Is That So?
The greatest show seen on
earth is our sun, a huge, burning,
tumbling, spurting ball of gas.
What matter that the stage is
93,000.000 miles or so away? And
as with most things which seem
commonplace, the more we know
about it the more impressive the
daily spectacle becomes.
Our earth is 7,900 miles
through yet it would take a
line of 109 earths to reach
across the sun's fiery diameter
and more than a million to equal
Its bulk. ,
To change this to understand
able terms, let's reduce the sun
to a ball only ten feet through.
Then proportionately, the earth
1L 0
we llvt on would become as
large as a small marble spinning
Kme 900 feet away, making it
Invisible to our eyes.
Yet far away as this distance
between sun and earth may seem
scarcely anything can occur on
earth which isn't of the sun's do
ing. From it we get both heat and
light, directly; our rain, thanks
to evaporation caused by the sun;
our winds, caused by the sun's
unequal heating of land and
water; our food, which is stored-
up sun's energy in plant and ani
mal; and the base of our power,
through wood, petroleum and
falling water, all forms of the
sun's energy.
What is the source of the sun's
tremendous energy? Heat caused
by the transformation of hydro
gen atoms Into helium.
Earth's Heat Cold
And so great is the heat result
ing that the sun's surface temper
ature is estimated to be from
8,000 to 11,000 degress Fahren
heit with an inside temperature
infinitely hotter estimated from
29 to 40,000,000 degrees. In com
parison any heat on earth is cold.
And for a good reason. Nothing
could be made that hot for more
than a split fraction of a second
for the very simple reason that
no furnace could stand so high
a temperature the materials
would evaporate completely. -
Although the sun consists of
gases, and extremely hot ones,
nonetheless the pressures within
the central regions are so great
that they reach the tremendous
value of 10,000,000 atmospheres
a density about six times that
of mercury.
The sun's tremendous heat nat
urally releases a fantastic
amount of energy in fact more
than 4,000.000 tons are poured
off into the surrounding void
every second. And energy can be
weighed in "tons" even the
light from an electric light bulb
has weight, although much too
little to measure. Of these 4,000,
000 tons the earth intercept's the
tiniest portion a mere four
pounds each second. But yet,
small as this amount may seem,
it adds up to 173 tons a day.
In releasing this energy, the
sun gives away of its own mass
and substance a total of 11,-
000,000,000,000th part of its re
sources each year. But lest the
depletion of the sun and its heart
cause you undue worry, consider
that it has been shining on the
earth for hundreds of millions of
years that we know of judging
by the earth's past life, and at
the rate it is now consuming
itself, it will keep on shining for
thousands of millions of years
to come.
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By EUGENE BURNS
Ranger-Naturalist
How does the surface of the
sun look while this is going on?
Seen As Neat Disk
To the naked eye, of course,
the face of the sun appears as
a neat disk with clean-cut edges
but that is because it is so bright
that we cannot see its features
clearly (and if you are to look
into the sun, by all means use
darkened glasses otherwise you
may ruin your eyes within sec
onds). But when there is a total
eclipse when the moon passes
between us an dthe sun then we
can see something of the great
activity of the sun's surface the
great fountains flaring out at the
edges in silvery light. And the
reason why we call it the great
est show on earth.
How great are these surface
fountains playing every minute
of the day? These solar promi
nences, as they are called, are
hundreds of thousands of miles
high twenty times and more
the breadth of our earth!
Thus the whole surface of the
sun is seething, tumbling, shoot
ing out and falling back in a
heaving, restless sea of gases. A
sight at once sublime and im
pressive. (Copyright. 1955, by Eugene
Burns Released by McClure
Newspaper Syndicate)
In The Day's News
Free': By special arrangement
with the editors of the Enclyclo
pedia Americana, my panel of
judges will award each week to
the reader who sends me the best
true-life nature adventure, or the
best nature observation, or the
best question on nature and
wildlife a complete 30-volume
set of this world-famous refer
ence work in a handsome Seal-
craft binding. Each week new
submissions will be considered.
Sorry, I simply can't answer
your many friendly letters.
Please address your letter to IS
THAT SO! co Medford Mail
Tribune, Box 575, Sausalito,
Calif.
Power Line Funds
Pleases Senators
Washington U.R) Oregon's
U. S. senators Saturday ex
pressed "delight" that $2,038,000
to build power transmission lines
to a new aluminum reduction
plant at The Dalles, Ore., was
contained in a Department of In
terior supplemental appropria
tion request.
Senators Wayne L. Morse and
Richard L. Neuberger, both
Democrats, said the supplement
al rryessage received by the Sen
ate Friday was "better late than
never."
