general and special; and which gives rise to all its more extraordinary and unaccountable phenomena. ”

“ With prophetic vision, almost amounting to prescience, he, in speaking of magnetism, said: "When we remember that the earth itself is a magnet, pervaded in every part by this mighty power, universal and strong as gravity itself, we cannot doubt that it is exerting an appointed and essential influence over every particle of matter, and in every place where it is present. ”

“ The New Hypothesis.
Analogy teaches us that the earth is seen from the moon and planets, even as they are seen from the earth. Yet there is nothing upon the face of the whole earth which is capable of reflecting the slightest amount of the sun's rays to those spheres. The fields, forests, rocks, and seas, only absorb light, they do not reflect it. In this phenomenon, therefore, there is no element of specular reflection. It consists rather of the lighting up of the static vito-magnetic fluid of our atmosphere, by the great solar current. ”

“ The present theories of the transmission of light and sound; of the production of winds, and sun-spots, and of the method of development and dissemination of heat, are in point of fact, unphilosophical and incomprehensible.
[Pg 23]
It is quite remarkable that in the present century, excelling as it does any period in the world's history in exact and reliable scientific knowledge, such unsatisfactory opinions should obtain. The failure is still more inexplicable when we reflect that these subjects are in importance the highest which can engage our attention as scientists. ”

“ Verily the "Scientific use of the Imagination" too often leads men into the grossest errors.
If these theories be true, we may hereafter ignore all undulatory processes. Time may no longer be estimated in noting the transmission of light and heat, since, like gravity, each acts instantaneously. If the most distant fixed star which is visible could be annihilated to-night, its light would be seen no more forever. ”

“ And thus light, heat, gravity, mechanical power, electricity, magnetism, vital force and universal motion, are but one principle variously expressed. This principle we have designated vito-magnetic fluid. But have we reached a climax and an end? No. This vito-magnetic river or current flows on. Its flood is never stayed. But yet we find no accumulation. Light and heat have neither been piled up to the sky, nor have they become annihilated. ”

“ There we see that power which in undisturbed and solemn grandeur holds equally the world and the dust of which worlds are formed together, and carries them on in their course through illimitable space through illimitable ages ”

“ But in all this, startling as it seems, man is only imitating Nature in her every-day operations through sun and earth. Even the order is similar. The sun is the river giving its constant impulse through the vito-magnetic cable of the solar cone. The earth end of the cable is adjusted by means of the atmosphere, for the production of light and heat for this earthly habitation.
It indues the globe with magnetic influence which we have called gravity. And in its workshop, its mechanical and vital forces are keeping up all motions in animal and plant, earth, ocean, and air. ”

“ At the distant extremity of the wire, when not connected with the earth, we may have none of the manifestations of heat, light, or attraction—even though the plates are put into the solution. But let us now make the connection between the extremity of the wire and the earth, then the circuit is complete, and heat, light, and attraction are disclosed in highest degree.
Now from the Great Sun Battery, [10] in which we locate the one Great Universal [Pg 45] Force: Newton's "Higher and Still Unknown Force," every one recognizes a current constantly present, setting towards the earth. ”

“ We have but to utilize the means which the true scientists of the century have so wonderfully developed, and with which they have so prodigally surrounded us, in order to complete the consummation of the great and crowning achievement in physical science. ”

“ It is believed that the spots are really dark. Zöllner, however, states that "The black umbra of a spot emits four thousand times as much light as that derived from an equal area of the moon." "The blackest part of the spot is intrinsically bright."
What They are not, and what They are.
These phenomena may not arise from disruptions taking place on the sun's surface, neither from violent agitations near that surface. The essential and intimate character of the so-called sun-spots may be found in the interruptions of continuity in the fluid occupying the solar cone-space. ”

“ Sun-heat is another product of the same retro-action between the sun and earth; consequently it has the same range and the same boundaries as when it is viewed as light.
Tendencies to unsettle in Science.
The scientists of to-day may well look after the soundness of their favorite theories of the great physical forces; for the uncertain tenure of old theories, by reason of recent discoveries, is becoming but too manifest. New phenomena are now observed which require solutions not met by present hypotheses. ”

“ But once conceive the atmosphere as arranged like a perfectly adjusted instrument for the meeting-place and co-operation of sun-force, and earth-force, where are elaborated all the benefits designed for our mundane creation, and we begin to look for better explanations. ”

“ If winds are due to such a simple mechanical causation as the production by the sun, of a rarefied atmosphere, the colder air rushing in from all sides into the empty spaces, we should hardly expect to find any definite currents bounded by well-defined limits; much less should we look for transverse and opposite currents going like messengers at varying rates of speed, some slow, and others exceedingly swift. ”

