Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1878-02-16
The Geography Of the Moon.

>~~S-A
accompanying our larger planet, the
earth, on its journey round the sun.
Her diameter is about one-quarter,.
her surface about 2-29ths, her volume
about 2.9sth, her mass about 2-l6sds
of the earths. She completes al jour-
ney round the errth, regarded as at
rest, in about twenty.seven and one
third days, travelling at mean dis
tance of 238, 800 miles; but the lunar
month, or period between successive
conjunctions of the sun and moon,
has an average length of about
twenty-nine and one.half days. The
moons surface may be divided rough
ly into raised parts which are unusu-
ally bright, and great plains (not
smoothly which are darker, and in
some cases very dark. Over all the
raised parts the signs of former vol
canic activity are very marked. cra-
ters and ring-mountains, much larger
than any existing on the earth, being
found in great numbers on the moons
surface. Smaller craters are numer-
Gus, not only in the raised parts, but
over the gray plains. Many cracks
and faults, valleys, ravins and gor-
ges are also numerous on the rugged
surface Of our satellite. No water
and very little air seem present on
the moon, though there are signs that
seas formerly existed there, and there
is reason to believe that the lunar air
was once not very rare. Although
all is not at rest in the moon, and Ger.
tain portions of her surface seem to
have undergone remarkable changes,
even in recent times, there is nothing
to suggest that our satellite is at pres
ent the abode of life.
KING ALFoNso's CouRTsH1p-Hoav
the Young King Popped the Question.
There is something delightfully."- po-
etic in the story Of the royal marriage
celebration to-day. Unlike most SIM
liar events, state reasons have had
nothing to do in bringing it about.
1t is purely love match, the culmi-
nation of one of those idyls we read
about in fairy tales where the young
prince, sending his prime ministers to
Coventry, offers his crown and heart
to the humble maiden. 1t is true the
lady in this case is by birth princess,
but as she brings no royal dover of
provinces and serfs, she is looked at
from the kingly standpoint as an hum
be maiden. The welded pair are
cousins, being grandchildren of Fer
dinand VII. Thrown mnch together
from their earliest childhood Alfonso
and Dona Mercedes became tenderly
attached to each other and the young
Alfonso used to address his fair cous-
Alfonso used to address his fair cousin
as "My little wife" This childish
friendship continued to ripen until
the revolution of 1868 separated tenn
porarily the young lovers, for the
Duke De Montpensier took sides with
the revolution against Queen Isabella.
This family feud, however, failed to
weaken the attachment between
Prince Alfonso and Dona Mercedes,
who like true lovers became moro at
tached than ever on account Of their
misfortunes. One day while aaunter-
| ing with Dona Mercedes and her FAM
lily through the lovely gardens of Ar
aniuez Alfonso mustered up courage
to pop the mementous question, and
O..S ceremonies to-day leave 10 doubt
as to what the reply must have Teen.
N Y. Herald.
THE PAY OF TEACHERs.-A large
meeting was held in New York to pro-
test against the threatened reduction