Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1889-04-10

" 1t flashed into my mind that my sit
uation had now become very serious. I
knew we'll what the effects of the small
attractive force of these diminutive
planets must be, for had often amused
myself with calculations about them.
In this moment of peril I did not fos.-
get my mathematics. It was clear
that If the giant propelled mo wish
sufficient velocity should be shot out
into space, never to return. How
great would that velocity have to bev
MY mind worked like lightning on this
problem. The diameter of Menippe I
knew did not exceed twelve miles. Its
mean density, as near as could judge,
was about the same as that of the earth.
Its attraction must therefore be as its
radius, Or nearly $50 times less than
that OF the earth. A well-known for
mula enables us to compute the We
locity body would acquire in falling
from an infinite distance to the earth
or any other planet whose size and
force of gravity are known. The same
formula, taken in the opposite sense,
OF course, shows how fast body must
| start from a planet in order that it may
be freed from its control. The formula
is v 2gr, in which ''g" is the
acceleration of gravity. equal for
| the earth to SO feet in q
second, and "r" is the radius of
the attracting body. On Menippe I
knew "g" must equal about one
twentieth of a, foot, and "r'' 81, $50 feet.
Like a flash applied the formula while
the giants muscles were yet tighten
ing for the kick; 31,680x KS, 1913,
the square root of which is fraction
more than Sc. Fifty-six feet in a Sec
ond, then, was the critical velocity
with which must be kicked off in
order that might never return. ]
perceived at once that the giant would
be able to accomplish it. turned and
| shouted up to him:
'Hold on, I have something to say
to YOU"
l dimly saw his mountainous face
puckered into mighty wrinkles, out OF
which his eyes glared fiercely, and the
next moment 1 was sailing into space.
| could no more have kept = balance
than the earth can stand still upon it's
axis. I had become a small planet
myself, and like all planets, I rotated.
Yet the motion didn't make me dizzy,
and soon I became intensely Interested
in the panorama of creation that was
spread around me. For some time,
whenever my face was turned toward
the little globe of Menippe l saw
the giant, partly in profile against
the sky, with his back bent and
his hands upon his knees, watching me
with an occasional approving nod OF
his big head. He looked so funny
standing there on his little seven by
nine world, like clown on a perform
ing ball, that, despite my terrible stu
alton. laughed aloud. There was
no echo in the profundity of space.
Soon Menippe dwindled to a point,
and saw her inhospitable inhabitant
no more. Then watched the sun and
the blazing armament around, for there
was at the same time broad day and
midnight for me. The sunlight, being
no longer diffused by an atmosphere,
did not conceal the face of the sky, and
could see the stars shining close to
the orb of day. 1 recognized the vari-
Gus planets much more easily than !
had been accustomed to do, and, with
twinge at my heart, saw the earth
travelling along in its distant orbit,
splendid in the sunshine. I asked N.Y.
self: ''How in the world can ever
get back there again." Then smiled
to think of the ridiculous figure cut,
out here in space, exposed to the eyes
OF the universe, a rotating, gyrating,
circumambulating astronomer, an
animated teetotum lost in the
sky. l saw no reason to hope that I
should not go on thus forever, re-
volving around the sun until my bones,
whitening in the starlight, might be
revealed to the superlative powers of
some future terrestrial telescope, and
become subject of absorbing interest,
the topic of many learned paper for
the astronomers of a future age. After
ward I was comforted by the reflection
that in airless space, although might
die and my body become desiccated.
yet there could be no real decay; even
my garments would probably last for
ever. The savants. after all, should
never speculate on my bones.
I saw the rudy disk of Mars, and
the glinting of his icy poles,' as the
beautiful planet rolled far below me.
IF could only get there" thought,
81 should know what those canals OF
Schiaparelli are, and even If could
never return to the earth should
doubtless meet with a warm welcome
among the Martians. What a lion I
should bel" Hooked longingly at the
distant planet, the outlines of whose
continents and seas appeared most en-