The senators said that while
it was regrettable that the In
terior Department "delayed this
recommendation for two years,"
they would do all within their
means to help facilitate passage
of the appropriation through the
Senate. . .
The, appropriation covered con
struction of Bonneville "Power
Administration transmission fa
cilities. Once it was passed , by
Congress, Senators Morse and
Neuberger declared, plans could
go ahead immediately for The
Dalles aluminum plant.
A final fall-winter count of
whooping cranes at their winter
refuge in Texas shows the flock
of America's rarest migratory
birds has dwindled to a total of
21, three short of the previous
year. " -
3 Wast Sixth Street
Medford, Oregon
y A"..-:- -.?-.- -v- ':
i i
'A . . v
t '
; 1
DESIGNED for use by officers
on attache and foreign mis
sions, new Air Force white
uniform will not be worn or
required within United States.
Uniform may be required in
tropical and semi-tropical
areas when prescribed
By FRANK JENKINS
Human rights note:
. The senate of the United States
has approved a resolution ex
pressing the hope that CAPTIVE
SATELLITE PEOPLES will re
gain the sovereign rights of self
government. The resolution had the backing
of the senate leaders of both par
ties. The vote of the senators
present was 89 FOR and NONE
AGAINST.
PERSONALLY, I think the
vote of the people of the
people of the United States if
they understood all the principles
involved would be in about the
same proportion.
1ITHAT are these principles?
' Let me quote again from
the American Declaration of In
dependence: 1. "We hold these truths to be
self-evident, that all men are cre
ated equal, that they are en
dowed by their Creator with cer
tain unalienable rights, that
among these are Life, Liberty
and the pursuit of Happiness.
That to secure these rights, Gov
ernments are instituted among
men, deriving their just powers
from the consent of the gov
erned." 2. "That when ever any form
of government becomes destruc
tive of these ends it is the right
of the people to alter or abolish
it, and to institute NEW GOV
ERNMENT, laying its foundation
on such principles and organiz
ing its powers in such form as to
them shall seem most likely to
effect their safety and happi
ness." .
THE. RESOLUTION adopted
unanimously by the senators
present and voting will miff the
Russians, because it will seem to
them to be a direct invitation on
the part of the United States of
America to the people of the
captive and enslaved satellite na
tions to REVOLT against their
Communist masters.
It MIGHT so anger the Rus
sians as to remove all possibility
of agreement on relaxation of
present tensions at the upcoming
meeting of heads of state of Rus
sia, the United States, Great
Britain and France at Geneva.
I1TELL
' WHAT ARE WE?
-Are we men?
Or, are we mice?
WE, or DON'T we, believe
that "all men are endowed
by their creator with certain un
alienable rights (including life,
liberty and the pursuit of happi
ness) . . . that to secure these
rights governments are insti
tuted among men, deriving their
just powers FROM "THE CON
SENT OF THE GOVERNED and
that whenever any form of gov
ernment becomes destructive of
these ends it is the right of the
people to ALTER OR ABOLISH
it...?"
I
THINK this is a good time for
us to remember the conclud
ing sentence of the Declaration
Sunday. July 17, 1955
MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE FIVE
Once in a Blue Moon
By J. HUGH PRUETT
Astronomer, Extension Division
Ore. Higher Education System
"Once in a blue moon" used
to mean "never"; now it seems
to indicate "hardly ever." Lit
erature on the subject is practi
cally non-existent. Seven,, times
in 19 years there are 13 full
moons in a year. This gives 11
months with one full moon each
and two with two. This second
in a month was once called "blue
moon." It was considered un
lucky and a real nuisance as it
occurred' at various times of the
year and upset scheduling of
church festivals. According to
this, "once in a blue moon"
would mean once in two or three
years.
A friend recently called my
attention to a statement in a
book lately published in Eng
land which read, "Also a blue
of Independence:
"And for the support of this
declaration, with a firm reliance
on the protection of Divine Prov
idence, we mutually pledge to
each other OUR LIVES, OUR
FORTUNES AND OUR SACRED
HONOR."
TF THE United States of Amer
ica ever ceases to be in this
world the defender of the right
of ALL PEOPLES to life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness we
might as well close up the books
and call it a day.
moon was seen in 1944 by J. H.
Pruett of the United States."
Said Pruett certainly did see
one. I had always been rather
skeptical of a moon that would
appear blue until on the evening
of July 28, 1944, when before
my astonished eyes there hung
in the southern sky just such
an object. My wife and two of
the neighbors" were equally
amazed at the very unusual
sight: i
Noticed After Sunset
The moon,, at first-quarter
phase that day (half moon), was
first noticed shortly after sun
set. It was then thinly veiled by
a small patch of high cirrus
clouds, which were tinted a
beautiful orange-red by the sun
just below the horizon.; We
thought that the lunar blue
might be the effect of contrast
with the red of the clouds. But
while we looked arid wondered,
our lunar neighbor soon "float
ed" out into clear sky and
was just as blue as ever.
