, 1859-03-04
The Future Of The Earth.

1t is now a very generally received theory
among scientific men, that the moon was
formerly portion Of the earth, and, that
in past ages, it has been thrown on by
some tremendous internal explosion. There
can be nodoubt that, her time, the Garth
has proved dangerously energetic, and may
so prove herself again. We are treading
on very tender ground when we walk over
her surface; as will be clear, il We believe
her interior to consist Of a spheroidal mass
in state of igneous fusion, whose diameter
equals one hundred and twenty-five times
the thickness Of her solid crust. Certainly,
it is within the bounds Of truth to say, that
the earths she'll offers, in strict proportion,
no more resistance than that Of an egg.
All the phenomena Of past ages, as well as
oil the phenomena in our own times-that
is TO say, the whole force Of analogY-are
opposed to the opinion that the actual sur
faceiof our globe is in state Of perpetual
stability. The earthquakes which swallow
up villages and towns, and the torrents Of
lava which boil from the lips Of volcanoes,
to spread themselves over the calcined'
fields, inculcate very different idea. With
the future fate Of the crust Of the earth Is
involved the fate Of the races OF animals,
Sustained by it. We may live, therefore,
mentally secure and confident; but we must
not forget that We are not in perfect and
certain security, and that o satellite may
one day be shot out into space from the
entrails Of the earth, and may destroy, in
one single instant, by that convulsion, the
whole audacious race Of Japbet = h7'f9
Is it possible to calculate the epoch Of
any new breakup Of the present state Of
things? And can we guess In what way IL
s-likely to take placer To the Grst quest
tion, negative reply must he given. We
multitude Of new geological observations
and discoveries to resolve the problem ina
manner at oil approaching to be lsatisfac-
tory. Meanwhile il must be allowed lliatq
the awful phenomenon may take place to-
morrow, as likely as a thousand, OF a hun,
dred thousand years hence. The second
inquiry may be answered, by the help Of
analogy, with considerable prObabiliiy,ois
being approximately true. Tie animals at
present existing on the earth may disap-
pear, IN consequence Of the action Of sub
terraneun Gre. The burning spheroid,
which constitutes the major portion Of our
globe. might explode and shoot out seer
oud satellite into empty space, without tho
Isolar systems suffering thereby the slight
est momentnry disturbance; but not with
out the earth's receiving terrible shock
which wonld reduce every town. and every
human edi6ce, to dust; which would utterly
destroy mankind by the outbreak OF inter-
nal FIRE, BY the crash Of ruins or by the
overwhelming sweep Of ouipoured OCEANS
Either the conclusion might be Sufficiently
violent TO break up the earih into flngsf
lments and to give birth 10 new telescopes
planets, like Juno, Yesta, and abe restof
them; Or, she might resist The violence 81
tile BLOW, and our speroid might melt and
then sOlidify against the she'll atpresenlq
existing. In that case, It's centre ef grayityq
would DO inyariahle, and iho earth would
probably have rotary movement round
the sun, similar to that Of her satellite
round herself; bdmely, an endless summ6f
and an endless day would fall tothe share
of one hemisphere, while eternal night and
winter would envelope the other hemls-
phere 10 eger-endnring shade. But IN
whichever way this fearful catastrophe took
place, its necessary consequence would be
the total, extinction Of every existing race
Of animals Would other races succeed 70
them? Aud would the human race, IN
particular, be replaced by another set Of
rational beings, less imperfect than our
owni Analogy answers, yesl but The
Great Ruler Of the universe alono can tell
whether analogy suggests trns ora false
belief. 4. ~. ,.,',... /. ~. y !, ,,,s
: Verymahy learned men have madcthem-
selves perfectly easy respecting the future
condition Of the earth. It's present state,
they take for granted, will hencoiofth re-
main inVnriable the grand ealaclyams.
which, have broken is up a. former epochs,
win never occur again, and human lutelll-
gence has nothing 10 do but 70 envelope
itself regardless Of the future Tor what The
earth Is TO day, it will remain forever. !
Such an opinion Of the. stability Of Tho
actual order Of earthly things is doubtless
consolotary and is well adapted TO iran
quiIize our minds respecting the lot Of iu /.
ture generations; but the optimlsts must
allow othersto differ from their views. IL
is scarcely logical conclusion 70 dedpce
future tranquility from repeated anleeeddnt
convnlsions; and therefore Monsieur A.
Passy, in bis Geological Description Of
the Department Of the Seine Inferienrespb Is
justified in asserting that the causes which
produced the FIRST crust Of earth, and
which have repeatedly broke up is second,
envelope, although restrained in their ac-
ton, are nevertheless far IRON being
exhausted. And Monsienr Ellie dc Bean
mont states his belief, that Il Is impossible
to be assured that the period Of tranquility,
apparently 50 stable, 10 which we live, win
not one day be interrupted by the sudden
apparition Of grand chain Of mountains,
another sagant ventures 10 add, and By
tthe birth of one or several satellites. Aud
thus, the boldest deductions Of modern
science accord with the declarations or
4 Ill NU-;t h. L. n /. ~. S.4In