The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1874-02-19
The Suns Family of Planets.

The Suns Family of Planets.
Prof. Richard A. Proctor in one of
his lectures on Astronomy" gives n
description OF Jupiter, Saturn, and
Mars. Mars, he said, was situated under
more favorable conditions than Venus
or Mercury. Notes of the rotation of
the planet were taken in 1866, and it
was then found by the French astrono-
mors, by whom they werc made, that
there were on it two spots, one of which
it was thought grew gradually small.
Time went on, and it began to be
noticed that the spots remained nm
changed, and that they belonged to the
surface Of the planet. A comparison
was made between the planet and our
earth, and next came the question, how
far we could regard the white spots
as SHOWS. Then came the wonderful
disclosures of the telescope, and it was
discovered by Prof. Higgins, of Eng
land, that there was vapor OF water i'll
Mars. These white spots were recog-
nized rs polar SHOWS. The white mat
ter indicated the presence of clouds
then we knew there must be mountains,
Irregularities of surface, rain falls, air
and water currents, wind, storm, and
rain, and everything corresponding
with what we find on our earth. This
was the Brewsterian notion, and cor
responded with orr ideas as formed
from what we observe on this globe
The surface of Mars was between a
third and fourth part Of the earth, and
the volume about seventh part, so that
an enormous number of living crca.
lures might exist there. The gravity
was in the ratio of six to sixteen: in
other words a pound weight on the
earth would weigh sixteen pounds on
Mars. If we lived there we should feel
more active, much stronger and much
lighter in fact all our powers would be
increased. All the objects about us
would be much lighter, and we should
be able to manipulate them much bet
ter than here. Mars was a smaller body
than the earth, and the moon was n
smaller body than Mars If the gray
ty of our earth were reduced to that of
Mars, the air would he Immediately re-
leased, and It's density would be little
more than five ffths of what it was at
present. The appearance presented by
the planet indicated the existence of
an immense amount of cJld in it. He
thought it was shown rs clearly rs pos
sible that Mars was intended for the
forms of life that We know Of. 1t
should be remembered that we recog-
niAed on our earth conditions under
which life ceased. Minute animalculW
abounded, and these creatures were car
ried up by air currents We also knew
that life passed away after n certain
height was reached. CoXwell and
Glaisher went up in balloon to an i'm
mense height, and when they had
reached seven miles, Giaisher, whose
pulse had risen to 100, tainted. Coxwell
went two miles higher, when he found he
was losing strength and was unable to
draw the valve, his only alternative be-
ing to pull the strings with his teeth.
Then they descended, and their strength
returned.
The curious part of that story was
that the pulse of either of them should
have been at seventy-four or seventy
six before they assembled. We all knew
| UllNb peOplS llNcu uG Blt'p 'itiouuV'
The Inhabitants of Quito We're 5000
feet above the level of the sea, and yet
we heard that they danced the whole
night through. That fact was enough
to show that they enjoyed good health.
The lecturer then proceeded to deal
with the giant planet, Jupiter" the
prince of the solar system AS he
termed it, and observed that in connec-
ton with it, as with Mars, a veritcation
was afforded of the truth of Goethes
remark, that Gin her monstrOsities na-
turc reveals her secrets" Jupiter, he
said. was instinct with its inherent fires.
Ordinarily it had light green colored
zone, like Saturn, but sometimes it pre-
sented ruddy light. The light which
it received from its satellites was only
a sixteenth part of what we get from q
full moon. With regard to the theory
that the planets are inhabited, it seemed
to him that an intermediate theory wa'
the more likely, and that was that onl,
a small proportion of the planets wer'
inhabited. Although one dismissed a
unlikely the conclusion that any plane
was inhabited. yet one must reach an
!. other one, namely, that there wer'
millions of inhabited worlds.
T God of granite and the rose,
Soul Of the sparrow and the bee,
The mighty tide of being flows
: Through countless channels, Lord, to Thee
r 1t leaps the life in grass and flowers,
Through every grade OF being runs,
lts glory shines from prison towers,
, And comes to lis from stars and suns
PoE's SISTER. R.--For many years tn
announcement, " A sister of Edgar A
Poe is living at Baltimore, in great des
: titution," has appeared in the exchange
s at irregular intervals. The Baltimor
Gazette has conferred boon upon news
4, paper readers in supplementing tn
old time paragraph with the following
., Yesterday Rev. George w. Powell
pastor of the Universalist church, dc
: iivered to Miss Rosalie NJ Poe, tn
@ aged and helpless sister of Maryland
brilliant poet, Edgar A. Poe, the SUI
. of SCI 3j, the net proceeds OF his lee
ture recently delivered for her benefit
g entitled "a Warming Voice from til
Grave of Edgar a. Poe" The feebl
old lady expressed herself in terms {
- warm gratitude, but spoke gloomily {
her future"
y HrsToRIcAL.-Gen. Wade Hampto
= has issued circular in behalf of til
Southern Historical Society, in whic
he says: 81 appeal to every man an
80 to every woman OF the south who has
e pride in our past glory or our futul
e honor; who wishes to place upon til
/. record for all time TO come the vindict
d tion of our people who desires to Sc
m the whole truth laid before the angus
N tribunal of history; who cherisht
n amid all these evil times love and re-
/. erence for onr heroic dead, or wi
'. hopes that our children shall not d.
+ ponnce their fathers "a rebels and tra