“ The first and most prominent is the combustion theory, which, though bearing the seal of ages, is obnoxious both to common and philosophic reasoning. This theory presupposes a consumption of material beyond all conception, and the supply of which has been no small tax upon the scientific imagination. ”

“ What its great purpose is, seems to be looming up in the distance before us:—the clouds which obscure our mental sight are daily thinning, and I cannot doubt that a glorious discovery in natural knowledge and in the wisdom and power of God in the creation is awaiting our age. ”

“ But without a retro-current, should we have a circuit complete? Should we have any of these phenomena?
Heat without Combustion.
Neither in the battery nor near the battery do the phenomena manifest themselves. Though the developer of light, heat, and power, the battery itself is neither luminous, hot, nor magnetic. "To explain the effects of the sun, therefore, there is not the least reason to infer that it is itself luminous, or even warm. Potential action generated in a dark, cold body, may produce great heat and light, at a distance from the seat of activity ”

“ Estimates have been carefully made, and we are gravely informed of the probable amount of combustive material required to supply the sun's demands for given periods. It is said that the coal-fields of Pennsylvania, which would supply the world's consumption for centuries, would keep the sun's rate of emission for considerably less than 1/1,000 part of a second. Pouillet estimated the quantity of heat emitted by the sun per hour to be equal to the supply of a layer of anthracite coal ten feet thick, spread over the whole surface of the sun. ”

“ The laws of conservation may not be violated: the earth will respond.
How are the Spheres constructed?
The constitution of these two retro-acting spheres, and consequently of all the others of [Pg 26] the heavenly host, [3] at this point demands our attention. How are the spheres made up? How speaks the earth? The earth with which we are familiar—our sample—is formed of a slight crust, a core, to a greater or less extent and degree incandescent, and measuring 250,000 millions of cubic miles in dimensions, also an envelope which we call the atmosphere. ”

“ The process of induction has ever been a great mystery in electrical science. Magnetic currents are known to act upon bodies in close proximity without the intervention of a spark, and to indue such bodies with magnetic force. This action, called induction, has been supposed to be limited to short distances. This we believe to be erroneous. In order that the inductive process take place, it is only necessary to suppose some impulse to be superinduced upon some pervading medium. This medium we recognize in the static vito-magnetic constituent of the atmosphere. ”

“ The great problem of the age, which scientists are intently engaged in solving, is the correlation of the leading forces already adverted to. Thus far light, heat, electricity, magnetism, chemical action, vital action, cohesion, etc., have been proved to be parts of one great whole. ”

“ While regarding the sun as all, and more than all that has ever been claimed for it, still we are impressed most strongly that the sun has social relations with his planets, which have never been duly considered by the masters in science. ”

“ It is now well known that a number of currents may pass in each direction, at the [Pg 46] same time, over one and the same telegraph wire; and in like manner, great solar currents may pass to and fro without interference.
Solution of the Problem.
Sun-heat, therefore, like sunlight and gravity, is a veritable production, yet it is not due to the process of combustion. It is not dependent for its creation upon the destruction of fabulous quantities of substantial materials. ”

“ Gravity is not a separable entity, not a power per se. It is but a production, and an operation, of the same retro-action between sun-core, and earth-core. This retro-action gives rise to a stupendous magnetic circuit, as described, in which both sun and earth become the embodiments of magnetic force, or, in other words, great magnets. ”

“ He has ever been unable to accept the usual explanations of the great physical forces; and the inadequacies of mooted theories have impelled him to efforts for more philosophical interpretations. If in his investigations he has been forced to strange and unusual conclusions, he has been actuated only by an honest desire to promote the advancement of science. ”

“ Although the earth-core may not be presumed to be an entire moving mass, yet it is known to be in a measure incandescent, and molten. Magnetic storms occur within our earth-crust which sway the needle without, and almost instantaneously manifest their presence over areas of more than half the globe. The same phenomena are undoubtedly present in increased development at the sun. ”

“ It is cool and habitable, and emits no light. The brightness of the intervening fluid intercepts the view, and thus no one may behold its body. Dark spots upon its face disclose its true character. [5]
[Pg 31]
If, therefore, the sun be truly dark, the brightness of its satellites cannot be caused by light projected from its surface or surroundings. How, then, may we account for the light of the moon and planets, which do not possess a light sui generis? A new hypothesis is requisite. To frame this hypothesis is not difficult. ”