The morning call., 1891-09-13

BOuS anu ihcH, 10 'hO fuohcoi, tilC ihOot
portant and the most majestic. This colos-
sal world of Jupiter he's diameter of about
SS, 900 miles, and which surpasses that of our
earth by more than eleven times. The cir
cumference Of Jupter's world at the
equator is about 275,OO0OOo miles. The
volume of this giant exceeds that of the
earth by 1884 times. This immense globe
seen at the distance at which we are stu
ated from the moon would appear TO US
with diameter about forty times larger
than that of our satellite, and the surface of
its disk would embrace on the celestial
vault an extent 1000 times greater than that
of the full moon.
This giant OF the worlds travels through
space, accompanied by retinue Of four
satellites. at mean distance of 1876, 900, coo
miles from the sun. and which is more than
five times greater than that of the earth
from the same Its orbit is more than a
thousand million miles in extent, and
through this it passes in 1882 days, or eleven
years, ten months and seventeen days. Such
is the year of this immense globe. In order
to complete its entire orbit during this
period it speeds around the sun with
velocity of 100000 miles day, or a little
more than eight miles second. This Is a
little less than half the velocity of the earth
a very great swiftness, for its day and
night com bined only last about nine hours
and fifty-five minutes. In other words the
inhabitants of Jupiter enjoy only i've hours
of real day, twilight included. "lf," SAYS
Kant. "an inhabitant OF Jupiter should die
IN childhood, having lived but one year on
that planet, he would be as old as child
who should die on our globe at the age OF
II years and 314 days. The terrestrial child
would have lived about 103,96S of Jupiter S
days, and the child on Jupiter 40O,32 OF the
earth's days"
1t is probable that this globe, although
created before the earth, has preserved its
pristine heat much longer by reason Of its
volume and mass. Is this CHARACTERISTIC
heat sufficiently intense to prevent all mani
festations of life? And is this globe, still
at the present time, not
IN THE STATE OF A LUMINOUS STAR,
But in the condition of a dark and burning
one, entirely liquid, or scarcely covered with
a first hardened crust, as the earth was be-
fore life began to appear on its surface?
Or indeed, is this colossal planet In that
condition of temperature through which oar
own world passed during the primary
Deriod of its geological epochS, when life
began to show itself under strange forms,
as animal and vegetable beings OF astonish-
ing vitality amid the convulsions and tenn
pests of the newborn world? The last is
the most rational conclusion that we can
draw from the most recent and exact 0oser-
vations to which we are indebted for what
we know of the present state of this vast
world.
Whether Jupiter be inhabited now,
whether it was Yesterday, or whether II
will be Tomorrow is of little consequence TO
the grand, eternal philosophy OF nature.
Life is the object of its formation, as 1t was
that of the earth's formation. Therein IS
everything. The moment, the hour IS OF
little account.
Doubtless the planet may now be inbab
tied by beings different from US, living, per-
baps, in an aerial condition IN tile upper re-
gions of its atmosphere above the fOgs and
vapors of the lower strata, feeding on the
aerial fluid itself, resting on the wind like
the eagle in the tempest and ever dwelling
In theupper heights of the Jovian heaven.
That would not be a disagreeable abode,
although an anti-terrestriai one. indeed, 1t
would be like the abode of old Jupiter
wish, in our conception Of life, to stray too
far from the borders Of the terrestrial
cradle there Is nothing TO prevent us from
waiting until the planet has become cool like
our own, and enjoys purified atmosphere,
which will permit its being compared
with the earth. And what would be better
prepared to be the abode of superior life?
1t is the preponderant globe of the whole
solar family, the vaStest in surface, the
most important as regards mass, the most
favored through the position oil its axis. the
most uniform in its course, rich in the pos
session of four satellites. and throned like
chief amid the planetary orbits. What mar
velous conditions are prepared in this abode
for the development of life, intelligence
and happiness! All, how much superior
will such humanity be to ours!
Happy shores of Jupiterl You will not
know the distresses and sorrows at which
the unhappy countries of our earth are
still Shuddering. You will not be moistened
with the blood of martyrs, which has been
so many times shed here in the name OF so
many contradictory gods. You will not
bear tumultuouS armies of brothers who
periodically slaughter each other at the
orders of a few infamous potentatesl You
will not be defiled by the crimes that hun
ger, ambition or pride is committing every
day here below! But you will prepare in
the heavens
THE UNITED STATES,
OF an immense republic, blessed of the
Creator, floating calmly in the luminous
ether. bathed in the tepid temperature of an
eternal spring, without winter and without
summer, and slowly growing in the breast
of peace and harmony toward a state of per-
fection, which our imperfect and miserable
little planet will never approach.
1t is impossible for US to imagine that the
existence of the stars can have any other
OBJECT than that of receiving or giving life.
Life! Such is the grand object which we
see shining in the destinies of the creation.
The absence of life Is to us synonym for
death and nothingness. Our logic refuses
to believe that the millions of suns which
are burning in Infinite space are of no use.
and that they neither illumine, warm nor
govern anything. And il they are useful
for something for us. this something"
is life, under whatever form it may be, from
the simplest blade of grass up to the high
est most intelligent. most. powerful mind
This declaration, which is forced upon us
by our own logic, is also the declaration
of entire nature, whose unlimited fecundity
has sOwn life around on every spot capable
of receiving 1t; whose singular foresight
gives things and beings even double and
multiple purpose for existence; who pro-
duces several effects through the same
cause. and who goes so far as to accumulate
life at the expense of living beings them
selves.
Ii the gigantic world of Jupiter is now
undergoing those conditions of temperature
that marked the primitive epoehs of the
earth, we cannot consider Ii as being at
present the seat of intellectual life. 1t is
the land of the icthyosaurus, but not that Of
man; not the calm and tranquil world
which is necessary for the manifestations of
a delicate nervous system and of contem-
pla:ive thought. 1t is only later. in the
future ages, that Jupiter will be inhabited
by an intellectual race; and who knows
whether perhaps it may not be ourselves?
It's situation then will be incOmparably
superior to that of the earth-an immense
empire, perpetual spring, long years and
mild. unvarying temperature will form an
abode of peace and happiness truly worthy
OF cur ambition and our hopes.
This majestic world travels in space ac-
companltd by four enormous satellites. In
what condition are these four worlds? Are
they not themselves and have they not
been for long time the seat of organic life
and even an intellectual one? Does not
Jupiter's globe furnish them with modi-
cum of heat. and is it not to them scarcely
extinct sun?
THE SUPERIOR VOLUME
And mass of this planet. as it moves on,
surrounded 10y these satellites, is a repro
duction of the image of the sun itself i'm the
midst OF his four nearer planeIs-Mercury,
Venus, Mars and the Earth-for the dis
tances and relative volumes of Jupiter's
four satellites form system which is sim
guiariy analogous to that of the four first
planets OF the great solar system.
Each one of the four worlds of the Jovian
system has its special wears its davs and