The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1860-04-27

Life en- the M0on.
Until quite recently the surface OF the Moon
has been supposed TO be vast lifeless desert.
Astronomers have abused the Moon In every
possible way. They have said there was no
heat in moonshine. They have denied the
Moon an atmosphere, and consequently wa
ter and organic life. They have made US
believe that residence in the Moon would
be exceedingly undesirable. The old faith
in tbs Goddess of the Night was quite over
turned in scientific circles, and the fascina-
tions of moonlight we're departing day by
day.
But this is oil changed. Knox and Mello-
nj have shown, by very exact observations,
that thers 10 heat 10 the Moons rays. Zan-
tedesohi has discovered that this heat proda-
ees q sensible effect on the mimosa. An
English philosopher has found that the earth
10 colder during the first quarter OF the Moon
than it is in the second.
Upon the growth OF plants the Moon exer-
oises a remarkable influence. The chemical
action Of light 10 necessary to their principal
work, the absorption of carbon from the car
benio acid gas OF the atmosphere. This
work all plants carry on during the day, and
in the night they sleep except when the
Moon shines. She wakes them and sets them
at work. SO the farmers who plant only
just before the full Moon are right, and the
scoffers who call them superstitious are them
selves the foolish ones. For, If sown before
or near new moon, the young plants get
| above ground just at the full, when the ten.
der things need sleep. But il sown just be-
fore the full, they come up about new Moon,
pass their babyhood under the soothing inhu-
encss Of dark nights, and when the full
Noon comes are sturdy urchins, able to work
night and day.
The Moon worshipers are right, also, in
regard to the influence Of the Moon upon the
westher. nersohel, Arago and Whewell re-
oognized that the Moon had some slight pow
| or in dispersng clouds. The sailors 20 fur
Their, and say the Moon eats up the clouds. -
At the last meeting Of the British Associa-
ton il was shown that the weather through Q
long series of years depended . little--a very
little-upon the phases of the Moon; and
now Quetelet, the Director of the Brussels
Observatory, has shown that between the frst
and last quarters Of the Moon more and not
less rain falls than during the remainder Of
the time. However, fns weather and greater
rain-f fall may 90 together.
Finally, Webb, after a careful comparison
OF the present appearance OF the Moon with
the very precise maps made by Nader some
twenty years ago, has shown that there have
been considerable changes. Some Of the
| email craters, in particular, have q notably
different form from what they had when Mad
| Ter observed them. These changes show the
/ existence of water and an atmosphere. Faith
| or Secchi, Director of the Roman OBSERVE
tory, after much observation, has come TO
| the conclusion that the peaks of the highest
| mountains on the Moon are covered with
snow. And, to make US still more at home
ON the Moon, De La Rive, the owner OF the
observatory at Crawford, near London, gives
| it as bis opinion, that what were first mark ed
down as seas, and afterwards supposed to BE-
| barr en- plains, are in fact extensive forests.
| In support of tins comes up q great astro.
monte authority, Schwabe, the disoeverer oil
the periodic times Of the SUMS spots. Be
sides these great smooth plains, which were
called seas, there are number OF furrowi
or wrinkles, nearly hundred, the nature oil
which was entirely unknown. Their Length
varies from three to thirty i've miles, anC
their greatest breadth is about Eve thousant
feet; most of them are considerably narrow
err. Their sides are parallel and smooth
some run 10 straight lines, and some are gen
tly curved. Ordinarily they are separate
but. sometimes they loross each other; often
they cross orators, but occasionally the,
seem to be out off by them. They are found
all over the surface of the Moon, except OF
the highest mountain chains.
OF these burrows Schwabe has made care.
ful study at various times. lie found then
to consist of very fine parallel dark lines
separated by clear spaces. A few months
later the lines or streaks had disappeared
but after while they returned, again to dis
appear. In this periodic change he think
that he finds proof that those lines are row,
of trees, and the clear streaks between then
are the bare ground seen when the trees ar
lsaHess. When the trees are in full leaf, sh
ground is 30 covered as TO produce uniforr
shade, and the lines disappear.
Nothing 10 more natural than TO suppos
that the dark spots on the Moon are forests
but how shall we account for the growth o
these trees in right lines? This hypothesi
we must for the present consider to be onl
hypothesis. With the aid OF photography
which will secure for us accurate pictures 0
the Moon from time to time, We may hop
that the question will be solved, and that "
, may really lad out what is going on upon til
surface Of our satelite-[N. Y. Tribune.
Lusus NAruRAE-A Car olvxs BIRTH r
Four KITTENS AND PuPPY.-One OF til
most singular freaks OF nature which Y
have ever witnessed is the product Of gra
cat, to which she gave birth on Poyfarre- o.
, about ten days since, and consisting Of fou
, kittens and one puppy. We were consider
; ably astonished at learning the fact, and yes
terday proceeded to store on Tchoupitou
las street, where the cat and her progeny al
at present domiciled, and were fully cor
WINGED Of what before we had considered in
possible.
The puppy in question is the same in eli
: Of the kittens, although OF darker colo
: has ears and claws like a cat, and 10 the fl
: vorite OF the mother, who caresses it near
; the whole time, and gives it the most favo
= ed position, to the utter exclusion sometime
!, of the kittens. When first touched, the pul
: py cried like cat, but ito voice is changing