The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1891-04-24
rnk EARrn.
An fntefsating Taik About the Origin and
HIrth of the Planet We Live On.

Accepting the theory Of astronomers
that our sun and the millions OF other
suns were evolved from masses of nebu-
lous matter. we should like to know
how the earth and the rest of our suns
planetary brood came into existence.
The Bible tells us something about the
earths infancy, aud inferentially about
the other planets. .'The earth was
without form and void" we are told.
There was no division ~ land or water
nothing but chaos. This agrees with
well-known scientific facts. Geology
takes us back to the time when land
and water began to take form as we
see them now.
But We should like to know some
thing about the earth's history farther
baek than the Bible and geology take
us. We are satisfied with the evidence
as TO its childhood, but when and
where was our dear old earth bornp
How came the suns eight planets, and
the little asteroids, to be made into
balls and placed outward in space at
distances ranging from $1,000, 600 to
g. 900. 600. 900 miles from the parene
sunP Even the astronomers do not
pretend TO say positively hcw this
mighty work OF world d-making was ac-
eomplished, but some of them have a
theory that seems plausible and that
fully harmonizes with demonstrated
facts.
What are called spiral nebulae
nebulous bodies which are evidently
rotating or whirling. have lately been
studied with greater care and minute
ness than ever before. 1t seems prob
able that these spirials Indicate Il stage
In which masses OF nebulous matter
began to concentrate and begin the
T.. t-.I
after the manner of our solar system.
The attraction of nebulse, as we
know by analogy. would cause rotary
motion. parts nearest the nucleus NOV
ing with the greatest rapidity. and
other parts moving more slowly in
proportion TO their distance from the
center. Such n nebue as this would
extend billions of miles in space. The
different velocities of the parts would
naturally produce spirals. and as the
process of condensation went on the
nucleus would become a comparative
ly solid body. like our sun. while
spirals. at various distances therefrom,
would. by their own attraction. be-
come more closely defined as individ-
ual rings.
In course Of time, perhaps millions
of years. these rings would gradually
draw together aud assume the spheri-
cal form that seems to be the ultimate
shape of all heavenly bodies. II this
suppusition be true, the earth was
once "A section of spiral nebula. As
the sun settled down into comparative
soiidity the nearest spiral ring became
the planet Mercury. the next one
Venus. the next the earth, and SO on
out to Neptune. nearly three billion
miles away.
And if planets are thus evolved
from spiral nebula surrounding the sun
or star, then it logically follows that
our moon. and the moons of the other
planets. are the spherical outgrowth OF
uebulous rings. Astronomers who be-
lieve in this theory declare that
Saturn's rings will eventually increase
the very liberal allowance of that
planets moons.
But If this planet-making theory is
correct why can not the completed
planets of star be diseerned through
the telescope9 Because tile stuff ol
which the planet is made becomes
thousands of times smaller when com.
pieted than il was in the nebulou;
state. A woman's dress may not be
more than four feet high and two feet
in diameter; but probably there are
| twenty yards of stuif in it. The spiral:
of which our planets were made must
| have been billions of miles in diameter,
| but the diameter of the largest planet
/ s only $4,000 miles. Philadelphia
1 Times