The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-02-04
Startling News from Venus.
When the astronomers packed up the

Startling News from Venus.
| When the astronomers packed up the imple-
ments of their trade and started for the other
side of the world to observe the transit of
Venus, it was supposed that the results Of their
observations would be Of the most harmless
kind. Nobody expected any startling an
| nouncement affecting the ultimate destiny of
the human race, but supposed that the astrono-
mers were to do some CT their complicated and
| incomprehensible figuring to obtain what they
| call their data for other figuring, the sum and
substance of the whole thing being resettng
of the milestones of the universe, and more
accurate understanding Of the heavenly situa.
| tion generally. But, according to the special
information of the New York World, the work
of the astronomers has more thrilling signnifi-
canoe than we had any reason to expect. 1t is
said that they have found that the distance of
the earth from the sun is actually diminishing,
and that if it keeps on at the present rate our
planet will plunge into the great luminary of
the solar system in about 1440 years.
Now, this is an unpleasant prospect for the
people who may be residing on this earth at
that remote date, and it seems, too, like rather
an ignominious ending of this great experiment
of human life. The experiment does indeed
seem, at times, to be almost failure, and possi-
bly, it has been determined to give it up and to
dispose of the material in this quiet but sum-
mary fashion. If, however, as is claimed by
philosophers of an optimist turn of mind, the
race is steadily improving and going on toward
perfection, the inhabitants Of the earth in the
thirty century ought to be pretty re-
spectacle set of people, and it seems rather
hard that they should be doomed to circulate
about in close proximity to the sun, upon
- bo oil tod
out of existence. If the earth were at this
moment to take bee line for ''the everlasting
BONFIRE" who would feel that ne had the right
to protest? There would be SAVIOR of justice
in it, aud it would furnish q solution for vari-
Gus complicated difficulties out of which the
way seems very blind. 1t would settle Kellogg
and the Louisiana trouble in, perhaps, the most
satisfactory manner that could be devised. It
would relieve US from the necessity OF any
further consideration of the infalibility of the
Pope or the wisdom of Bismark's policy. 1t
would put al end to all schisms and controver-
sizes in church and state, and make further con-
tributions for missionary enterprises unucces-
sary Spain and Cuba would be put ou1 of
their misery. France would, at last, find place
suited to her temperament, and all the nations
of the earth would have their broils extin-
guished in one huge and decisive broil that
would leave no trace behind
But this sudden solution Of terrestrial diff
cultes is not to be so far as we are at present
advised. The process is to be q gradual one,
and it will be made hot for the people, when
it is to be presumed that they will IN meas
ure have outlived the troubles and sorrows aud
sins of this unripe era. If this announcement
should be verified, it will fill US with anxiety
for the generations to come, albeit for ourselves
the prospect will not be so terrible. In these
January days. when colds and influenza and
pneumonia and all the ills that our rude clim-
ate infict upon us are almost universal, we
take comfort in the notion that we are drawing
nearer to the central warmth, but as the ages
pass on, we see in fancy the effects of the in-
creasng heat, and have feeling of pity for
the sweltering population of the earth. The
eternal ice and snow of the poles will break
in pieces and dissolve, and the open polar seas
viii become fayorite resort of navigators.
Substances which now are liquid will become
gaseous, and solids will turn to fluids Tallow
and wax will have to be used in lamps, and
lead will flow down the mountains in purling
streams. Ice will be at a tremendous premium
and hot drinks at discount. But it is pre-
sumed the constitution of man will adjust it.
self to the condition of things, and that boiling
water will become grateful drink, and 5OO
degrees in the shade will be al endurable tenn
peratuve. Yet the equilibrium of things must
be sadly deranged. When the metals begin to
liquify and timber shrivels in the ardent rays
of the sun, what will the people do for the
material for railroads and steamboats,? When !
tie ocean boils like pot and fills the heaven
with vapor, will not navigation be interrupted
And when, at last, the earth draws near its ulti-
mate doom, and conlbustible substances begin to
take fire and conaagrations break forth sponta-
neoasly, and the world takes to smoking at
every pore, it will be intensely disagreeable to
live. Thirty-second century people have our
heartfelt sympathy, though possibly the efest OF
us may at that time be still worse of.
There is one ray of hope in the terrible pros
pect. Venus was never famous for her virtues,
and possibly she lies, or it may be that the cal
culations of Encke hundred years ago were
at fault, and that we are not 100000 miles
nearer the sun now than then. 1t is barely
possible that more accurate computations may
show that we are not nearing the sun and ultl-
matey destined to serve as fuel to keep Its
fires going At all events, we may lind COM
fort in the idea that Venus, who tells this fear
full story, will reach the bonfire first, and like
the messengers of the old Egyptian despots,
suffer fearful fate for being the bearer OF bad
tidings. Anyhow, we Of the present day are
safe and need not feel troubled on our own ac-
count Let us keep cool while we can.-Boston
Globe.
a REMEDY WORTH KNowING.-We fire.
quently read in the papers of some one VINO
has stuck rusty nail in his foot, or knee or
hand or some other portion of the body, ana
l. q, ~ Snh