sent to Prof. Elias Loomis, of Yale College, notices of the auroras of April 15 and May 3 and of a 'day' aurora. Under date June 14, Loomis wrote, stating that the editor of the American Journal of Science was preparing an article on the aurora of April 15 and would incorporate in it the observations sent. He also stated that day auroras had been reported before and were referred to in the Report of the Smithsonian Institution for 1865. Mr. Elvins had the true philosophical mind and sought to penetrate below the surface phenomena which he saw and to discover their inner causes. Knowing the relations which had been shown to exist between sunspots, terrestrial magnetism and auroral displays, he set out to correlate the phenomena of sunspots with meteorological effects, such as temperature, rainfall, barometric pressure and storms. He began with rainfall. The records of rainfall at the Meteorological Observatory at Toronto were available from 1840, and on plotting the annual precipitation in a curve he was somewhat disappointed that it did not exhibit a similarity to the sunspot curve such as had been shown to exist between the curves of sunspots and magnetic disturbances. On closer examination, however, he did discover a connection, namely, that there was a dry season both at maximum and at minimum of sunspots and that a wet season always preceded it. From the harbor master at Toronto he obtained a record of the annual mean height of Lake Ontario from 1854 to 1870, and this confirmed his conclusion. In 1870 he published in The Toronto Leader a series of twelve letters on the Meteorology of Toronto, in which he discussed the relation of solar conditions to terrestrial weather and gave the results which he had reached. Also, in the Astronomical Register for 1872, he contributed three letters in which his investigations were described; and in various quarters his work was favorably commented upon. In Nature for December 12, 1872, appeared a paper by Sir Norman Lockyer, its editor, on The Meteorology of the Future, in which problems quite similar were discussed, but without the slightest reference to Mr. Elvins's work. Mr. Elvins and some of his friends thought it unfair that he should be thus ignored. But he was anxious to obtain means for testing his conclusions, and he sought far and wide for records of rainfall. It occurred to him that the heights of the water in a river would supply the necessary material and of all rivers the Nile would be the best, as it had been closely observed for centuries. In endeavoring to secure the information, he carried on a wide correspondence. Copies of the letters sent by Mr. Elvins are usually not available, but some of the replies are still preserved and are interesting reading. I take the liberty of giving some of them: FROM COMMANDER E. D. ASHE OBSERVATORY, QUEBEC, My dear Sir: I now enclose an account of the rainfall for as many years as I have registered it. Since writing my paper I have been a close student of the sun and I must say that in 'Celestial Photography' I am in the first class. Some negatives that I have sent to the Astronomer Royal have been acknowledged to be far superior to anything that they can produce in England. I have some bautiful negatives of that September (1870) group. (6 inches in diameter is the size of the sun.) In comparing your drawings with them I see a very fair copy, but to study the beautiful definition in the negatives is a great treat, which I can do at my leisure. My theory is this, viz.: that the photosphere is a liquid glowing mass of metal; that around the sun are meteor-planets, that revolve in orbits inclined from 15° to 40° to the sun's equator, that the disturbing forces of the earth, Venus and Mercury, draw the asteroids upon the sun in passing their perihelia, and as no meteor can be in perihelion when passing the sun's equator, we have a reason why the equatorial region of the sun is free from spots, and again because the inclination of their orbits does not exceed 40°, we have a reason why the polar region is also free from spots. As the meteor planets would fall on the sun when at P. or N. [referring to a figure], there would be two belts of spots. But what I think fatal to your theory is, that no one can imagine that the spots can have more effect on the climate of Ontario than in Australia, and as no law connects the whole world in a meteorological sense, then I cannot see why one part is to be more affected than another. Depend upon it, there is a combination of events quite independent of solar spots that produces dry and wet weather. However, I am only too glad to see any one trying to solve that difficult question, and everyone who fairly gives his ideas on any subject without "trimming his sails" to the opinion of big men will do science a service. I read a paper on "Solar Spots" at the Astronomical Society when in London, and De la Rue was in the chair, and because my opinions were quite opposed to his he said that 'Commander Ashe' was not up in the literature of the sun. That was five years ago, but now I can tell him that these five years' close study have confirmed my ideas, whilst they are obliged to stagger and get into all sorts of difficulties and contridictions to account for the several phenomena, whilst our views explain everything. If the Government will only give me money, I have material enough to bring before the public with my beautiful photographs. My equatorial is an eight-inch, 9 feet focus, by Clark, of Boston. I can tell when we will