The sun., 1882-08-06

waters OF this lonesome sea. But they have
been there unchanged. the astronomer said.
longer. probably, than the human race has ex-
isted and will remain there perhaps. after man
has had his day upon this earth,
Lot US start at the southwest corner Of the
sea-" the astronomer said with that long.
narrow promontory called the Promontorium
AHarum which you see projecting nOrthward
and running forty or atty miles straight out
from the coast ike u gigantic ocean pier. There
would be no landing Of big excursion steamers
at such pior US that, for those rocks rise
At now moon tho great wall throws tremen-
dous shadow over tho sea- When that old sea
bottom contained an ocean how grandly the
waves must nave duslled against the crags and
what nlaenllicent site ior balOnial castios. or
such seaside residences us the ltomans were
bic rocks. commanding u sea view hundreds Of
miles III extent. must nave iurnishod,p
"A Al" good % many any mil milton % years" Tie "a astrcnS:
NOR replied, thoughtluily Mr. PToctor says
mate OF such II lapse of time ID to be regarded
rs more Ruesswork, even when II iS made by
50 distinguished un astronomer as Mr.. Proctor.
II ms estimate IS anywhere near eorrect ne
continued. after pause. ana IL Proi Helm
hons figures ure also substantially true then
earth roaches tho present condition d the
moon, Tor llelmholtz says tho sun will be
burned out in abb ut seventeen million years.
r ~NuSt iooh a.tuo .wcsLern c'@st. II was. in.
that noighbprhood that MIR. Jackson hrst re-
ported tnat he had seen u strange coud sotue
two molAhs ago, and il was there also that the
crater Of Alhulen once lifted iIs head 70 catch
the lirst gietlu OF sunrise ON tho moon." ,
The reporter looked and saw the coast line
distinctly marked 10y II dark border Of shade.
and several crater rings and mountain peaks
ever may once have been the meteorology OF
tho Sea Of Crises, and however much it may, in
some lorlner age have deserved the oIninous
name it bears. all was now perfectly serene.
The crater Of Alhn9n. the astronomer con-
Gus object. and tho German astronomer
Schroeter used II to measure tho moons libra
ton. AftcrWard it seems 10 have Disappeared
and its name was transferred 10 another noun
tain, tho northernmost Of the three eonspicu-
GUS craters which you see, and which still con-
tinues 10 bear, ON maps Of the moon. the name
of the lost mountain. Some years ago another
observer thought no had found the missing AL
hazcn in II small crater lying between two lofty
peaks. Even II this be the true Alhazen. It's
abasement IL about as wonderful as its sup
posed total disappearance. This ID not the only
Instance OF the kind that has happened in the
moon since astronomers hrst gave names TO lts
mountains. Some sixteen years ago the crater
Limo. situated IN tho broad level plain OF the
Sea OF serenity, was found TO have undergone
| u wonderful change of appearance. which has
sive mountain walls by some tremendous vol
| canic disturbance. About six years ago a naT
| crater was discovered III the old ocean bed
l. known as the Sea of Vapors. and this was as
crlbed TO tho tumbling in OF the lava loor oi AN
| extinct volcano. Leaving hole ol enormous
depth which Is discernible with good telescope.
such stupendous catastrophes are not with
| out purai ie upon the earth. In Humboldts
| Cosmos you Will lind an account Of the fall
| ing in of the great mountain Of Cupac Urcu in
the Andes, in the fifteenth century Before
| this catastrophe lupac Urcu. whose name
means Prince of Mountains, was much higher
| than ChimboIazo and bv fur tne loftlest noun
| tam in that part ol South America Now it is
| 5000 leet lower than ChiInDorazo. and is ex-
| ceeded in o.Grution by other peaks which 1t
| looked down upon in the days OF It's glory.
| Now lot Us cross directly over the Sea OF
| Crises the ASTRONOMER continued. and We
! will come into land of wonders
| As the astronomer turned the screw regulat-
ing the direction Of tho telescope, the reporter
saw the Sea OF ,es moving ntcf his eye like
q panorama. When they reached the eastern
! shore the astronomy .LJiiped ami saldt
| The crater mountain that you perceive ris;
| ing like an island out oi tho soa is called
after tho late Prof Peircf the famous Aneri
! Guh Mathematician. 1t lies some hity or SIXTY
mites Oh the fo"st and ip p s2ne i Tr9spSgts rS
Tho Canary Islands. II is not 50 high as Ton
Grille. but some ot the mountains which YOU
| see on tho opposite coast throwing lQn3
pointed shadows away from the sun are much
higher than Tenerliie. and the highest is equal
to Mont B.nns in t1s 5., Alps; IL was near ,nls
irOnomer once Witnessed II marvellous be-
havior OF the term.nayor as We call the hne
dividing daylight nom darkness. and when.
