Port Royal standard and commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-12-07
GROWTH OF THE EARTH.
Pref. Yeung's idea on the suRJect'''An
Interesting Paper.


Pref. YeunG's idea On the sunect'''Ah
Interesting Paper.
"Since meteoric matter is continually
falling upon the earth, she must OF
course be growing larger, and the daily
number of meteors is 80 immense that
il would be natural to suppose that the
increase might be quite appreciable In
few centuries. It is not 30, however
the surface of the earth is 80 enormous,
compared with the quantity OF rneteorio
matter, that, even on the most favorable
hypotheses, her diameter would grow
only about an inch in FIVE hundred MIL
lion years by accessions of this kind. a
few figures will make this clear.
Gas to the number OF visible meteors,
there is substantial agreement among
authorities. The estimate OF Professor
Newton is as large as that of any one,
believe, and he puts it at ,, 800, 600 per
diem, which number we will use. As
to their average weight there ia more
difference of opinion. Probably, how
ever, the most careful and best founded
Investigation is that of Professor Hark::
ness, published in his report upon OBJ.
servation of the November meteors ct
1856; and his conclusion is that the
mass of ordinary shooting stars does not
differ greatly from one grain.' PROBES
sor Newcomb appears also to concur In
this estimate. There are reasons. which
it would take too long to discuss, Tor
Thinking that this yalue isfikely to be
somewhat too small but on the other
hand it is almost absolutely certain that
the average mass cannot be as great as
one-fourth of an ounce. 10 be on tne
safe side, We will assume one hundred
grains as the mean weight OF the visible
shooting stars.
Remembering that the pound is.
7. 600 grains. We shall then find nearly
1O7. 600 pounds, or about fifty tons, for
the total weight of one days supply OF
shooting stars. An allowance must
also be made for the meteors too small
to be visible (Which are known by teles'
copic observations to be very numer-
ous). and for the matter brought down
by aerolites. If we double the quantity
stated above We shall certainly be album
dantly liberal, and this will give us 2l4,.
IOOO pounds q day, or about 70, l64, ,V0
pounds per year, as the earth's rate OF
growth in weight.
"Her increase Of bulk depends upon
the density of the meteoric matter, and
probably this density does not dlffer
much from that of ordinary soil, or
nearly three times that of water. II SO,
each cubic foot would weigh about 1874
pounds, and the annual meteor1c acces-
sion TO the bulk of the earth would be
not far from AT, 900 cubic feet. A cube
about seyenty-fve feet on each side
would be little larger. 1t would take
more than four millions such to make q
pile as large as Mount Washington.
Now. since the surface of the earth Is
about 5,4S4 millions of millions OF
square feet, it follows that the annua!
supply Of meteoric matter, II spread
uniformly, would form a layer whose
thickness would be only 1-13, 155. .0OO. .OUO
a foot, or very nearly IL, 100, ,0Oo,OoO OF
an inch. In other words, even on sucn
extravagantly favorable hypotheses as
we have assumed, the formation OF
sheet of meteoric matter covering the
earth to a depth of one inch would re-
quire q period Of eleven hundred mil
lions of years. H., .
"If we suppose meteoric matter to
have been Just as abundant In space as
now, since the beginning of time, and
that the velocity of the earths oroltai
motion has remained unchanged, ana
That the effects of her atmosphere and
of her gradual shrinkage under the ac-
tioa of gravity can be neglected, then 1t
can be shown by an easy course OF rea-
sonine, which would, however, hardly
suit these columns, that her diameter
must have grown during her whole ex'
istence at the same uniform rate as now,
and we find that to build her up TO neI
present dimensions by such process o.
AGGREGATION must have taken period OF
at least twenty and half millions
of millions of years.
"It is not intended to assert, however,
that che earth was really formed IN tme
way and even if it was, the above esti'
mate is of little value except as lndl'
eating the order Of magnitude involved
since there is no certainty Whatever,
not even O. probability-that in the early
stages of the formation Of the planetary
system circumstances nearly enough re
sembled the present to warrant any con
, olusion. Nor must it be forgotten tina
the probable estimates of Hardness anc
|, others as to the weight of meteors woule
lengthen all the periods OF time men
, toned from ten to one hundred foio
, We have given the smallest values pos
sible."