have a maximum of spots by looking at the position of the planets. My friend Balfour Stewart and I have had some correspondence, but unfortunately he has been hurt by a railway accident. Those who hold the "cavernous" view of spots are on their last legs. I am anxious to hear more accounts of the last eclipse of the sun, because the negatives that I took at Jefferson, Iowa, in 1869, show detail that was not to be seen on those of any other party, consequently they declare that my telescope moved. Let me know the size of your glass, and if you are able to give much time to astronomical pursuits. I am, very truly yours, (Signed) E. D. ASHE, Commander (retired). [Enclosed was a statement of the rainfall registered at the Citadel Observatory, Quebec, for the years 1861-1870.] FROM THE SAME April 2nd, 1871, My dear Sir: I send by express one of my negatives. I need not say that it is a valuable present, for one that I sent to England was acknowledged to be far superior to anything they had seen, and no doubt I stand at the top in celestial photography, the climate of Quebec is so well suited for it, but notwithstanding that I have shown the letters of the Astronomer Royal, stating how important a part photography is to take in astronomy, and how successful I have been, still the Government will not build me an observatory, so that I have to manage in a very rough way. As we have a first class "Magnetic Observatory" in Toronto, so I want a first rate astronomical observatory to be established in Quebec; but unless there is outside pressure brought to bear by the papers on the advantages of such an establishment I fear that they will not do anything. The solar negatives are too faint to print from, but if you have your negative framed it will be a great ornament to the drawing room table. I am at a loss to know what is your business that requires your attendance from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Hoping that the negative will arrive all right, I am, faithfully yours, (Signed) E. D. ASHE. On June 7, 1872, Mr. Elvins wrote to the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, enclosing a rain-curve and asking for their records of rain-fall. This was answered by Joseph Henry, the secretary, on June 19, and the information was promised. In the autumn Mr. Elvins wrote again, and it may be interesting to quote in full the reply: FROM PROFESSOR JOSEPH HENRY SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, WASHINGTON, Oct. 22nd, 1872. Dear Sir, Please accept our thanks for your interesting paper in regard to rainfall and sun spots. Inasmuch as the influence of the sun must simultaneously affect all parts of the earth, it will be necessary, in order to ascertain whether any relation exists between sun spots and rain, that the amount of the latter be obtained from all parts of the earth. To this end the annual fluctuation of rivers would be a valuable contribution. We have just received from General Stone, formerly of the American Army, but now in a high position in Egypt, a diagram of the fluctuation of the Nile for the last five years. In examining authorities on the subject, we find that for the last twenty-five years very accurate observations have been made as to the daily heights of the waters of the Nile, and that in the great book of Napoleon there are records at intervals, the longest of which is sixty-five years, giving the maximum of the elevation for each year. I find no definite reference to the long period you mention. Truly yours, (Signed) JOSEPH HENRY, Secretary. ANDREW ELVINS, Toronto, Canada. In 1871, Mr. Elvins sent some of his printed papers to C. Piazzi Smyth, Astronomer Royal for Scotland, who had also been engaged on the problem of correlating solar conditions and terrestrial meteorology. I quote a portion of the reply: FROM PROFESSOR PIAZZI SMYTH ROYAL OBSERVATORY, EDINBURGH, 19th May, 1871. Dear Sir, Many thanks for your letter of May 1, also for the 12 printed letters. I have read them all through and find them admirably clear, effective and right-minded. Perhaps I liked the earlier ones best. The various affairs were admirably treated, and the cosmical influences on terrestrial climates admirably begun.. ... In my temperature curves, 1830 to 1870, I find a cold period both at maximum and at minimum of sun spots, and a hot period between min. and max., but not between max. and min., of sun spots.... ....... In the course of his Report to the Board of Visitors for 1871. Professor Smyth makes the following graceful remark regarding Mr. Elvins's work: More recently still a skilful Canadian writer, basing on the returns of the Toronto Observatory for many years past, considers that he has established a connection between the amount of annual rainfall there and the sun spots. Another investigator in this domain was Cleveland Abbe, Director of the Cincinnati Observatory and Meteorologist to the Signal Office, afterwards editor for the U. S. Weather Bureau, who believed that he had established a relation between sun spots and earth temperatures. With him Mr. Elvins carried on an intermittent correspondence beginning in 1871. Mr. Elvins realized, of course, that the discovery of a relation between sun spots and the rainfall at Toronto did not completely solve the problem; but he believed that there was a connection between the rainfall at any station and the condition of the sun's surface, and he was anxious to proceed as far as possible in the great research. As we all know, there is much still to do before |