" The blue was not uncertain
and elusive, requiring close at
tention to discern the coloration.
Not the least imagination was
required. Normal eyes were im
pressed immediately with a very
distinct blue so unnatural to old
Luna's usual smiling face. The
effect was evident for about 15
minutes. As the sky became
darker, the weird coloration was
gradually lost in the yellow radi
ance of the night moon.
Shortly after this I discussed
the phenomenon in my weekly
newspaper column used in sev
eral states and asked for simi
lar observations from readers.
Soon I had a large number of
"testimonials" at hand. Most ob
servers had seen only one such
appearance each during the pre
vious years of their lives.
On Nov. 8, 1948, while wait
ing for a city bus on a street
corner, I witnessed my second
blue moon. When I called the
bus driver's attention to it, he
said, "I have been noticing the
past few minutes how green all
the auto lights appear."
Prof. Fergus J. Wood, present
science editor of the Encyclope
dia Americana, has stated that
he believes such blue moons are
due to the presence in the atmos
phere of numberless, infinitely
minute, suspended particles, in
dividually too small to be seen,
yet together having a sensible
effect on light rays transmitted
through the atmosphere.
The Arctic tern is the champ
ion long distance bird, cover
ing 20,000 miles annually, trav
elling from its breeding grounds
in the north to its winter quar
ters in the south sea area.'
MONEY GROViS
quickly when invested here
. . . where INSURED SAFETY
and LIBERAL EARNINGS
await your savings. Open an
account tomorrow and get
these worthwhile savings
from now on.
FIRST FEDERAL
SAVINGS LOAN ASS'N
of Medford
27 North Holly
Am iMtHiiriM Deaftcstea'
Te TImm Wfce Save
RAINBOW MOTEL
Grocery & Patio Cafe
Crater Lake Highway (62) Shady Cove
NOW OPEN
Featuring
Fresh Trout (Caught Daily)
Steak Dinners
FISH at our COMMERCIAL TROUT PONDS
Pony Rides Picnic Grounds
Dance Floor with Juke Box Music
Housekeeping Cabins by Day or Week Trailer Park
o o o o
PI
WATCH FOR THE
MONDAY, JULY 25
OF OUR NEW
C?E
NORTH BARRETT STREET
Next to Greyhound
EVERYTHING will be BRAND NEW - NOTHING from our fire
damaged store EVERY ARTICLE in this temporary store will be
BACKED BY MEDFORD FURNITURE STORE as TOPS in VALUE and
QUALITY!
. ETOSY SHOWONG
Mew
LTD
Televisions And Appliances!
Actually, this is the FIRST SHOWING of NEW PHILCO PRODUCTS te be held
in. the United States! We. are grateful to PHILCO for fine cooperation
replacing PHILCO TELEVISION and APPLIANCES which were destroyed or
damaged in our recent fire with the only available PHILCOS-NEW 1956
MODELS SOON TO BE SHOWN ELSEWHERE in the country. They're certain
to please and appeal te YOUI
ALL OF US AT MEDFORD
FURNITURE STORE . . .
We are sincerely grateful to our many friends, here and throughout
the country, for their expressions of sympathy following our recent
fire. Especially do we want to acknowledge with deep appreciation
the. cooperation and encouragement extended by manufacturers
and wholesalers which makes possible the early resumption of our
service to this community.
For years the Medford Furniture Store has offered to the people of
this area the .very finest merchandise the markets afford, and prices
that represent, the peak of value. It is because that we are prideful
of this reputation for QUALITY and VALUE that ...
We Will TO Mi
a FIHE SALE!
We. do not want to offer to those who know the excellence of our
home furnishings, merchandise that 'had, been damaged by water
or smoke. Instead, we have secured a temporary location and will
open Monday, July 25th with a BRAND NEW STOCK the kind
we can back with our name and reputation.
Workmen will begin soon on rebuilding our store which was dam
aged by fire BIGGER and BETTER than ever before. Our SERVICE
AND, CARPET DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO FUNCTION and
every effort is being made to offer you the very best of service with
out interruption. .- ..
Thanks again for your friendly sympathy and cooperation at this
trying time, and for your patience. We can promise you a bigger
and, finer store for the future-wider selections and improved service.
Robert Reef or
Temporary Location - NO. BARTLETT - Next to Greyhound Depot