The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-01-08
TEaE FIELD or THOUGHT.
ED. New DEMONSTRATING oc

great clldludlleTS Oh HlSHJ were cdcl
lighted and burning SO brightly, our
mind, although unlearned in the deep
philosophy and science Of the heay-
enly bodies, was drawn off into the
empire of space, and to invade the
fields of the philosopher and astron-
omer; and caused to envy their infn-
itesmal knowledge Of the heavenly
dome.
There were spread ont to our view in
all their grandeur and glory, what we
could so family comprehend or I'M
derstand; there we could see all the
planets, great and small, in their hol-
iday attire, but the one nearest us,
and on which we live and move-that
we could not see-is this not strange
1--WE wondered if this was not the
reason tibet so many Of us can see
other peoples faults, but not our
own.)
But still we know that earth is our
planet, and that it like other planets,
revolves around the great centre of
onr solar system. That centre, "the
S n the fountain Of life and light
10 family Of circumvolying worlds
the inexhaustible store of genial
warmth by which the countless tribes
of organized beings that people
these globes, are sustained-the phys
zeal bond whose predominating at
traction gives stability, uniformity
and harmony to the movements of
the entire planetary system"
The enquiry naturally arose in our
minds, where is that grand, central
sun, and what are its dimensions?
And all we could then learn of it
was what learned men have told us;
that is, that the diameter of the sun
is about 100000 miles Ground num-
bers), or liz times as large as our
earth, and that it is about 95,000,000
of miles distant from us. So it is
seen, that this great central lumin-
airy is many times larger than all the
planets put together that revolve
around it, and can supply heat and
light to all, and have some left. But
when morning came we were permit
ted to see, with our own eyes, that
great wonder, as he appeared in the
East, driving night away, and caus-
ing the glorious planets, so brilliant
before he appeared, to pale and hide
their faces in shame, as it were.
Wonderful thought! his weakest
rays had Travelled to our earth, dis
lance of 100000 before breakfast,
as has always been the case since
the morning stars first sang together,
are we doubt not, always will to the
end Of time; and yet show no marks
of WEAKNESS or decay.
And now, while at the sun of our
solar system, { for how many more
like ours there are in the Heavens,
spread out beyond the ken of man,
God only knows let us take hur-
ried glance at the several planets of
our system-minor and major-in
their order, as they revolve around
the sun-beginning with the nearest
one.
The first, then, is Mercury, having
a diameter of about 1920 miles, or
less than half our Earth, and moves
in an orbit about 36,000,000 miles
from the sun. This planet, although
nearest the sun, and we might sup
pose for this reason the brightest, yet
it is seldom seen.
ID. We come to that bright and
glorious, morning and evening star,
called Venus (now in her glory after
night fall), having a diameter about
5000 miles, or equal to our Earth,
and revolves at distance from the
from the sun of about 100000
m e3 and between us and
the sun. When it is east Of the sun
it becomes the Evening STAR" and
when west of the Sun our Morning
Star
Sd, We come to our Earth, that
often seems so dark and dreary to
us, and would be in perpetual night
but for the kindly and genial rays of
the great ''ruler of the day" 1t has
a diameter of obout 5000 miles, and
travels around the sun, at a distance
of about 95,000,000 of miles, perform
ing a revolution on it's axis every
"a hours. Wonderful, in compre-
hensible velocity, and yet we are phys
ically insensible that we move.
4th. We now turn our backs upor
the sun to behold the "God of war,
Mars-having about half the diam
eter of our Earth, and revolving at 6
distance of about 100000 mi es
outside of us, or 250,000,000 from
the sun. The next planet we
should expect to find at a distance
Of near 100000, 1000 miles from the
sun, is not there. 1t is supposed by
learned men that it's neighbor-Mar:
had at some time got on the "wal
PATH and demolished it, bucaust
that not only according to distance
it ought to be there, but apparently
fragments of planet moving il
about such an orbit, have from time
to time been discovered floating il
space near that orbit. land righ
here, why don't our weather man
look after that lost comet, or is il
that he is just now too much inter
ested here to 90 that far away from
home; or too well pleased to invade