Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1868-10-16

and nearly In the plane Ia which the wheels
turn. If you will watch the larger pieces
OF mud closely you will discover that they
have rotary motion, like the wheel, and
In the same direction. Bearing in mind this
homely illustration, let us return to the
original nebulous mass. Il is highly heated
and easier Of attraction by being globular
in form. Consider it to be at rest and the
process Of cooling to have commenced, and
see when it takes place. The cooling is
from the outside, the condensing is conse-
quently on the outside--wherefore move
ment commences from the circumference
towards the centre, and because it is from
the circumference toward the centre it is a
rotary motion.
! It is such q motion as we see in the whirl-
wind on land and in tho whirlpool in the
water. This begets a revolving motion
either TO the right or TO the left, and in the
Debulae of the solar system, it was from the
right TO the left. Thus the nebulous mass
was set in motion.
As it continued to cool and contract, the
outer particles continued to flow inward,
and, as in revolving bodies, the Particles at
circumference travel faster than the parti-
cles near the centre-these inn-rushing par
| ticles carried their momentum from the
| there, and gradually accelerated the revol-
wing motion to such an extent that tho cen
triiugal force at the circumference became
greater than the centripedal, and so a lump
or ring was thrown off, first one and then
another for, as the nebulous mass contin-
ued to cool and contract, its velocity Of ro-
taticn to increase, and so, first the matter
| for Neptune and his satellites; then for
| Uranus, then for Saturn and his rings. was
thrown off all in and near the plane in
which the great central mass itself was
revolving.
These fragments we're not thrown Off in
the solid State, hut ss liquid or gaseous
matter for we know that Saturn, Jupiter,
Mars and the earth are all spheroids, and of
such shape Us o mass of matter only Ia the
fluid condition revolving about its own axis
could assume, and we know that the inte-
rior of the earth is still in fluid state,
which is quite consistent with the idea that
the whole was once fluid.
Saturn is still in the sky with his rings 10
attest this mode Of sloughing of matter !;
nor is the sun altogether without them.
These rings--so holds the theory--were
afterwards broken up into one or more
planets with or without moons-with or
without rings all Of which continued to
move nearly in the same plane, and to ro-
tate on their axis they revolye, every one
with the exception already mentioned, in
the same direction around their primaries.
TIE stream of asteroids between Mars
and Jupiter now stand out under this grand
and sublime hypothesis, not as fragments of
baoken planet, but as the pieces Of sew
cred ring.
The November and August meteors con-
s'itute a ring. The Zodiacal light is also
ring, snd some Of the most remarkable
nebulae in the sky are rings. Striking
analogies are afforded by some OF them in
favor Of Laplace's Hypothesis, as the Nebu-
lac in Canes Yenatci with its sgglomera-
tion, its rings and planetary nebulous mass
in the distance.
Theu again, in Leo, Lord Ross telescope
reveals Nebulae that make still more plau-
sible the great Fienchman's hypothesis.
In other parts of the sky, and as if to
show that nebulse do grow into stars and
suns, that monster telescope has picked up
planetary nebuhe that are apparently stars
in process of formation.
But Saturn presents the most grand and
striking example of all, though we find in
the heavens nebulae of more fantastic forms
and curious shapes than Saturn with his
rings and moons.
The close Of Commodore Maury's address
was followed BY general and hearty ap-
plause, the cadets giving three cheers, with
a real will for "Lieutenant" Maury. After
the Congratulations of the Superintendent
and members of the faculty, Commodore
Maury was Introduced to msny gentlemen
and ladies who had listened with close at
| tention to bis address,
| The interesting ceremonies closed with a
COLLATION. given by the Superintendent in
| honor of the occasion.