The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-08-29
THE END OF THE WORLD.
WHICH IS INTERESTING
TO EVERYBODY.
The Changes Upon the Earth aud the
Causes Which Produce Thsm-
VIII the Earth Ever Tal
Into the sun.

1--we mas not always been In the same
condition in which 1t now appears to
us. says the Popular Science News. II
has had beginning. and has gone
through a series OF changes from
mass Of incandescent gas through
liquid and solid forms, subjected TO
varying climates and occupied by ever
varying forms OF life until In our own
day we find it SO well adapted to our
existence that forgetting the COM
paratively minute space OF time In
which We, or even the human race,
have lived upon it. we are likely to
think that the present conditions are
fixed and that the earth will continue
to go through its daily and yearly ro-
tations with alterations OF summer
and winter. day and night, while gen.
erations Of man and the present races
Of animals continue to succeed each
other for an indefinite or infinite num-
Der OF years
Nothing could be further from the
fact than this belief The earth Is
passing through a regular cycle of
changes. the forms OF vegetable and
animal life existing upon It are con-
stantly varying. and there can be no
doubt but that in the course OF time.
ages hence though it may be. the earth
will become unfit for human ha5itation,
| II. indeed, before that time the form OF
life known as man. has not been de-
veloped into an entirely different or
ganism, or improved of OF the face
Of the earth"
| We cannot say positively what will
be the final fate OF the earth. The
present condition OF the moon gives us
a hint. and shows us a bare, cold mass
of rock without water. air. life or
vegetation. 1t may be that sometime
all the air and water on earth will be
absorbed into its substance as, into a
great sponge. when it would rapidly
acquire the lunar characteristics. II
the nebular theory is correct and the
moon was thrown off from the earth.
it must at one time have possessed air
and water, both of which have now
vanished.
The tides are another source Of dis
turbance to the continuance OF present
conditions. The great tidal wave Of
water sweeping around the earth each
day and rushing against the shores,
act as break and tend to retard its
motion, making each day trihe longer
than the preceding one. The varia-
ton is imperceptible-almost infinites-
imai-but it exists nevertheless, and in
course of time. II not compensated for
in other directions, will end in giving
us day OF year in length. with six
months of darkness and six months OF
light Burning heat alternating with
freezing cold.
Will the earth ever fall into the suns
That is question which no one car
answer. From observations upon GER
tain comets tho existence OF retard-
ing element in space has been sus
pected, and IL any such element exists
it is only question OF time-when
such catastrophe must occur. But
us long as astronomical observations
have been made. no change in the
length of the year has been noticed,
and the question still remains unde.
cided.
A great increase In the suns heat
would result in the destruction of all
forms OF life, and such an Increase is
among the possibilities. Small and
inconspicuous stars have been OBJ
served to blaze up suddenly to the
greatest degree of brightness, and
spectroscopic analysis has shown such
stars to be enveloped in incandescent
gases thrown out from their interior.
: Similar explosions, on a small scale,
arc constantly occurring in our owr
sun, and while it is very improbable
that any marked increase OF heat from
such n cause will ever be felt upon the
earth, the possibility remains.
The most certain catastrophe, how
ever, and one which is likely to be
nearest in point OF time. is the 6na
extinction Of the light and heat of the
sun. While we do not know the exac
cause OF the radiant energy which the
sun is constantly sending to us, 1t |.
certain that there must be an end tc
1t sometime, and that we are supplied
from reservoir containing only {
fixed amount which must certainly b.
| exhausted.
When that time comes all life will
cease to exist, and the sun and planet
will move through space. dark. COLI
and dead masses of barren rocks un
) tenanted by even the lowest forms y
' life With our present knowledge
this must be the inevitable fate OF tn,
. universe, albeit the number Of year
! required for its contamination Is 81
great that the human mind canno
conceive OF its magnitude. Beyon'
that point we can see no farther, bu
/, our wisdom is extremely limited, ant
|, there may be natural laws at presen
unknown to us by which the scattere'
, energy may be once more gathered al
into centers OF radiation. the earth re
: new its youth, and the cycle OF organi
: and inorganic changes begin ono
. more. Long before that time we ma
all hope for a condition OF existence Il
which we can view the mysteries o
nature with clearer vision, and loo
back upon the problems which nov
appear so perplexing and unsolvable
as In our waking hours we look bac
upon the troubled visions and fancie
i OF restless sleep.
/
a The 'sPig or the Rushcs.o