The Opelousas courier., 1884-02-02
LIFE ON THE
Reasons for Believing That They Are
Not Inhabited

says: Thirty years ago the question OF
the Availability Of the planets was
widely, and, in some instances, intern
perately discussed. Several volumes
were written, pro and con, the writers
mostly seeming to think that they had
a direct commission from on high to
settle their opponents; which things
they proceeded then and there to do.
And both sides about equally forgot or
disregarded the facts, and, with great
heat, argued on general principles.
An article in the June number of
the Popular Science Monthly entitled,
''The Cost of Life and which was in
part criticised in a late number of the
Messenger, is a kind of renewal of the
useless debate, and is clothed in logic
equally conclusive as was that of TIA
original controversy. The points
given lately touching the weight of a
man on Jupiter and on Mars were in
tended as a part of the proof that those
planets are not habitable. To pass in
review all the points of error would
require an article of too great length
for the pages of this journal: SO I shall
conine myself pretty closely to a few
of the more prominent ones.
The same author, speaking of Mer-
curry, says: "With a temperature of
boiling water in the frigid zones, and
red-hot iron at the equator" etc.
therefore there can be no life on the
planet. But there is no proof of any
such temperature, and in the nature of
the Ease there can be nom Where
fore the conclusions are Of no force.
The error consists in virtually assum-
ing that the climate of a place depends
solely on its distance from the sun
whereas this is only n of a hundred
causes.
1t is Well-knoWn that even in the
torrid zone, at an elevation of about
three and one-half miles, snow does
not melt; that century after century
eternal SHOWS Whiten lofty peaks in
all ATTITUDES.
The temperature of a place on the
earth's surface depends on many iniu-
ences, any n or several of which may
be greatly modified or annulled by the
other; SO that there is no general rule
for climate.
As a part of the multitude of things
to be taken into consideration, as toachr
ing the matter in hand, we may name
these, viz: The latitude, the elevation
above the sea-leyel, the ocean currents,
the direction Of the prevailing winds,
the presence and trend of mountain
ranges, the amount OF vapor usual in
the atmosphere, the degree of cloudi-
ness, the quantity of rain and snowfall,
the size Of the body Of land, the amount
Of land In close proximity and its sur
roundings, the nature of the soil, the
amount and kind of vegetation, the
density and hight Of the atmosphere,
the length of the day, the obliquity of
the suns rays, and the thousand and
n other things which go to make up
the whole temperature and climate. OF
the greater part of these-indeed, of
almost every one of them-as exhibited
on other planets, it is absolutely i'm
possible to know anything at all; and
as a matter of course, no one can speak
intelligently Of the climate On any
planet except our own. But should all
these items beknoWn, the further ques-
ton arises whether it is not possible
that animated beings could live in an
environment totally unlike that which
surrounds us. The conclusion of the
whole matter, so far as astronomy and
physics can now tell, is this: That the
four large outer planets have not sufi-
GENTLY cooled down to allow life on
their surface, such as we see on the
earth: that Mars gives all telescope
and s~tereoscopie probabilities of condi-
tions compatible with life as we see it;
that the earth certainly for millions of
years has been covered with multifari-
GUS life; that of Venus and Mercury
we have no certain knowledge; and
that the satellites are pretty certainly
not fitted for such life as is on the
earth; that, in particular, our moon
has no water and no atmosphere, con-
sequently no climate OF vegetable life.
II the sun and the planets continually
lose heat, then there will come a time
in the far future when the sun itself
shall go out in everlasting night. and
the s.eternal snow" would be hot COM
pared with the degree Of cold through
out all space where everything shall be
dead.
Origsss ~ Gold.
The question of the origin Of native
gold always has been and is quite likely
to remain q disputed question among
biologists and mineralogists Prot j.
q Nnrvha~rrv rorz oonfae&s @be %hacu7