Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-09-03
THE END OF THE WORLD.
TOPIC WHICH is INTERESTING
TO EVERYBODY.
Tue changes Upon the Earth aud the
'a"'es Which Produce Them
VIII the Earth Ever Fall
Into the sun.

.. N'''N 'iiiS Cdllu UPON W men we
I'VE mas not always been in the same
condition in which it now appears to
us says the Popular Science News. 1t
mas had beginning. and has gone
through series of changes from a
mass OF lncandescent gas. through
ilquld and solid forms. subjected to
varying climates and occupied by ever
varying forms of life, until in orr own
'ay we ind it SO we'll adapted to our
existence that forgetting the COM
parallVely minute space of time in
"nlch we. or even the human race.
nave iiveo upon it, we are likely to
'hlhk mat the present conditions are
iSed and that the earth will continue
TO go through its daily and yearly ro-
tatlons, with alterations of summer
ana winter, day and night, while gem
eratlons of man and the present races
OF animals continue to succeed each
other Tor an indefinite or infinite num-
Der of years
Nothing could be further from the
TACT than this belief. The earth is
passing through 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 ha5tation
II, indeed. before that time the form of
HE known as man, has not been de-
Veioped into an entirely different or
ganlsm, or 'improved off 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
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 he
absorbed into its substance as into a
great sponge. when it would rapidly
acquire the lunar characteristic If
the nebular theory is correct and the
moon was thrown off from the earth,
IL 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-
imal-but it exists nevertheless, and in
course of time. if not compensated for
in other directions. will end in giving
us a day OF a 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 SUM-
That is a question which no one can
answer. From observations upon GER
tain comets the existence of a retard-
ing element in space has been sus-
pected. and if any such element exists
it is only a question of time-when
such a catastrophe must occur. But
as 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 small scale,
are constantly occurring in our own
sun. and while it is very improbable
that any marked increase of heat from
such Il 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 final
extinction of the light and heat of the
sun. While we do not know the exact
cause of the radiant energy which the
sun is constantly sending to u.s. it is
certain that there must be an end to
1t sometime. and that we are supplied
from a reservoir containing only
fixed amount. which must certainly be
exhausted.
When that time comes all life will
cease to exist and the sun and planets
will move through space dark. cold
and dead masses of barren rocks I'M
tenanted by even the lowest forms of
life. With our present knowledge.
this must be the inevitable fate of the
universe, albeit the number of years
required for its cOnsummatiOn is so
great that the human mind cannot
conceive of its magnitude. Beyond
that point we can see no farther, but
our wisdom is extremely limited, and
there may be natural laws at present
unknown to us by which the scattered
energy may be once more gathered up
into centers of radiation. the earth re-
new its youth. and the cycle of organic
and inorganic changes begin once
more. Long before that time we may
all hope for condition Of existence in
which we can view the mysteries OF
nature with a clearer vision. and look
back upon the problems which now
appear so perplexing aud unsolvable,