Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-01-29
Interesting Discoveries Concerning Our
Lunar LIminary.

TIE old-time folly which traced mad
ness to the moon, bids fair 10 prove &
claim to wisdom, for recent observations
declare the moon to be the most cracked
thing in existence. 1t is not only said tC
be completely cut of its head, but to bt
absolutely dangerous, and to be rapidly
preparing heavy destruction for the earth
1t is now fully a year since some real
frstclass astronomical sensation was
hurled at the old-fashioned, steady-going
world. Sensation makers have had very
poor fortune in their use of comets, and
the gradual approach of the earth to the
blazing sun is too far in the {~ture to
frighten we'll But another matter has
been seized upon. The moon is cracked
and is in danger of flying apart, and when
it does fly apart, we shall have two moons,
or else the piece will fly from its orbit,
and, rushing hither, will put a full stop in
terrestrial history. This is sensation
worthy of the name. 1t is one of those
delightful frightening affairs, which one
reads of, exclaims gracious" and then
resigns himself to his fate by forgetting
it.
But the story Of a cracked and disin-
tegrating moon, which is made public
through the well-known observatory at
Marseilles, has points about it which, if
fully assured as to their authenticity, will
arouse good deal of discussion among
astronomers. The story is of Luigi Ca
ciatOre, a young man with an idea and a
fortune Of about $4,000, student at the
Observatory of Marseilles. This young
man was so devoted to his idea that he
heaped his little fortune upon it, and with
telescope and other instruments set sail
alone for the solitudes of southern seas.
Before embarking he handed to his old
instructor a roll of manuscript upon
which was inscribed the idea which the
youth pursued and his reason for enter
tanning it at the expense of his time and
fortune. He believed, speaking unscienti-
fcally, that the moon was altogether
more cracked than modern astronomers
imagined, and he went to the south seas
alone, that, being there in the region
where passed the deepest shadow, he
might see the sunlight peeping through
the cracked moon at the time of the next
eclipse. He went away to the south even
to Pitcairn's Island, erected his rude OBJ
servatOry, gained an old sailor to assist
him, and they two, with eyes front and
instruments pointed, awaited the shadow.
1t came. Straight through the rugged
rocks the ragged sunlight shone, as one
sees a CLEAN through crack in the door
A cry of joy came from beneath the tele-
scope. The sailor, turned photograph.
er, caught three negatives of the pene-
trating sunbeam. The youth, with his
idea possessed now proof, to him suffi-
cient, that his belief was not a vision. but
a scientific reality, and he writes to his
old instructor in France, with all the en-
thusiasm of boy who has stormed a
snow fort, and with all the exclamation
points of the successful lover That
young man saw enough during his lonely
vigil on Pitcairn's island to make him de-
clare "that our satellite is not only shell,
and not only shell full of cracks, but a
shell that is crushed in upon some pOr-
tons of its periphery, and a shell that is
now crumbling to ruin with a constant, a
savage, frightful velocity"
The old Professor at Marseilles, COM
menting upon the youths observations
and records which accompanied his letter,
says he has pushed his discovery very
near to the point of demonstration, and
then the old gentlemen takes hand in
running things with a cracking moon as
fellows:
eff the crumbling be connected with
and dependent upon any such intense in
ternal volcanic action as Luigi seems to
suspect, the final disruption would be so
violent as to project some portions of the
moon sheer out of their orbit and down
upon us with consequences Of the most
serious character. Such an impact, if il
were of sufficient force, might in turn
dislodge the earth from its orbit, send ii
grating on a spiral into the sun, or flung
on hyperbOle out into freezing space
Or the same resistless force might, in fall
ing, crush in the surface of our own
planet, break through its crust and deluge
us with lava and steam, or suffOcate us
with escaping gases from our own subter.
ranean laboratory"
Is not that beautiful paragraph? The
reader may think that the moon is not the
only cracked thing in existence, but re-
strain the thought, for the above occurs
Just over the signature of WON De Pom.
tecoulant, of the Observatory of Mar.
settles.
The thought that the moon may be
thinking of sending a heavy shell hither
to avehge the many insults which men
have heaped upon her, is the only one
which presses after the eager Marseillaise
have done their worst. We do not think
it is coming, but has not the moon reason
to make US know that she is not the crazy,
love-sick, unwholesome, cold, metallic
thing which men will not cease to think
her? Has she not had the Jumping in
suits of all the young versemakers of his
tory, flung upon her bright, open counte
nance? Has she not kept straight
face" for ages, while listening to the rhet
oricai gum-drops of all the lovers since
Jacob began, with fourteen years Of moon
light walks Has she not listened patient
" to the longest vows and then been
| blamed because the words were perjury
| Has she not been charged with mingllng
harm with the affairs Of men, from the
| cutting of tooth to the SCATTERING OF an
| intellect? While we do not believe the
moon or any part of it is coming hltheI
until the great creative spring, now regu'
ulating planetary motions, and ruling
their gradual approaches, shall have
wrought its perfect work, still we
protest against giving the moon any
! further ground for even consequential
| DAMAGES We doubt not she is proud
of her beauty and jealous OF the
/ alteration which it commands. 1t IS mel
| Their safe, nor polite, nor wise to call hei
a cracked and suicidal termagant--Ut5c0
| (N. ~ Herald
A STRONG mind always hopes, because
| it knows the mutability of human affairs
/ and how slight a circumstance may
change the whole course of events
SUCH q shirt. too. rests upon itself; it i,
not confined to particular objects, and if
at last. all should be lost, it has saved it
| self it's own INTEGRITY and worth. Hone