Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1867-01-29
The Final Fate of the Universe.
The Scientific American saws.

:, ieS "0iC pIdceu III space
without any force acting upon each
other than their own gravity, they
would Immediately start toward
each other, and would rush together.
The sun and planets which consti,
tute the stellar system arc prevented
from running into one mass by their
revolutions about each other. The
revolution Of the planets around our
sun, and Of the satellites about their
primaries, have been ascertained
with that wonderful precision which
is the just pride Of astronomical sci
ence, and astronomers are now en-
gagged in the sublime problem of I'M
raveling the revolutions Of the
countless clusters that make up
our stellar system. Already the
cluster.of the Pleiades is indicated as
the prOximate locality Of the center
around which oui sun, with his at
tendent planets, is sweeping his vast
orbit; and il is suggested that it is
probably the common center Of the
orbits OF all the suns Of our stellar
system.
f the force Of gravity extends
across the inconceiv able spaces
which separte the several stellar
systems OF the universe, those sys-
TENS must rush together unless they
are held apart by revolutions around
each other
If light were an emanation, as
held by Newton, the spaces between
the solid bodies Of the universe
might be absolutely empty and, in
that case, the revolutions of the
bodies might go on forever On the
other hand, il light is q vibration in
subtle fluid, the fluid might obstruct
the motions Of bodies revolving in
it, and they must finally come to-
gether in one mass. The expert
ment so ingeniously devised by
Arago, and carried out with such
honorable regard for the fame Of its
designer by Messrs. Foucault, Fizeau
and Bereqae, to determine whether
there is difference in the velocity
OF light in its passage through ali
and water, has demonstrated that
light is a vibration. 1t follows from
this that, as far as light extends
space is filled with a meterial fluid,
which resists the motion of bodies
revolving in it, and bodies within
this space must gradually wind
their way inward, and ultimately
come together into one mass.
The moon must be drawing nearer
and nearer the earth, and the two
bodies, in the far distant future, will
come together. The solid crust OIL
the earth will De broken up by the
shock, an immense quantity of heat
will be generated by the destruction
Of the moons motion, and the two
bodies will fuse together in one
molten globe. AS the new and en-
larged earth is cooled upon its sur
face, q second series OF geological de
posits will be constituted accompa
MED, perhaps, by strange and IN
conceivable forms of animal ano
vegetable lie.
At the Same time the sun is wind
ing its way inward towards the sun
and must ultimately fall, an incon
siderable pebble, into the fast grow.
ing mass. The same fate awaits all
the planets, and our solar system
must one day be but single globe
When that globe is cooled to the
right temperture, it may be covered
by a multitude Of inhabitants, and
astronomers may rise who will
watch its revolutions among the as
ISOLATED suns of our stellar system.
If their knowledge and intellect are
equal to the science of our astrono-
mers, they will foresee the ultimat
coming together Of all these suns
into one common globe. And not
this only, for they will predict the
final coming together of all the stell-
ar systems Of the visible universe in
to one mass of matter.
When this mass is first collected
it will be intensity hot, from the de-
struction Of motion in the several
I
come together. The heat will be
radiated outward into the universe
and the one mass Of matter will be-
gradually cooled. During the cool
ing there will be the same play anc
mutual interchange of heat, light
electricity, magnetism, and other i'm
pOnderable forces that are now up0r
this earth. As the cooling proceeds
the action Of these forces will dimin
ish. When 977 degrees is reached
/ light will cease, and darkness vii
fill the universe.
AS each vibration of heat leaves
the material mass, it will expanC
outward at the rate Of 1917, 900 mile
per second in all directions, in tn,
form of swift.swelling Globe
When the temperture Of absolute i
reached (-492-3 degrees) the las
vibration of heat will leave the mas
of matter and expand outward
through all infnity of space anc
time.
Surprising, however, the etheria
fluid which fills the visible portion
Of the universe is limited in extent
so that the last vibration Of heat vii
reach its boundries and cease, wha
then become. Of the force Of the uni
verse and of the doctrine of the con
version of force?
SEVERE LOss.-A FIRE in Washing