The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-04

When at length the process was completed, the
moon had become the scene of desolation and of
death which she presents now. She tsbeiug
dead yet speaketh,' however, and rho lesson
which she teaches is THAI earth must like
wise die The moon is heavenly record tell
ing us that all created things planet and sun as
well as plant and animal, can last but for awhile,
though the measure of the lives of some be
longer than the measure of the 1ves of others.
1t may be objected that have no evidence
to show that some forms of life may not stIl ex-
list upon the moon, though none OF the higher
forms of life known upon the earth could en-
dnre under conditions so unfavorable. This OF
course must be admitted a possibility. But
since the theory of biological evolution has been
established there is limit To the play of fancy
IN TINS direction We are not to imagine beings
specially created TO be fitted for life on such
world as is our moon at present All We can
allow ourselves to conceive is the possibility
that creatures may exist upon the moon
who are the exceedingly remote descend
ants of creatures which existed on her surface
or In her in the time when she
was miniature world. We may ask ourselves
whether. our earth grows cold. and dry and
almost airless with advancing ages the various
forms of life existing on her surface, even man
himself. might not steadily change TO CORE
spond, until at last. when every trace of water
had disappeared and the air had become so thin
that creatures known to MS now could
breathe it and live, races utterly unlike those
now existing. though descended from them.
would people the earth with countless millions
of living creatures. while possibly many forms
of vegetable life CORES bonding with the changed
conditions would have come into existence.
But though this is possible it cannot be re-
gsrded as probable. We know that there are
limits to the possibilities of life upon this earth,
and that beyond those limits the amazing
powers of development given to the various
forms or animal and vegetable life cannot avail
to keep them In exlsteDce; and we cannot out
believe that these possibilities lie far within the
range of those seemingly decisive and life-de-
structive changes, of which the moons desolate
surface speaks. Assuredly We can CLEAN no hope
from the fancy, supported by astronomers
of repute, that though the moons hither side be
dead her further side may De dotted with
air and water and may be the abode OF life.
This story never had any sufficient evidence
even for its bare possibility when considered
only with reference to the existence of water.
But when the question of atmosphere is
sidered, the theory of inhabited rurther side
to the moon Is seen to be- wholly untenabe.
Such an atm osphere could not be concealed
from Ike even if the moon did not librate;
but when we consider how the moons Vibrations
bring large parts of her further hemisphere into
view, insomuch that instead of seeing but
half we see about four seventies of her surface,
perceive that atmosphere even of the
most moderate density, could not by any POSSIBLE
ity be SO limited to part of the moons further
hemisphere that no trace of it's existence would
be recognized from the earth.
But a matter of fact, Hansen's theory of
the possible existence of water and air the
further side of the moon has long since been
abandoned by all except few who not suffi-
GENTLY acquainted with physical laws to weigh
this theory right. The fact that Sir John Her
schel, who had at first been attracted by the
theory. and had introduced It into his
Outlines OF Astronomy" eventually gave 1t up
because he saw that the imagined atmosphere
could not possibly remain concealed during the
lunar librations. should be regarded as of itself
suff1cing to show how uDtenabie the theory is.
But that popularity of rotation which causes
the moon always to turn the same face earth
ward, save for slight changes due to her libra
tous. is of itself of the points of evidence in
regard to the moon age and to Ter present con-
ditlon. This popularity only be explained
ne to the gradual action of forces akin to
those by which the earth's relationship is being
slowly reduced. This is chiefly due to the frc-
tonal action of the the tidal wave in a direction
contrary to that of the earths rotation. The
effect is very small Millions of years will be re-
quired before the length of our day will be in
creased into coincidence with the length of the
lunar month. tSir Robert Ball speaks of an
even greater change corresponding to the solar
tidal wave forgetting that the lunar action be-
ing the stronger will prevent the solar action
from producing any effect after once the moons
full effect has been produced.) But the moon
shows by her unvaryine face that she has
had to obey the slowly-actine forces exerted on
her by the earth. And while she thus tells us
how very, very old she is she assures for our
earth corresponding changes which are of them
selves death dealing when the earth has reached
the corresponding age.
RICHARD A. PROCTOR