Owing to the SIat rarity oI the moons atmo5-
phere. Is very sharp and distinct. He saw tina
| line slowly oscl.tG back and forth. somewhat
as a shadow moves upon smooth water over
which long low waios are iollow.ns ono an an
nomenon has ever been givcn.'
| Looking IN IL direction which the astronomer
sad was oast from the Dorder.n. mountains oi
| ~ ''e'' - '''~', ''''' -
district ol II pa.o reddish tlhl. -,
That said the astronomer, Is sort oi
encnauted land; at least 80 take IL from Jho
name which the old ;tstrOnomerS SdEo ~. mo
Marsh Of u Droam. It's color ~ very peculiar.
and may perhaps artse from tho prevalence ot
red sandstone. You know what reddish color
the soil OF Aorthorn NeW Jersey hi,S, ana 1t Is
quite cohceNabo that. II the vegetation were
stripped IRON II. tho land seen from such
distance would appear Of the color which wa
zee in the Marsh oi Dream. That name
must havo been sinSunrly inappropriate
III the earlier ages o1 tho moon. when
tno huge Volcano VI trOcluS. there ON Iie west
ern border OF Jlo marsh, Was in iLll actiNity
hurting heIted lava and cindCro over the sur-
rounding country, ami shaking eNery thInS 10
tuuIIy lor dreaming lii that region then. Ine
crater walls OF Procius are extraordinarily
brilliant. 1 have looked at tho moon VITA the
tU,csCopo in lul dtylIsDt and seen ProcIut
sHtcrlh.s Ike Il mountain ul Nic. lIlere IS only
one other object IN the moon VI equal brilIIancy
and lnat ~ tne stili Nastcr crater O Arl4taIchus
near me moon y eastern odgc. Which shines 81
brightly that even So experienced u toCscupisl
= us sir NiiIiam Hell lschei Was deceived and tooE
A. for Il volcano IN Il etauo oi actual efuptIoh
| These strangely shining mountains remind ont
oi the story III the Arabian Nights Of the Noun
| tam Oi Auhnanl. ASrOnOmcIS nave AWAY
been puzzAod 10 account Ior thor briIiiiincy.
Now let us traverse tho rugged distric
toward the southeast. passing tne towering
range OF Mount Taurus with its snow-white
peaAs on III" right. until We come 10 'ho famous
ampnThealre vi Atlas. LIST mo see " moment
, ics. mere We are. With few turns Of tn,
, ! srrow We have travelled 900 miles in inc moon
, | That broad. Hat. oval piain. surrounded oy
|
feet ngn. is Atlas What mas ,i,,rv 70 1,..,y ,
. protected by mountains ON every side! Atlas
and several oIii6f similar valleys in tho moon
always remind me Oh t!so mountain -surlounde'
valley in wnlcu Dr. Johnson PAGES his hero il
the story Of ltasaelus Dr Johnson, II he ha'
: had n telescope. might have found in Atlas JUS
tho sort oI valley ho had Imagined. Atlas |
Il not, however, wholly without parallel upon tn
D ! earth. The Yellowstone valley would presen
some such appearance viewed from the moon
: and 50 would the valley OF Cashmere:
WHO mas not heard Of the fae oi Va inerc,
With the brig Ite-t 'hlt oar. II gave,
Its temples ana grottUes and fountains as cisAr
AS the lOYe.li2ltsd eyes that hang O"Sr tue wave'
I we can well imagine that in ia earlier az
J., Of the moons history, Atlas may have been u
q splendid u place as tlIo poet mas pictured III
q famous Asian valley. IL must DO Kept i
o mind however. that whatever nio has existed
@ or may now eXIst, in the moon must btfer yor
greatly from life upon the Garth. lor tno moo
i never Couil have mad IA dense atmosphere lik
r ours. sun that does not give US any reason I
. say that the conditions anI forms ot lie thcI
l., may not have been as admirable as mere.
By tho way IL was IN the Nhl!ey ol Ata
:. that the ingenious author Of tho Moon Hoax
n printed III The SUN in 1888, placed the iine'
40 inhabitants vi tne moon, Wnom no described q
20 splendid winged creatures, as beautiful Us IN