The Republican journal., 1870-11-10
From the Providence Journal.
THE MOON A DEAD STAR.

The Maine Journal of Education hes trans
lated an article from the Cosmos, IN which
Stanislas Meunier gives some curious specu-
lations with regard to the present physical
condition OF the moon.
His theory is, and he has the support Of
eminent astronomers like Beer, Moedler and
Arago, that the moon is d dead star He
draws his inference from singular appear
ance upon the surface, which is called
grooves by the physicists. These grooves
have parallel sides nearly q mile in width,
and from ten to one hundred and twenty-five
miles in length There are already ninety of
them, and it is supposed that more are in
process of formation. Reasoning from
analogy we must believe that at some time
in the distant past the moon had an atmOs
phere and water, and also on account of her
inferior size, she has cooled much more
quickly than the earth. The water pene
trating the crust has been absorbed as the
decrease of internal heat increased the thick
ness Of the crust, until long before the cool
ing process had reached the center, the water
had disappeared. The rocks then solidifying
as the heat supply diminished, contrasted in
a manner resembling the appearance of lasalt
and produced the grooves into which the at
mosphere settled. Hence comes the chaotic
appearance Of the moon with its immcnce
mountains, volcanoes and craters, Some
astronomers have detected IN appearance Of
action in some of the volcanoes, but the
general opinion is, that every vistage of
physical life has long since departed from
the surface of our satellite.
These theories are all very we'll whel ap-
piled to our distant neighbor, the moon but
we cannot shut our eyes to the startling fact
that the earth is undergoing Il similar process
of transformation. GcOlogistS trace 4 close
resemblance between the circles III the moon
and the circles Of granite and porphyry upon
the earth. They have also discovered cvl-
dcnces Of 4 fine stratafication among the
lunar mountains, while the volcanic torma-
tlons bear a discernablc analogy to those Of
Tencritfe and Palma.
According to the new theory, the following
is the process slowly taking place on the
earth's surface; for She, like her subordinate,
is gradually cooling. 1t is estimated that
one tittieth OF the original ocean has been
already absorbed, and that when the crust Of
the earth hl, become one hundred miles in
thickness every drop Of water will disappear.
1t is also estimated that the earth could easily
absorb fifty oceans like those which now
cover a large portion OF the surface.
All the water at present on the earth con-
sttutes one tWcntv-tour thousandth part of
its weight. and once absorbed would be
come insensiblc to chemical analysis The
water being absorbed the earth will crack
open like the moon, and form similar grooves,
into which the atmosphere will settle. Long
before this era all life will have ceased.
Whether there i any truth III the theory
or not, we have no immediate cause of alarm,
for the process will not advance enough to
give the slightest record in the short span OF
u single life time According TO the expert
ments Of Bischot, il will take nine millions
Of years ior the earth % cool down fifteen
degrees. This loss i almost imperccptblc,
A. the internal heat adds only the thirtleth Of
i degree to the temperature OF the surface.
If this process is truc OF the earth and the
moon, the same cause must produce the same
! effects in the other planets and satellites Of
the system. Even the great sun himself
must be subjected to the laws which rule his
suborlinatcs. Therefore the time must come
IN the distant ages of the hereafter when sun,
planets and moon. losing every vestige ot
heat, will have absorbed every drop Of water
III their thickcncd crustS, and will have inn
prisoned every particle ot atmosphere in
their huge tls~ure4. The solar system, now
grandly beautiful, will then bc but M as-
semblagc Of dead worlds without \ ray 0f
light, without 4 wave OF heat, without 4
drop VI water, without II breath ot air float
ing round in the inmensity of Space, bound
together by the law ol gra1 it1tion in the en-
brace Of death.
1t is not Il pleasing speculation i it a Y
philosophical one
The mackcre!ng season Of 1870 is fast
drawing To Il close, and by the middle of
November the bay fleet will all have arrived
A &