The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-11-03
THE MOON A DEAD STAR.
From che Providence Journal.

From che Providence Journal.
The Maine Journal of Education has
translated an article from the Cosmos in
which Stanislaus Meunier gives some Gu
rieus speculations with regard TO the
present physical condition Of the moon
His theory is, and he has the support
of eminent astronomers like Beer, Moed-
Ter and Arago, that the moon is dead
star. He draws this inference from a
singular appearance upon the surface,
which is called "grooves by the ply
sicists. These grooves have parallel sides
nearlya 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
the process of formation, Reasoning
from analogy, we must believe that at
some period in the distant past, the moon
had an atmosphere and water, and also
that on account of her inferior size, she
has cooled much more. quickly than the
earth, The water penetrating the crust
has been absorbed as the decrease of in
ternal heat increased the thickness of the
crust. until long before the cooling pro-
cess had reached the center, the water
had disappeared. The rocks then solidi-
flying, as the heat supply diminished, con-
tracted in a manner esembling the ap-
pearance of basalt, and produced the
grooves into which the atmosphere set
tied. Hence comes the chaotic appear
ance of the moon, with its immense noun
tains, volcanoes, and craters. Some as
tronomers have detected an appearance
of action in some Of the volcanoes; but
the general opinion is, that every vestige
of physical life has long since departed
from the surface OF cur satellite.
These theories are all very we'll when
applied to our distant neighbor, the moon,
but we cannot shut our eyes to the start
ling fact that the earth is undergoing q
similar process Of transformation. &C.
ologists trace close resemblance be-
tween the circles in the moor and the
circles of granite and porphyry
upon the earth. They have also discov-.
cred evidences of a fine qualification
among the lunar mountains, while the
volcanic formation bears observable
analogy to those Of Teneriffe and Palma.
According to the new theory the ,fols
lowing is the process slowly taking place
on the earth's surface, for she, like her
subordinate, is gradually cooling. 1t is
estimated that one fftieth of the origi,
nal ocean has been already absorbed, and
that when the crust of the earth has be-
come one hundred miles in thickness
every drop of water will disappear. 1t
is also estimated that the earth could
easily absorb fifty oceaus like those which
now cover large portion of the surface
All the water at present on the earth
constitutes one twenty-four thousandth
part of its weight, and once absorbed
would become insensible 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 aCs tA
Whether there is any truth in the the
Dry 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 single lifetime Accor-
ding to the experiments of Bischof, it
will take nine millions of years for the
earth to cool down fifteen degrees This
loss is almost imperceptible, as,the inter
ma; heat adds only thirtieth Of a degree
to the temperature Of the surface.
If the process is true 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 musts be subjected to the
laws which rule his subordinate
Therefore, the time must come in the dis
tant ages of the hereafter, when the sun,
planets, and moon, losing every vestige
of heat, will have absorbed every drop of
water in their thickened crnsts, and will
have imprisoned every particle of atmos-
phere in their huge assures.
The solar system, now so grandly beau
tiful, will then be but an assemblage of
dead worlds, without ray Of light, with
out a wave of heat, without drop of wa
ter, without & breath ofair floating round
in the immensely of space, bound togeth
er by the law OF gravitation in, this en-
brace of DEATH
1t is not a pleasing speculation, if it is a
philosophical one.
WHAT BIsMARK FOUND IN HIS Bed
AT the Prussian headquarters in Meaux
the king occupied the the front, Count
Bismark the back rooms of the Arch
bishops palace. The apartments of the