Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-02-14
LIFE on OTHER PLANETS.
Specific Gravity Plays siany Franks with
the People Of Other Worlds.

iomahn World-llerald.l
Il frt Chin. which most attracts our
f'....l about other planets IS their very
rf.af difference 10 size. and tins circum-
r.I. fuc cause of some OF their most
.. re physical peculiartles. Take, for
Instance. ..rNttle planet Ceres. Our earth
i,al. enough. Uuly7, 9l2milesin diameter,
l.' Ceres l- uIlg Zoo miles. These words
t-t tl-..F pass iu ~ one ear and out at
''.r without leaving any impression
.l .r. 90 they cause us to think, we
sra.r bow easy 10 must be TO get
uutry 90 another. how delight
81. iN l' able Oh SAL around the world,
Ia Nli o. uuo friends az the antlpodes
tt tl.d 20 home again-all within
It space 90 two successive play
.'.. hur % We look al the subject
1881. r.fe closely We shall ind that
Involves tar more extraordinary con-
-.t, than these. We know that
VIZ. i.e earth spins around men, dogs
af- balls and stones hold on, or
q. .' OBJ. earth. ihls force which At
".. matter o. matter IS called gravity,
weights Do s stronger ~ proportion 10
ai Oi matter, aud weaker IN pro-
'o ihe square OF the distance OF an
irHu ile centre Of gravity. Now,
-- ..er o, the earth being fifty times
tlsu tll. oi Ceres. u follows that
Soy l,ie isl fifty times heavier than ne
.c Un the little planet. If he
Hre hundred pounds here ne
PAT Wocn only two pounds there. Boys
la' 49, rng-taw with huge round
'.t ls,rad ut marbles. aud play foot
".ia balloons. Girls could carry dolls
-.-'t u- tacr mo. hers. and strong
would ue an easy load 10 bear. But
h Stranger stll would happen. We
' i % tniy Do once set in motion 10
tuue moving forever If not
' ny some external force. Thus,
-.- "a uof leaps into the air he would 90
..r moon suf further were II not for the
+ Nlu oi tle earth. which very soon
-iA down again. But on the little
-.'t tffus tnis force IS SO small that "a
o." DO leap 90 an enormous height
we attraction would check his
.- Jumping over house-tOp would
easy as playing leap-frog. while
jumper would think nothing of
Win short run. the tower OF the
M" lly Had. Stair-cases might be abol.
'' Toy even a stout old lady could
- iamp iu az q thicd-story window.
10y i.lsc % lIOlectiles would be in
ll in proportion. Baby. could hurl
'''' INTO Council BUNS, and, in tho
~ '' q WM With Chile, an ensign at
t.t VhAaa with a Krupp gun. could de-
A. 'An francisco against the invader
eftc cave We yet exhausted the wonders
,, e az Imagine how uncomfortable it
~. o. fora Tar man 81 500 pounds weight
~. $50 run, or exert himself But trans
III ''A To our queer little friend Ceres,
l' e % once at ease. In moment he
Al XIV lilY times lighter than be was
-i,' ~ iact, as kitten; aud be may
$3.50 De pieases, To astoaish the
t,..'y'~o natives Of the planet by gym
o.n 1p'oils FAR surprising even their
uas, % oiascalSr exertion there goes fifty
Ee's' - lar as II does here. and the er-
ans nel are capable of achieving there
as9 ~ ass the widest fights OF fancy
lsad tlost exaggerated visions Of fairy
lt.,. 9upnger than the vanquished
them ~ OLD, letters Of iron would DE to
gsaa. threads Of gossamer. Like tho
SYM The Arabian Nights they could
NON the earth 70 the clouds