Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-06-25

short stay in the city, interviewed by b
a Representative ofthe Times, be gave
his views on the present crisis in the
affairs of the solar system, and the
grave apprehensions entertained OF
an approaching catastrophe, manly
as follows:
.'Do you think, Professor, that the
crash will come on the 2lst OF June,
as Proctor and Mrs. Shipton say 7"
'sMy friend, one cannot say. For
myself think not. 1t depends on
Hilda."
"Who is Hilda I"
"Hilda is an asteroid outside the
orbit Of Mars. My dear sir, she Is lost
All astronomers are agitated on the
subject. | 60 to Archangel to look
! for her. If | find her not, then"
the professor put on very solemn
look-"then she has fallen into Mars.
), "Well, go on if you please"
"Then Mars is DETECTED from his
orbit by his increased parallax from
the centrifugal apogee, and the aphel-
len and perehelion of the Nebula, ac-
cording to Grimson's law, will cause
Mars, by his increased mass, to at
tract all the other asteroids as he
, crosses their orbit. There are $50 or
SO now known, and Hilda is not the
only,,one that has disappeared. Hebe,
. PSYCHE, Tilda, Anna and Laura are
! lost and the supposition is Mars has
attracted them all. If he has abb
+ sorbed Hilda, as is suspected, he will
y take the whole of these little female
starlets and there can only be one re-
b suit"
"What is that? y
The Professor laughed. "Venus
comes next. Mars has always had
alterations toward Venus, and Venus
II toward Mars. His increased mass
will overcome the orbit of the plans
a of parallel resistance, and Venus will
Is rush headlong into the planet, and
n both will 60 crashing into the Sun.
d need not tell an intelligent person lik'
re you that the increased centrifugal
is attraction of the sun will overcome
,e the centrifugal motion, and that TIN
s. earth will follow, and every planet 0
re the system be hurled headlong int
,e the flames of the central luminary.'
IN "You think, then, that the end 0
ut the world, so-called, will be the fall
e. ing of the earth into the sun I"
I'd "Undoubtedly. And SO nicely i
!, i: the universe balanced, that poun'
us weight Of matter one side OF the othe
ne would effect this. The sun is Ger
m tainly becoming heavier, its volum
to vaster, as witnessed by the Increase
as heat. It has been receiving masse
" from some source. The attraction !
yn stronger, and the earth is drawini
e. nearer. Should Mars fall in as fea
in he will, the earth would follow in fiv
r. minutes"
e. 'It would take fire, would it moi
re before it reached the sun 7"
p, Certainly. 1t would be all hamin
gas long before it struck"
sh "suppose this shonld happen, pre-
ot fessor, what would be your idea
A time Z"
ty "Well, should say, about the nit
he die of August. But say the Goth,
lat farthest. | couldn't predict within
sci week"
lie "Would the rest of the stellar sy
ice tenn be affected by this catastrophe
ry. ours?
ots "Not at all. TIE solar syste
el- would still retain the same mass al
en- the general equilibrium would be pr
esh served"
EN- "Do you think, professor, tn
nse there is real scientific ground for tt
ore apprehension"
one "My friend, if Hilda, hasfallen IN
so Mars the solar system will he a bur
riot ing mass of hydrogen and chlorl
,em pyrites in six weeks"
VIC The professor is very courteo
AS gentleman and speaks English II