The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-19
STORY OF THE EARTH
How the Planet Was Born and
How 1t Will Die.
THE END EASILY FoREsEEN
Old Sol, That Warns Us. Is Doomea
Also, but the Extinction of Life in
Millions Of Years Distant.

The very structure Of the terrestr;a,
globe, its ffattening at the poles. the ar
rengement of its geological formations
the character of its lower primitive strata
its volcanoes which still smoke and vomit
forth burning lava, Its earthquakes. the
regular rise IN temperature as a descent ia
made toward Its center, are all facts that
unite IN proving the earth to have been
uninhabited and uninhabitable in prim
tive times. ana IN showing that it was at
first IN the condition of hot. luminous
and incandescent sun. On the other hand
If the annual revolution of our planet
around the sun is examined. as well as the
orbits OF the other planets. it is seen that
they all revoIve nearly in the plane of the
solar equator and ell in the same direction
which is also the direction IN which the
sun itself rotates. certain small planets
deyiate somewhat from this general plane
but their number In a single zone and
their very insignihcance show them To
have undergone some special perturba-
ton. We cannot help feeling that the
origin of worlds is connected In some wav
or other with the sun, around which thew
gravitate like children indissolubly nj.
tached TO their father.
".
and Laplace were impressed with this
thought and it still strikes us today with
the same force, despite certain difficulties
in detail yet unexplained. The most prob
able hypothesis, the most scientific theory.
is that which presents the sun as a con-
densed nebuia. and as having existed since
the unknown epoch when this nebula
more than filled the space occupied by the
present solar system, an immense, slowly
revolving. gaseous lens, whose exterior
circumference reached the zone marked by
the orbit OF Neptune, or even farther. for
Neptune does not form the real limit of
the system. But perhaps the distance
between the planets has gradually in
creased.
Let Us imagine an immense gaseous
mass placed in space. Attraction is an in
herent force Of every atom OF matter. The
densest portion Of this mass gradually at
tracts all the surrounding parts, and in
the slow fall of the most distant molecules
toward this most attractive region a gem
era. movement is produced, imperfectIy
directed toward the center, which soon
draws the entire mass into a rotary mo-
ton. The simplest form, in virtue also of
this law of attraction, is the sphere this
is the form which drop of water or drop
of mercury takes when free to move, and
this is the form first assumed by the re-
volving gaseous mass.
Mechanical laws prove that the rotary
motion of the nebula increases in proper
ton as the gaseous mass condenses and
diminishes in volume. In consequence
of the more rapid movement the
poles become flattened, and, lit
tie by little, the mass as
sumes the form of an enormous lens of
gas. 1t is possible that it might finally ro-
tate gas fast enough to develop upon its ex-
terror circumference centrifugal force
superior to the general attraction of the
mass, as when sling is rapidly revolved.
The inevitable consequence is a disturb
ance of equilibrium resulting in the sepa-
ration of an external ring. This gaseous
ring continues TO revolve in the same time
ana at the same rate of speed: but its
nebulous progenitor will never again be
attached to II, and will continue to I'M
dergo a progressive condensation and ac-
celeration of motion. The same thing oc-
ours as often as the speed of rotation. or
the centrifugal force. exceeds the attrac-
ton. Also, it Is quite possible that see
ondarv centers of condensation may be
formed even in the interior of the neoula.
The telescope shows rs nebul9 in the
distant heavens whose forms correspond
to these transformations. The first IS
found in the constellation of the Hunting
Dogs, and gives an example of Il central
condensation, beginning with solar focus
at the center of spherical or lens-shaped
nebula; the second is found in Aquarius,
and presents shere encircled by ring.
the edge of which is seen, recalling IN
striking way the formation of such
world as Jupiter. the third belongs to the
constellation OF Pegasus; it is remarkable
on account of the zones already detached
from the central nucleus, and is Il veritabie
sun surrounded by gaseous rings. In the
future We shall see others like 1t and no
less remarkable. Spectrum analysis proves
that these nebuie. instead of being formed
OF stars packed together. are In reality
composed OF gases in which nitrogen and
hydrogen predominate.
In our own system the rings OF Saturn
are still IN existence.
The successive formation OF the planets,
their situation in relation to the solar
equator and their revolutions around one
center. are explained by the theory We are
proponlding Neptune. the most distant
planet known, must have been detached
from the nebuia 1t q time when 1t extended
outwaUds from the center a billion leagues,
and moved so slowly that l65 years were
required 10 complete one rotation. me
original ring could not retain the annular
form unless il were perfectly homogeneous
and regular; but such a condition IS I'M
possible and the ring Itself would very soon
be condensed into u sphere. Uranus,
Satprn, Jupiter, an army of little planets
known as the Asteroids. and Mars, were
thus successfully detached. or formed IN
the interior OF this same nehula. Finally
the earth was produced, whose formation
goes back 20 the epoch when the sun az
rived al this point in space; Venus ana
Mercury were produced later. VIII the
sun ever throw OF another world III =
not probable. III order TO do SO Its rotary
motion must greatly Increase, becoming
2l9 times greater thar CT present.
IN ;he same manner the moon was
formed from the terrestrial equator when
the earth. Still - ncbula. EXTENDED rs 'ac
Is She orbit Of that iumlnary, then per-
hans nearer rs than now.
The relative density OF the planets cor
rohorates this theory. The moon formed
80 80 speak. OF materials floating on me
surface of The terrestrial nebula- Is mucn
lighter than the earth. The inferior pan
cts Mars. the earth Venus ana Mercury.
are much more dense than the suPeF'o.
panctS. Ncptunc. Uranus. Saturn ana
Jupiter. Furthermore. the same n'1teFi''s
winch compose the earth. ana WhlCh ats'
exist in Il gaseous STATE IN s"t SUI -
found IN ;he chemical composition 81. the
dltfr-sr,r 7vo-lSs. the comets, shooting stars
and mcttorltes.
Thus the earth was formed by the SLOW
condensation of n gaseous ring uet3ched
from the sun. which stu con h,.SH
t. contract and condense IN oFHet Iu'''
nus sad Mercury might afterwards oe i,io
duced. From that time the .efteS'1 .,
neal3a had an independent existence ald
,,xniXcl immense