The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1883-10-20
TIE EARTH IN iTs yIoOR.
Tb. End Not Vet. Ta- Bright side
of Recent Catastrophes.
London Times !

The moon is dead. Ii has not life
enough left to ooze forth the tiniest mud
volcano or squirt out the feeblest geyser.
No throe ever reaches its surface, and
not the faintest rumble is ever echoed
from its jagged mountain sides. No
earthquake wave can ever sweep its
island shores, for earthquakes there are
things Of the infinite past, and the last
drop Of water quilted the surface OF our
planet icons ago. Its very atmosphere
has deserted it, and il, indeed, there
were imam in the moon," he could
never hear the sound OF his own voice.
But if by some means this mythical man
could have witnessed the "Ischia dis.
aster" and the "Java catastrophe" how
he would have longed for any such man.
ifestations OF life were possible on his
lifeless planet. That occurrences like
these referred to are calamities every one
must admit, and some may be apt to
maintain that mans arrival in his earthly
hame has been premature, and that
Providence" would have acted more
wisely and humanely had he postponed
mans advent on the scene until the " in
ternal fires" had exhausted themselves.
But when that happens, geologists tell
US, we may look upon it as the begin.
ming Of the end. Not even the COO de.
grees heat Of the sun which beats upon
every part OF the moon for fortnight at
time is able to ronse within its bosom
the faintest sign OF. life, There is evil
dence enough to show that one period its
volcanic activity must have been of the
most stupendous kind, far exceeding
anything ever witnessed on its mother
earth. But that has gone with its water
and its atmosphere, and taken with it all
possibility of life. We are told that our
existing volcanoes, and geysers, and
mud-holes are but the dying remains Of
what at the time must have been a vol.
canic activity almost universal. Instead
Of spasmodic eruptions at few isolated
spots, we have constant outpour Of vol.
canic matter from wide assures extend.
ing across the earth's surface for many
miles.
That the earth has not, however, en-.
tirely lost its vigor is evident from the
Java outburst, which is the most stu.
pendous phenomenon of the kind on
record. So long as the old earth is equal
to efforts of this kind We need not mind
its latter end. When the blood leaves
the cold extremities and the heart ha:
not vigor enough to send it to the sur
face, the end is not far off; and wher
volcanic and earthquake manifestation
cease from off the face of the earth, tn.
end may be within almost measurable
distance. Much of its ocean water will
have been absorbed by the underlying
rocks, and the atmosphere may be rarel
and less life.giving than it is now; by
and-by, with the last ray of interna
heat, and the last drop Of water and las
particle OF air, all life will have vanished
and dead earth will shine upon deat
moon. So long, then, as the mother o
us all has any vigor left, we must expec
it to manifest it occasionally, as she ha
done recently at Ischia and Java; SO tina
lamentable and regrettablc as has bee
the loss Of life at these places, the cata.
trophies are not entirely without thei
bright side. Only when the earth is a
dead as the moon will such catastrophe
become impossible.
GeoloGists and seismologists kno,
pretty well the lines along which thes
manifestations Of the earth's vigor al
likely to occur; lines OF weakness the
call them, but in view Of the above col
siderations we might call them line
of vigor. Perhaps when they know sti
more they may be able to tell their fe
lows what places to avoid in plantin
their settlements and building the
houses. But it is doubtful II such tellin
would be OF much avail. After the mo,
destructive outbursts OF Etna and Yes,
vius, the decimated inhabitants ha,
erept back to their old locations, rsbui