Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1860-11-10

direction exactly the reverse of its direction
during the day, and forming the evening land
breeze, so we'll known in the West Indian and
other tropical Islands, Chambers Journal.
-~- -
The Final Destiny Of the Earth.
Enck's comet, which rcvolvcs about the sun
III three years and half has been observed to
complete its revolution in constantly shorten
ing period, showing that it is being drawn in
ward towards the sun. This fact has led TO
the general conclusion by astronomers that the
planets are moving in resisting medium, far
more attcnuatcd than our atmosphere, but still
sufficient to affect their motions. If this is so.
it follows by strict necessity that our earth
and its sister orbs are all winding spirally to-
wards the sun, and that they must eventually
strike against it and become incorporated with
its mass. The time required for this purpose
belongs to those inconceivablc periods with
which geology and astronomy have to deal
The resisting medium is so exceedingly attcn.
uated that it exerts but slight influence ON
the comets, which are themselves masses of
the very thinncst vupor, and its influence
would of course be very much less on the dense
matter of the planets.
Astronomical observations, with all their
wonderful dclicacy, have yet failed to detect
the slightest progressive shortening in the pc
riods OF revolution of any OF the planets. 1t
Is curious, however, to note the multiplied
obstacles which prevent the perception of this
fact, if 1T does exist All the measures of
these revolutions are shortening with the rev
olutions themselves. If we begin, for in
stance, with the earth, the problem is to ascer-
tain whether the time occupied by the earth
in its journey around the sun is gradually be-
coming shorter. The first plan that suggests
itcolf io 10, A.
the earth upon its axis, to zoe whether the
year occupies the same number of days and
hours and seconds that it did in former times.
But if the earth is gradually cooling, it is con
tracting in size, and its rotations on its axis
are becoming more rapid in other words, the
day is shortening with the year; and if the
measure shrinks just in proportion to the thing
measured, we cannot tell whether the latter is
becoming shorter or not
If we take the time of the revolutions of the
moon around the earth as a standard, the same
resisting medium would draw the moon to-
wards the earth, and shorten the month also
with the year. If we resort even to the less
satisfactory measures of the suns rotation on
its axis, his bulk is also diminishing by the
radiation OF his heat, and the period of his
rotation is consequently becoming shorter.-
In brief, from the two causes of radiation and
the resisting medium, all the times and dis
tances which could be used to measure the
earths distance from the sun Cor the period of
its annual rcvolution) are shortening together
SO that the differences lin the extent of these
several contradictions are the only means left
for detecting by observation the approach of
the earth to the sun, if such approach is really
taking place. These differences would doubt
less reveal themselves In the course of gener-
atoms to refined astronomical observations
Ii the earth and the sun are gradually be-
coming cold, this winding of the earth towards
the sun would tend to keep up its warmth
and may be wise provision for prolonging
by some millions of years, the continuance of
animal life upon our globe. But this period
must come to close, for if there is resisting
medium pervadng the space between us aud
One '~a. the final destiny of tho Garth is to
curve gradually inward till. with velocity
'uuGle9S -, oi "nes greater than that of a can.
non ball, it dashes 'tSclf with an awfullv sub.
lime crash into the mass If the sun.
Sctensscc An,crtcan
In the hearing of a case for ass,, y. -
battery, a counsel, while cross examining" "nu y :
of the witnesses asked him what they had al
the first place they stopped at2 Z" Four glass
es of alc" "Next? "Two glasses Of
whiskey." "Next" "Onc glass of bran.
dy." Next W A fghtp
A WESTERN editor, complaining that ht
could not sleep one night, summed up the
causes A wailing babe Of sixteen months
old; a dog bowling under the window; cal
squalling in the alley a colored serenade in
a shanty over the way; toothache and 9
pig trying to get in at the back door"
"CoLoNEL w. is fine looking man, ism
hep said an old friend of ours, the othe
day Yes" replied another. | was taker
for him one time" You Why, you are al
ugly as SIM" az don't care for that; j in
dofsed his note, and was taken for him b.
the sheriff" ~.
INTEaarTY, honesty and industry, ar,
among the most'vaiuable possessions Of man