Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1855-05-30

gradually vanished 10 the DIM shadows oil error
To be borne onward in the retreat of falsehood be
tore the progress of truth
And now 10 leave our childish specuiations lei
Us pass TO the considera ion of some OF the pecIiau
lies OF the visible portion of the moons surface
we say pisitie. because only one hall OF her exte
nor has ever been presented toward The earth -
| ms results iroro the fact that lunar day and
year, exactly coincide as To time in othet words
that the moon revolves on its own axis in exactly
me Same time thai il takes to make revolution
It's own axis. then the whole of her surface would
be presented 10 US every lunar month
fiewei with the naked eye the moons disk
presents numerous irregularities of surface and
varies hues of coior from light 10 shade; buf
"hen telescope of only moderate power is used.
ihese irregularities assume we'll defined shapes of
hsh aud extended Ranges of mountains precipi.
tous rocks and yawning gnlf>. while The dark
-r spots sink away into deep valleys and extend
rd plans, very like what we NAV suppose our
globe with her oceans. seas and lakes all dried m
would present 10 an observer in the moon The
brighter portion of the moon surface correspond
10 her Mountainous regions and the position Other
valleys and plains ind icaled by The darker
spots BY the aid of t;eomerry the heights o. her
mountains and the depths of her va evs bave been
determined from the shadows projected by her
numerous elevations. on the plains below Some
oil her mountains without rivaing, vie in height
with the ioflest peaks of The Andes. while from
her plains lofty peaks shoot their barren forms
XIV andI
The largest having circumference of forty miles
ana SINKING from three 10 four miles deep These
CIRCULAR cavities are particularly worthy Of note
from their close connexion with one of the nod-
ern theories OF the origin of mefeors svh ch as !
ciibes 10 lunar vorannes the hooor of supplying
the earth "ith those nnaccountable bodies. From
these cavities affecting the form OF craters. the ex
isence OF lunar volcanoes has been inferred al
though none have been actually discovered; but
their existence being granted II is easy 10 show
how meteors may be volcanic projections from
the moon
Picture to your mind huge masses of rock RI
sing precp'ously from The plains anG lifting their
naked SUBMITS To immense height; shelving
rocks and shapeess crags hanging from their
crnmbiing sides. seemingly the point OF tum
bling INTO the yawnHs chasns beneath; slopiug
plains sending up perpendicular sugar-loaf ele,a
lions and behold detached masses of igneou> rocks
lying about in wild confusion and interspersed
with bottorless pits. and you will then have a
faint conception of Iunary scenery indeed il is
SAID to resemble in grandeur the towering subln:
Ity and terrific ruggedness of the Al pine or oihe
Appenne regions, after which some oil her noun
:aIns have been uamed
We therefore led 10 conclude that, as the
moon has no atmosphere, all her sublime scenery,
with her massive rocks. huge mountains. and pre-
cIpiious sleeps and all her uide extended plains
Is to1a ally devoid verdure and only exists as a
barren And II there be vegetation IN
tie moon. must conclude even were there no
other reasons, that the moon uunhaliited tor
where there is no flora, we have fauna, sim
ply because the vegetable Kingdom the proxi-
mate source OF food for ANIMALS
But then there other reasons for disbelieving
the moon habltabe globe like our own. and
without involving ourselves IN the angry discus
sions The plurality OF worlds, now going on
between three of the most eminent philosophers
of the age. will add that the estimated low tenn
peraure OF the moon preciuies the possibility of
wafer and all aqueous compounds, SO ind>pen-
sible iile. existing there in the fluid state
besdee, neither lakes, rivers seas or anything IN
dcatIve water. have ever been discovered there
so that all we know OF The moon goes TO show
her barren wild. wholly uninha bird by MORALS
like ourselves lef il must not be forgotten thar
Prof Frauetho fer. OF MUNICH announced the dis
cove-y OF lunar edIlice resembling fertilization
-,tb limo of isa1i n
must need, infer not only that the moon is uha5
tied, but thar they like ourselves belgerent
and the astronomer Schreler even eonjucrures the
exstance OF great CITY the east side of the
moon her equator fields OF vegetation in
another place. and a canal in anolher Bnt these
couiuctures have not been verified by other OBJ
servers
Notwithstanding this drawback to her claims
upon orr attention, there is astronomical body
which attracts so much observation and excites the
same drgree OF interest the in all her
! phases Independently of the striking resem-
bience of some OF her terribly grand scene
/ ry to the towering sahIim,ty and awful rugged
ness The Alpine and other mountainous regions
she treated the Goddess oil weather by nnm
berless savans whose lives are governed by her
smiIes and her f.owns
! Look you al the thousand popular delusions
connected with the moon. and say What il is that
sustalns those superstIflogs errors many of which
exert their baneiul Influences over millions nt
minds in own day. How comes il 10 be be-
lieved that lunar light has snch cogenf powers lor
| good or evil Why do many agricultnralisfs
| rauf and harvest by the moort. and watch her
4 nh -ifh int n. i,xr
the pocket of his client. or the doctor his patient
| or the minister the size OF his congregation Is
iunary as the word would i.fdicaie caused by the
moons rays, or IS madness ever Influenced by her
Hight, And the processes OF either animal
or vegetable growth and decay. in the least aec.
tel bv unary Influences and IN fine oes ihe moon
ever exert any necessary it.fuence terrestrial
affairs independently OF her grsvtating force
Experiments made with the mos, delicate in