The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-04-20

Track ios weston and Rowsii and the o,h., -.
as-you.plsass Pedestrian.
what wonderful sights may he not baho,a
upon MARI. Q world that has advanced IA n.
planetary development many ages beyond ~
earth, and 10 whose Inhabitants some astrono.
mers have not hesitated to ascribe aohievs.
ments that would DO as impossible to tho A.
scendants Of Adam - the bridging Of ths
Atlantic ocean.
He can obtain most striking Wow OF Thu
living earth and its dead comrade tho moon
the ono whirlinR swiftly upon Its axis and An.
joying tho rapid succession Of day and nlsht,
its waters sparkling In the sunshine; ~
green prairies and forests glowing via
beauty: cities dotting it's surface: q cloud,
peopiod atmosphere surrounding II. veeets.
ton covering tho slopes OF It's mountains,
and it, oceans. - we'll A. It's continents.
filled with q profusion OF life from its luz.
uriant equator to its snow-oapped poles; tn
other hanging almost motionless upon ia
axis, Q worn-out world. without air. withoul
water. without vegetation. without life, only 4
desert expanse Of barren rocks: its nsksl
mountains: its silent volcanoes; Its untss.
sntod plains. and it, old empty seq bottona
presenting scene Of utter dosolation. turned
to the untsmperod glare Of the sun without the
shadow Of . cloud or tree to hide It. Aal
these two worlds. presenting so complete .
contrast hs bsholds chained together By Tie
rosistless power OF gravitation. their distance
apart being. a. astronomical measures 60 but
tho merest step.
II he passes close to Venus. he may DO able to
penetrate tho mask Of clouds which has eve.
hidden tho face OF tho Planet OF Love from ter.
restrial star gazers. and possibly he will dis.
cover that tho planets beauty. like that OF tho
amorous goddess whose namo 1t bears. Is only
skin deep. We cannot guess what discoveries
he might mako upon Mercury the inmosl
planet Of all. which braves tho lat close quar-.
ters for our telescopes give US little hint as to
its condition.
And at last the comet is face to face with the
terrors Of It's perlhelion passage. II must
swing around the sun. which from little star
has now grown to gigantic orb OF fire. so close
as almost to touch 1t. Long before he ap.
preached 80 near the comets rider beheld -.
tonishirg appendages about the sun. Instead
OF smooth. dazzling white globe. he saw the
sun ringed with scarlet flames. while shooting
out on every side. hundreds Of thousands. and
In some cases perhaps. even millions OF miles.
were huge fans md shafts OF wonderful light
like fiery spokes radatlng from the glowing
hub OF the solar system.
And now. as the comet darts closer In. he
secs the whole surface OF this melting pot
Of the elements surglng and swirling In ths
mighty rush OF contending solar forces. Peo4
pie have lost their heads by gazing too long d,
the Niagara Whirlpool. That would tear shit
to pieces. But there are maelstroms hero u
tho sun that would shatter and swallow q
world. Iron and copper and zinc are here re1
duced to vspor and spouted heavenward thou1
sands and even hundreds Of thousands Of
miles. and down they como again. ceaselesa
and awful rain Of molten metal. Aye. masse1
OF sun substance are hurled from beneath tho
glowing surface and 60 hurtling out intd
space. scattering white-hot showers OF fraGI
ments. and cooling and condensing a. they 60,
never to come back again. flung forth By It'd
tormented sun to wander until they fall perl
chance upon the earth or on some other planet
or join the system revolving around distant
star. What . gigantic Calling gun OF the until
verse; belohing fire and smoke and fearful mis-
siles. must the comet face nowi
At the perihelion swing the tremendous AZ
Of the sun seems to I'LL the whole expanA
the sky. boundless. raging tossing and sp4
ing sea OF unQuenchable fire. . universal d
fagration wherein iron and all the metals.
cium and all the elements of the solid ro3xa.
flaming. lick the heavens. There are no wordl
invented that can describe tho heat the glara
and the roar OF II.
This terrific passage around the sun u ths
elimination Of the comets career. the nefy
Cape Horn Of Its voyage. Flung OF By The
storm giant. 1t speeds away again. back through
the realm OF the planets and out into the blaea
depths from which 1t emerged.
Even though furnished with the Winas a
Imagination. the rider must look alive and Isas
quickly as his racer passes the earth, unless n
would be carried back again into the outN
darkness. GARRETT p. SRRysa.