The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1885-01-15

point, TO us uukuOWu. OuT own sui
drawing with it the planets in its
own course, is spinning furiously up
on it's axis and dashing through
space at four miles per second. And
not only is the solar system an organ
of one gigantic form, it has also
grown t. what it is, and may still be
considered in its youth.
AS the body of a planet or animal
arise from a fluid alike in all its parts,
so this world of ours was once q float
ing fiery cloud, a nebula or mist, the
molecules OF which were kept apart
by excessive heat. But the universe
is prevailed by movement and by
change; there came a period when
the heat declined, and when the
atoms, obeying their innate desires
rushed to one another, and concen
trating, formed the sun, which at
first almost filled the solar world.
But as it cooled, and as it contracted,
and as it rotated and revolved, it be
came a sphere in the centre of the
world, and it cast off pieces which
became planets, satellites, attendant
stars, and they also cast Oft pieces
which became satellites to them.
Thus the earth is tn child, and the
moon the grand child of the sun.
When our planet first came out in
to the world it was merely a solar
fragment, a chip of the Old star, and
the otEer planets were in a similar
condition. But these sun-balls were
separated from n another and from
their parent form by ocean of ether,
a kind of %attenuated air, SO cold that
frost itself is fire in comparison. The
sun, burning always in this icy air,
is gradually cooling down; but it
parts slowly with its heat on account
of it's enormous size. Our little earth
coz led quickly, shrauk in size-it had
once extended TO the noon and final
ly went out. From a globe of glowing
gas it became a ball of liquid fire, en-
veloped in a smoky cloud. When first
we are able TO restore its image and
examine it's construction, we find it
composed of zones, or layers in a
molten state, arranged according to
their weight; and above it we find
an atmosphere also divided into lay
ers. Close yer the surface yapor OF
salt was suspended in the air; next
a layer of dark, smoky carbonic acid
gas; next oxygen and nitrogen, and
vapor of water or common steam.-
Within the sphere, as it cooled and
changed, chemical bodies asprang
from one another, rushed TO and fro,
combined with terrible explosions;
while in the varigated atmosphere
above gas hurricanes arose and flung
the elements into disorder. So sped
the earth, roaring and flaming thro'
the sky, leaving behind it fiery
track, sweeping round the sun in its
oval course. Year followed year,
century followed century, epoch fol-
lowed epoch. Then the globe began
to cool on it's surface. Flakes of Sol
id matter foated on the molten sea,
which rose and fell in flaming tides
toward a hidden and benighted moon.
The flakes caked together and COW
cred the ball with a solid sheet, which
was appraised and cracked by the ii
dial wave beneath like thin ice on
the Arctic seas. In time IL thicken.
ed and became firm, but subterranean
storms often ripped it open in vast
chasms, from which masses of liquid
lava spouted in the air and fell back
on the kissing crust. Everywhere
heaps of ashes were thus formed and
the earth was scanned with gaping
wounds. When the burning neat Of
air had abated the salt was condens
ed and fell like snow on the earth
The Atlantic and Pacific oceans, ly'
ing overhead in the for of steam
descended in one great shower, anC
so the primeval sea vas forme!. Il
was dark, warm and intensity salt; a
first it o~verspread the surface of the
globe. Then volcanic islands wer;
cast up, and as the earth cooled
downward to it's core it shriveled in
to folds as an apple in the winter
when its pulp dries up. These fold:
and wrinkles were mountain range!
and continents appearing above tn
level of the sea. Our planet was thel
divided into land and water in the
same proportions as exist at the pres
ent time. For though land is Away
changing into water, and water is al
ways changing into land, their rela
tive quantities remain the same. Th
air was black, night was eternal, il
Illuminated only by lightning and vol
canoes; the earth was %unconsciou
of the suns existence; its heat wa
derived from the fire within and wa
uniform from pole to pole. But tn
crust ~thickened, the inner heat coul'
be no longer felt on The surface, tn
atmosphere frightened a little AM
The suns rays penetrated to tn
earth. From the shape, the attitud
and the revolutions of the planet, re
suited the unequal distribution Q
solar heat, and to this inequality th
earth is indebted for the varied ma
ture of it's aspects and productions
Climate was created, winds arose Ii
the air, currents in the deep; the SUI
sucked up the waters of the sea, leav
ing the salt behind; rain clouds wer
formed and fresh water bestowed up
on the land. The underground fire
assisted the planets growth by trans
forming the soils into crystalin
structures, and by raising the rock
thus altered to the surface, by pre-
ducing volcanic eruptions,h hot spring
and other fiery phenomena. But tn
Chief Architect and Decorator Q
this planet was the sun. When tn
black veil of the earth was lifted
when the sunlight entered the turbi
waters of the primeval sea, an inter