Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1871-07-04

know denotes n gaseous Or vaporized
state OF things. from which it may be in
ferred that such orbs are in different
condition from most of their relations.
And rs il for the very purpose Of throw.
ing lightupon this interesting question,
an event OF the most striking character
occurred in the heavens, almost as soon
rs the speclroscopists were prepared 10
interpret il correctly.
On the 12lh Of May, 1866. q great con.
llagralion, infinitely larger than that OF
London ~ Moscow. was announced. To
use the expression of distinguished as.
trOnomer. a world was found to be on
fire. A star which ill then had shown
weakly and unoblusively in the corona
borcalis. suddenly blazed up into Ia.
minary OF the second magnitude. In the
course Of three days from its discovery in
this new character. by Birmingham, nj
Tuam II had declined to tho third or one
fourth order of brilliancy Tn twelve
days. dating from its first apparition in
the Irish heavens. IL had sunk To tho
eighth rank, and il went ON waning until
tho 26th Of June. when il ceased 10 be
discernable except through the medium
OF the telescope. This was a remark.
able. though certainly not an unprcce
dented proceeding on the part of q star; |;
but one singular circumstance in its
behavior was, that. after nearly two
months. it began To blaze up again.
though not with equal ardor, and after
maintaining its glow lor a few weeks.
and passing through sundry phases OF
color, it gradually paled its fires. and re-
turnod o.its former insignificance. How
many years had elapsed since this awful
conhagration actuslly took place it would
be prcsumptuous 10 guess but il must
be remembered that news from the
heavens, though carried by the fectcst ol
messengers. light. reaches MS long after
the event has transpircd. and that the
same celestial carrier Is still dropping
the tidings at each station it reaches IN
space. until il sinks exhausted by tho
length of It's flight.
As the star had suddenly famed up,
was il mol natural supposition that il
had become enwrappel in burning hy.
drogon. which in consequence OF some
great c)nvulsion had been liberated IN
prodigious quantities. and then combin-
ing with other elements had set this hap
less world on fire In sncl fierce con
flagration the combustible gas wOulI
soon be consumed, and the glow would
therefore begin to decline, subject, as in
this case. to second eruption, which
occasioned the renewed outburst ol
light Oh the goth of August.
BY such 4 catastrophe ii is not wholly
impossible that our own globe may SON e.
time be ravaged. for if u word from the
Almighty were TO unlose for few mo
ments the bonds of affinity which unite
the elements Of water, a single spark
would bring them together with fury
that would kndc the funeral pyre OF the
human race. and he fatal TO the planet
and all the works that are thereon"
Your argument" he then instantly
added, "is by no means good one
What do we know OF the Supp cme Archi
tcct OF the Universe, or OF His designs
lio builds up worlds, and He pulls .hen
down; lie kindles suns and He exlin
guishcs them He inhames The comet ir
one portion of its orbit, with heat thai
no human Imagination can conceive of ;
and in another subjects the same blazing
orbs TO Il cold intenscr than that which i'm
vests forever the Antarctic Pole Al
that we know OF Him we gather through
His works. have shown you that He
burns other worlds, why not this? The
habitablc parts of our globe arc sur
rounded by water. and water you know
is fire in possibility"
"But all this, replied. lis pure, base
less, prolitless speculation"
mot SO fast" he answered. And ther
rising. he seized The small phial and
handing il to mo requested me to open it
confess did so with some trepcda
ton.
Now smell it,"
did so.
"What odor do you perceive'"
Potassium" replied.
"Os COURSE" he added. "you arc IA
miliar with the chief characteristic o
that substance. 1t ignites instantly wlier
brought in contact with water. Within
that little globule OF potassium ! have
imbedded n pill of my own composition
and discovery. The moment il is liberia
ted from the potassium, it commences
Its work of decOmposing the fluid OF
which it floats. The potassium at once
ignites the liberated oxygen, and the con
flagra.ion of this mighty globe is begun.
EYES," said !, Begun, If you please
but your little pill soon cvaporates Of
sinks, or melts into the surrounding seas
and Your conaagration ends just where !
began"
my reply TO that suggestion could b'
made at once by simply testing the ex
pertinent on small scale, Or large one
either. But Iprefer at present to relul'
your proposition by IN argument draw
from nature herself. If you correctl.
remember the first time had the pleas