The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-09

20 One-n8u OF MS present diameter IN
5000 600 years at the latest. He win then
have become liquid and his temperature
will begin to decrease, 80 that at the end
Of ten millions of years his heat will not
be sufficient to maintain acondition of life
on the earth analogous to the present one.
We picture our earth frozen and depop-
ulated by cold. the last human family lost
by the formation of solid crust on his
surface, the whole planetary system de-
prived of the light and heat which have
been giving it life for 80 many centuries.
We see our sun, an enormous black ball,
pursuing his path through space, carrying
his planets with him, deserted, perambu-
lating tombs. continually gravitating
around him in the eternal darkness.
What is to become of these worlds3
Matter. like force, being indestructible,
will they eternally continue to gravitate in
the condition of cosmic skeletons? To solve
this question we are driven from the domain
of pure science to enter that of hypothesis.
But even here We must forget the rigor.
Gus principles of scientific induction.
If such were the definite end of worlds,
if they passed from existence forever, If
suns once dead were illumined no more,
there would no longer be stars in the
heavens.
And why?
Because creation is so ancient that Il
may be considered as eternal in the past.
Since the time of their formation the in
Vulnerable suns in space have abundantly
had time to become extinct: Relatively to
past eternity it is only the new suns
which are shining. The first ones have
been extinguished. The idea of succession
in life is borne in, then, upon our minds.
Let US, moreover, interrogate nature
directly and listen for her answer.
What is taking place around us? The
same molecules of matter enter success
sively into the composition of different
bodies. Bodies change, matter remains.
In the interval of a. month our own body
is almost entirely renewed as to material.
A perpetual interchange is carried on be-
tween the air, water, mineral, plants, ami
mails and ourselves. There is incessant
interchange during life and . no less in
cessant interchange after the death of or
ganisms. The matter which constitutes
living beings is not immobile, but re-enters
we breathe, eat and drink has already been
breathed. catch and drunk thousands of
times. We arc made of the dust of our
ancestors.
This is what passes around Us. There is
neither great nor small in nature. The
stars are the atoms of the infinite. The
laws which govern atoms also govern
worlds.
The same quantity of matter is always
in existence. After having been employed
in the formation of nebula, suns, planets
and living creatures, 1t does not fall
into Inactivity. it re-enters q new
circulation. Otherwise the world
would come to an end. Other
wise. the day would come when all the
worlds would be dead, buried in night,
falling aimlessly through the black desert
of space, an eternal solitude which no raw
of light would ever iilumine throughout
eternity to come. That is perspective
which affords no satisfaction to the most
elementary process of logic.
But by what natural process may dead
worlds re-enter the realm Of the living
When our sun shall be extinguished land
there is no doubt that such is to be his
fate), how will he again enter the circula-
ton of universal life?
The study of the constitution of the
universe, which is only in its beginning,
already offers us two replies to this cues.
ton, and it is very probable that nature.
who is so very chary Of imparting her
secrets, holds still better ones in reserve
for the science of future centuries.
Two dead heavenly bodies may live
again and enter on a new era of activity by
coming together in accordance with the
simple laws of gravity.
When. :hen, our sun shall have be-
come extinct, and shall roll, darkened
sphere, through space, he may like .
new Phoenix, rise from his ashes. by
meeting with another extinct sun, and
by thus relighting the lamp of life for
new worlds, which the laws Of gravitation
shall separate from the nebula formed by
the shock 81 this meeting, as those same
laws detached our own earth and her Sis
ter planets from the nebulous system to
which We belong. At this moment the
sun is travelling with great speed to-
ward the stars of the constellation of
Hercules. Each star is animated by its
own movement which carries it, with its
system, through space. Many of these
ing impossible. then, in supposing that two
stars may meet in space, and perhaps
there lies the secret of the resurrection of
worlds.
Perhaps II enters into the general des-
tiny OF the universe that the sun should
be travelling toward precisely the goal
which he will reach only after his death,
and this may be the final cause Of the
proper movement of all the suns through
space. But at the same time We can con.
ceiye Of q second process of destruction
and resurrection, of which the meteors,
falling stars and comets may be the
tokens.
How is it possible that q world should
fall into fragments? We cannot tell. The
facts seem even contrary to the laws of
gravitation. But what is gravitation in
its essencef Is that force of gravitation
absolute7 May not bodies reach certain
physical or chemical state in which grsyl.
tation will lose its power over them Then
let us grant for an instant that in conse-
quence of the chill of ages, qualification.
of dryness, our globe may one day fall
into particles. and that later on its con-
etituent materials may cease to obey the
force OF aggregation which now binds
them together. Our globe strong in its
center, would then consist of materials
SIMPLY luxtaposed. which would no
longer be restrained by any central force
like the corpse which, abandoned TO the
workings of destruction, leaves each of the
molecules which compose it at liberty to
leave II forever, in obedience thenceforth
| 10 new influences. What would happen
TO mat dead planet, 10 that corpse Of a
/ world The attraction of the moon. If il
| stl!l existed, would be sufficient of itself
10 uemo9lsh 1t, by raising tide of morseIs
OF earth, instead of liquid tide. To this
iet other planetary perturbations be added
aaa IN few centuries behold our
| poor dissggregated world losing its
spheroidai form to become scattered
imperceptibly over its orbit. Behold
.ne t.ahetary system IN fragments. Every
| patticle OF this material must be drawn IN
iail pe.l-neil into the sun. And if such
~ also the nnal destiny Of the sun, behold
! ,nA1 dead and hlackeped orb disaggregated
| himself, and all the constituent particles
! % fhe solar system carried apart into
| space, destined to he disseminated through
| the wastes Of the heavens. The dust of
| worlds, IL will tioat in the void until some
1 oaf, coming INTO the regions of a new
resurrection, |, shall be again thrown into
| the erucibies of creation brought to-
| gether by common iseundating center
AID from ali sides analogous coamie anst