The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-09-19

was in the same condition in which it
is now, having gone through the COM
plete list of It's changes eight times in
the interim-for SO is almost exactly
divisible by IL, giving us the quotient
s. Doubtless these same phenomena
have recurred, though in a less marked
degree, every eleven years since Cowper
wrote. Gibbon remarks upon the SIM
ultaneous appearance of comets, earth
quakes, famine and pestilence in the
Roman empire during the reign of JUS
tinian, and refers the depopulation of
some of the fairest parts of the globe to
that ILL omened period.
So far 1 have made no attempt to ex-
plain the connection of comets, earth
quakes and meteors with the other phe-
nomena, but this seems no difficult task.
Comets are only planets of long periods
of revolution, and our skies are never
afflicted with meteors except when the
earth is crossing the track of an innu-
meraple host of minute planets, which are
probably the remains of some large
planet broken into fragments and flying
together in q very large orbit. Now,
when these comets and meteoric bodies
are in the neighborhood of the sun, is it
not natural to suppose that they may
cooperate with the planets Jupiter aud
Venus to aggravate the solar disturb
ances and to intensity the corresponding
terrestrial phenomena?
1 should be at loss to find any con-
nection between the earthquakes and
the other phenomena, but fortunately
Professor Zollner comes to my relief
with new theory of terrestrial magnet
ism, which, however, it is well to take
cum grdno. One part of this theory is,
that the general phenomena of terres-
trial magnetism are related to the cur
rents of the inner liquid mass of the
earth, and that whatever affects these
currents, as, for instance, volcanoes, re-
acts Immediately upon the magnetism
of the earth.
Now, if earthquakes and volcanoes af-
feet the magnetism of the earth, why
may not violent disturbances of this
magnetism, cicc versa, produce volcanoes
and earthquakes, by disturbing the
equilibrium of the inner mass of the
earth. In fact, it would seem as if
Professor Zollner's theory was produced
solely to explain this coincidence Of
earthquakes with the other phenomena
which have been the objects of your at
tention.
We have then not only simple ex-
planation of the phenomena which have
been recently witnessed, but valid
reason why they must have occurred
before in the same manner at regular
intervals. 1t is to the sun that these
terrestrial manifestations are due, and as
that luminary yields up his secrets to
the thousands of importunate astrono-
mers who are daily questioning him,
these and many other things now but
imperfectly understood will be made so
plain that he who runs may read. Upon
meteorology the results must be most
decided. To charts of wind and cloud
there will be added knowledge of the
lightning, when and whence it cometh,
and, the important question, whittier it
goeth.
Our almanacs may hereafter be made
out fer general use, not for one year in
advance, but for ten, and if there is any
reliance to be placed upon Professor
Zollners theory-it seems plausible, at
least--the prediction OF tidal wave
may cease to be the humbug and canard
it was universally pronounced to be q
yeur ago.