Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-06-01

! lecture why such a simple record
| should be carved on the stone in en-
during characters. Satisfied that some
4 extraordinary significance was attached
! to the series Of numbers, he examined
their surroundings with microscopic
! minuteness. Underneath each number
| there was a uniform mark which an
eminent cuneiform scholar pronounced
to be the symbol used by the ancient
PersiaEs and Babylonians for the nu-
neral 4. Yet, with this further inter-
probation, the geometrlcal series SEEM
ed devoid of significance. Fortunate
ly, however, the facts were brought to
the notice of Prof Leverrier, the cele-
brated French astronomer, who, after
a most cursorary inspection, discovered
the clew. add the 4 to each Of the
numbers in the series, said he ''and
we have a series denoting the respect
i've distances Of the planets Of our
solar system from the sun
Il, 7, 10, IS, %, 50. 100, 1856"
The planets In order being Mercury, 4;
Venus, 7; Earth, 10; Mars. 16; AS
teroids (Ceres, Pollas, Juno, Vesta)
%; Jupiter, 81 II; Saturn, 100 and
Uranus, 1876. When it is remembered
that Uranus vas not even discovered
until the beginning Of the present
century, this record Of the ancient
Egyptian magii acquires momentous
significance. Here they possessed. to
all intents and purposes, an indestruct-
ible astronomical record of the solar
system that could be referred to by
future generations, even as imperiaha-
bic standards Of weights and measures
are preserved at Greenwich Observato-
ry, and as we see the standard yard
measure Of various countries preserved
on the inner walls Of the City Hall.
Encouraged by this discovery, NJ.
JardsIay persevered in his investiga-
ton. Without entering into the scien-
tifc mlnutim of the examinations, it
may be briefly stated that by analogi-
cal reasoning he interpreted the char
actcrs beneath a certain group of fig
ures, whose appearance betokened par
oxysmal terror, to signify 400. Be
meath this number was the cuaeiforn
1 accompanied by another symbol,
which the Professor interprets to sig
uify the sign of multiplication, in las-
much as it bears a close resemblance
to the Persian symbol Of ''into'- as at
present used in the Shah s dominions.
Whether this position be we'll taken or
not, we have, Of course, no means of
aseertaining but the result is su1i-
GENTLY startling. -Four time 400 make
l010-the present year of grace,
While the human figures in paroxysmai
attitudes seem to exempIify the oyerpow-
ering dread that shall fall upon man
kind in "that terrible day." impelling
them "to call upon the rocks to fall
upon them and the hills to cover them.
This Interpretation BY the famous Rus
sja savant is entirely arbitrary, and
may be accepted by the candid, un-
preiudiced reader for what it is worth
Nobody, however, will pretend to
QGny FnaG THIS SO-calIeQ discovery IS
at least most extraordinary coninc1-
dence of scientific investigation with
the scriptural exegesis which fixes the
end Of the world in the current year.
4 eminent mathematician in this
city recently asked what were the
probabilities of the coincidence above
alluded to being accidental. After a
long and intricate calculation, into
which the diferential and integral cal
culus largely entered, he announced
the result in the following terms
''The Interpretation of prophecy places
the end Of the world in 1876 ; the
inductions of science place the end of
the world at no great distance of time;
the Interpretation of the Egyptian
hieroglyphics, which have correctly
exhibited the mathematical laws of the
solar system long anterior to their dis
covery by man, prefgure terrible
calamity to the human race in 1876;
the chances then against this coinci-
dcnce being accidental are about four
millions to one"