Morning journal and courier., 1891-12-31
LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS.
Specific Gravity Plays Many Franks
with The People OF Other Worlds.

Specific Gravity Plays Many Franks
with the People of other Worlds.
From the Omaha worid-Heraid-l
The first thing which most attracts our
attention about other planets is their very
great difference in size, and this circum-
stance is the cause of come of their most
striking physical peculiarities. Take, for
instance, the little planet Ceres. Our
earth is small enough, only 1912 miles in
diameter, but Ceres is only LOG miles
These words may easily pass in at one ear
and out at the other without leaving any
impression behind; or, if they cause us to
think, we will wonder how easily it must
be to get from one country to another,
how delightful to be able to sail round the
world, pay q visit to one's friends at the
antipodes and be settled at home again
all within the short space of two success
sive play days. But if we look at the sub
ject little more closely we shall find that
it involves far more extraordinary conse
quences that these. We know that while
the earth spins around men, dogs and
horses, balls aud stones hold on, or fall to
the earth. This force which attracts mat
ter to matter is called gravity or weight.
It is stronger in proportion TO the amount
of matter, and weaker in proportion to the
square of the distance of an object from
the center of gravity. Now, the diameter
of the earth being fifty times greater than
that of Ceres, it follows that boy here is
fifty times heavier than be would be on
the little planet II he weighs one hun
dred pounds here he would weigh only
two pounds there. Boys could play at
ring -taw with huge round boulders instead
of marbles, and play football with bal
looms. Girls could carry dolls as heavy as
their mothers, and a strong bull would be
an easy load to bear. But things stranger
still would happen. We know that If
body be once set in motion it will continue
moving forever, If not stopped by some
external force. Thus, when q boy leaps
into the air, he would go to the moon and
further were il not for the attraction of
the e1rth, which very soon pulls him down
again. But on the little planet Ceres this
force is SO small that boy might leap to
| an enormous height before the attraction
would check his ascent. Jumping over q
housetop would be as easy as playing leap
frog, while good jumper would think
nothing of clearing, with a shot run, the
tower of the new city hall. StAircases
might be abolished, for even n stout old
lady could easily jump in at third-story
window. The range of projectiles would
| be increased in proportion Baby could
hurl his rattle into Council Bluffs, and in
the event of a war with Chill, an ensign at
Fort Omaha, with Krupp gun, could de-
fend San Francisco against the invader
Nor have we yet exhausted the wonders Of
Ceres.
We can imagine how uncomfortable IL
must be for fat man Of three hundred
| paunds' weight to walk, run or exert him
self. But transport him to our queer lit
tie friend Ceres, and he is at once at ease
In moment he becomes fifty times light
er than he was-as light, in fact, as q kit
ten; and he may proceed, If he pleases, to
astonish to acrobatic natives of the planet
by gymnastic exploits far SURPRISING even
their own. Muscular exertion there goes
fifty times as far as it does here; and the
exploits men are capable of achieving there
must surpsss the widest flights of fancy
and the most exaggerated visions of fairy