Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1873-11-26
HORRORS At HAND.

sustained their arguments with truths
brought to light from the deepest and
darkest wells OF science. That humanity
is TO be obliterated was the gist of five
papers read by five of the most scientific,
trusted and celebrated of the Association.
A terrible and total extinction of animal
life was foretold by all, the only question
being which Of the five horrors shall first
develop itself and perform the work of
universal destruction.
Prof. Young, the most eminent living |
student of solar physics, read paper on |
the sun. That body, he argued, is gi-
gantic bubble, whose crust is gradually
thickening and whose size is gradually
diminishing There is constant loss OF
heat, which will end in its extinction as a
producer of warmth and light. He quo
ted Faye, Secchi and others TO prove that
the material of the sun is gaseous, and
that these gases are retained by some
kind OF a crust. Through this surface
the tumultuous inner composition is con-
stantly squirting and outbreaking with
great violence He thinks that this crust
may consist of sheet of descending
rain-not of water, of course, but of the
materials whose vapOrs are known to
exist in the solar atmosphere, and whose
condensation and combination are sup
III I, A.
this peculiar rain meets the gaseous sub
stance of the sun it coalesces into a con-
tinuous sheet, forming "a sort Of bot
tomless ocean, resting upon the con-
densed vapors underneath, and pierced
by innumerable ascending Jets and bub-
bles." This action of the suns envelope
will be a quenching OF the great orb upon
which we depend for heat and light. 1t
will grow smaller, and more compressed
and surrounded by this crust, until it
will be so hidden and muffled as to be
practically excluded from the economy
of the universe. The result will be in
tense cold and darkness, a cessation OF
all animal life, and an immediate return
to original chaos
General J. G.. Barnard described the
interior Of the earth as a moulden fluid.
Previous notions had given the earth,
however a rigid exterior surface from
one to two thousand feet deep. He re-
tuted this theory, and claimed for the
globe upon which we live somewhat the
construction of a rubber ball filled with
melted lead. The surface is, he thinks
pliable coating that has been gradually
formed over the fiery mass inside. A
globular form is maintained by rapid 70
tary motion, the inner fluid sustaining
the soft shell in its position, SO that tn
undulations are imperceptible to us
Thus We are being whirled through spac
on large globule, the surface of whicl
floats on an interior of liquid fire. Onl
the rotary speed of this bubble keeps
together, and any disarrausement o.
change in terrestrial phenomena woul
transform it all into fluid that woul
resolve itself into vapor. General Bar
nard does not believe that the surface
of an essentially different compostio
from the liquid interior--it has only bee
condensed sufficiently to form sort c
capsule. The tenure of the worlds ext.
tence, therefore, is exceedingly uncel
tain. Any greatly disturbing inhnenc
the breaking out of huge volcano
any change in the surface that woul
render it brittle, the impact of heav
meteor or comet-may, in momen
immediate it, leaving humanity to whir
ing death amid the horrors of morgan
space. ...-
Mr.. II. f. Walling began an essay O
1.-The Dissipation of Energy by sayin,
'Since the days of the ancients it ha
been known that all motion is gradual
developed by friction, and must final
cease unless maintained by ext ern
power. The heat power of the sui
which he regarded as the motive pow,
of the earth, is being exhausted by Il
prodigious lavishness of its expenditure
1t is supposed, he said, that the satellite
will fall into planets, planets into sun
and suns into common centre, aft
which darkness, silence and death wi
reign" He was not without shade
of hope, however. He saw only two pc
sible chances for postponement,
least, of the dreadful catastrophe: FRS
aseries of natural chemical evolution
attracting to the sun vast amount {
combustible material; and, second, Il
infinite magnitude of the universe beil
sufficient to permit a never-ending col
centration of masses One dreaded effe
of loss Of sun-power, he said, is di
placement of atmospheric forces. It'd
influences or planetary collisions m,
hasten the final dreadful catastropt
which will be slowing of the machine
of the universe, until growing stagnati
eliminates in total extinction OF Ii
forces.
Prof. Franklin B. Hough foretold
perpetual drought-the result of clel
ing off of the forests. 1.-The contrast
lie said, between an open and sunbur
pasture and one interspersed with clum
Of trees must have been noticed by eve
careful observer. The fact that furnitr
in houses too much shaded will mould
an instance of the humid influence
trees and the results of woodland shs
explain the fullness OF springs a
streams in the forest, which dry up a
disappear when the trees are removed
The rapidity with which forests are d
appearing has already been matter
alarm; but when we consider the eff
upon streams-practical illustrations
large ones being lessened and small or
eItinguished-there is cause for frigl