Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-11-12
MOON NOT INHABITED.


Eds. Tel;-Among the many questions
in regard to the moon, which have agitated
the inhabitants Of the earth, especially in
times past, the most interesting, is whoth-
er that body be nhabited-whether it is
peopled with intelligent beings like our
selyes-whether it is designed in its physic-
al makeup to play similar part IN the
universe that our earth does, or whether it
is designed to subserve some more import
ant purpose. To answer these questions
by an appeal TO facts, except through anal
ogy, would be out Of the question at the
present time, and yet it would appear pre-
sumptious in this day Of invention to set
limits to the improvement Of the telescope.
Telescope powers can be increased to al
most any extent, but with this drawback,
what is gained above certain power for
each instrument is lost in clear vision.
No telescope has yet been made that would
show the moon distinctly nearer than 15O
miles, and to see a man or even an elephant
at that distance would be entirely out Of
the question; we might possibly see a
building as large as st. Peters church at
Rome or the Capitol buildings at Washing
ton, provided all circumstances were favor
able, with a good background; hence, il
we reject analogy we are left hopeless
The eminent astronomer, Schroeder, con-
jectured the existence Of large city on
the eastern edge Of the moon, a little north
Of the equator; an extensive canal in an
other place, and fields Of vegetation in
another.
Erananboffor o,,oo Jaolorad Lo bo1 ,1ic
covered lunar edi6ce, resembling a forti-
fication, with several lines of road, but
these notions are now entirely exploded.
The moon is without air and water for
the following reasons: First, the occulta-
tion Of star is never shortened percep-
table fraction in time, as it would be il
there was atmosphere to refract its light.
Second, there is no clouds raised to cover
in the slightest degree any portion Of its
surface. A good telescope will show an
enlightened spot as small as twenty rods
square, and II a cloud that large should at
any time intervene it would be seen and
noted.
There are numerous evidences Of what
would appear to have been volcanoes on
large scale, in the distant past. but they
are now apparently cool and silent, and II
may be a question how they could have ex-
listed without atmosphere. Lapace tells
us that heat without combustion is suf-
ficient to produce all the effects of vol
cano, and heat can be induced by friction
or compression.
The moon makes one revolution on its
axes IN four weeks which makes one day
OF two weeks light and two weeks total
darkness except what is reflected from the
earth, this alone would be sufficient to en-
tirely preclude its being inhabited by such
beings as we are. There is no blending
twilight by atmospheric means to lessen
the abruptness of one nor the other. The
shade Of a mountain is total darkness al
though within foot shines the brightest
sunlight. As there is no atmosphere to
retain, spread and difIuse sunlight and ra-
diate heat aboYe its surface IL must be in.
tensely cold except when in contact with
the planet itself The cold at all times is
many hundred degrees colder than our
winters, though the planet may be as hot
as boiling water.
The mountains and ridges are very steep |
Rising In some instances to the height Of !
two miles, nearly OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES |
eonclusively that they have never been sub |
jected to the wear OF elements rs the |
mountains on the earth. The grinding |
and separating Of particles, by atmOspher- |
10 process, which has been going on for
ages on our earth, wearing down elevations,
rocks TO pieces, filling up deep
cavities with conglomerated layers, has
never been present to produce that effect
on the moon.
The moon is therefore without air or
water. II is barren rock without soil
and Of course without vegetation, and the
lnhaitants with which II has been poopled
in past time are no better than the pro.
ducts Of poetic imagination. INDEX.