The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1892-06-21

the arts of sculpture and painting which
idealize reality; musical inspirations Iao lah a
tellectual genius that investigate the ih!s
teries of worlds and carry US into the minute me
and we live happily in the MIDST OF lIliS
radiant life of which we become an integral
part. But all this beauty, all these flowers
and fruits; will pass away aS:n and - will also
die. 1t will come to an end either through
old age, when its vital elements nave bceh
exhausted, or from the extinction OF the sum-
upon whose rays its life depends
1t may also end accidentally, from a col
lision with some heavenly body encountered
on it's course, but this end of the world is OF
all others the most improbable.
1t may. we say, die Il natural death by the
slow absorption of its vital element, and, III
truth it is probable that air and water are
both diminishing, for oceans ana the atnos-
Dhere seem formerly to have been much
more extensive than now: Water mas Pene ',,
chemically with the rocks, and the oxygen,
nitrogen and carbonic acid composing our
atmosphere seem also to be UNDERGOING q
slow absorption. Through the mist of
future ages the thoughtful person may fore.
see the earth growing cold in the e. sleep OF
phere which, like the vapors or a. green
house, protect it against the glacial bleak
tains eternal SHOWS will descend like a
shroud over the great table+lands and val
legs, driving before them life and ciyiliza-
ton, and covering forever the cities and
nations in their path. Life and human
activity win gradually be contracted be-
tween the tropics; St. petersburg, London I,d
will fall to sleep i'll succession under an
eternal shroud For many, centuries equa-
tora humanity VII nhde of pars TS Tan
bordeaux and Marseillcs The shores of
seas and the n1p, OF the ga. earth ,.,,1 viii 10 be be
ceased, except i'll the equatorial zone, Oil
the day when the last tribe, already dead
with cold and hunger, will sit down upon
the RAYS Of Il pale sun that hcnceforth here
below, will only give light to moving
and heat are useless. Overcome by cold,
the last human family is touched by the
finger of death and its bones are buried
In future ages the historian may write:
''Herc lies all mankind and world that
has lved Here lies all dreams of ambition,
financial transactions, and the systems OF an
imperfect science and all vows OF mortal
love! Here lie all the beauties OF the the
EARTH" But no mortuary monument will
mark the spot where the poor planet
breathed its last sigh
Perhaps the earth win last till the ex-
fatc-we would still die cold; only the process
Of extinction would be prolonged. In the first
twenty, thirty million years or perhaps more
would bring the end of the world; but it is
only matter of time. Humanity will have
been transformed both physically and
morally long before reaching its apOgee and
long before its dccadence.
Tho sun will become extinct. 1t is con
stantly losing Il part Of its heat, for the force
it radatcs INTO space is well night incon-
ceiyabIe. The heat emitted by this luminous
body in an hour would raise two thousand ID
3a.. TER IT. the freezing 10 the boiling point,
aid almost au this heat is lost in space; the
airHunt arrested and utlilZed by the planets
in the maintenance of their life is insignia
"<nit i'll comparison with tie total eniiSSloE
If the sun is still condensiDg with a rapidity
n
to the loss, or if the descent of mcteOrltes
which are necessarily falling to its surface
now becoming colder, but If the contrary is
the case, its period of refrigeration has already
commenced This is most probable, for the
spots which periodically, appear upon its sur
face can only be considered Il manifesto
ton of its cooling, The day will come when
these spots will be many times more numerous
than now, and when they VIII begin to con
ceal large portion of the solar surface
From century to century the observation will
gradually but irregularly increase, for the
first fragments of the crust covering the
liquid incandescent surface viii soon break
away to be replaced by new formations
Future ages will see the sun sometimes cx.
tinguiShed and sometimes shining until the
distant day when its entire surface will
finally be invaded by cold, when it's last in
termIttent and pale rays will vanish forever
ana when the enormous red ball will turn
dark and never again enliven nature with the
grateful blessing of light
, we nave already seen twenty-five stars
nash win p Spasmodic CLEAN and then fan
mo u'alI-fihc cNJlnctlOn: already SHINING
stars hailed by our fathers have disappeared
from celestial charts; large number of red
stars have entered on their period of eXtinc-
ton; the sun is only a star and will share
the fate of its sisters. Suns, like worlds are
born to die, and in eternity their prolonged
career will have lasted but the space OF 4
morning
Then the sun, an obscure star, but still warm
and filled with electricity, and without doubt
vaguely lighted by undulating CLEANS from the
magnetic dawn, viii be an immense world
inhabited by strange creatures Planetary
tOmbs will continue to reyolve about till the
solar republic is entirely blotted from the
book of life and disappears, to leave room for
other planetary systems for other suns, other
worlds. other human races and other souls
our successors i'll universal and eternal his
tory.
Such l. the destiny of the earth and of all
worlds. Must the conclusion be drawn that
the day will come when the universe Will be
but one immense funereal tomb? No else it
would have been only that since eternity be-
gan There are other things in nature than
blind matter; an intellectual law of progress
governs the entire creation; the force that
rules the universe cannot remain inactive.
New stars will rise from the ashes of the past.
The conjunction Of old debris will cause new
flames to spring forth. and the change of mo.
ton into heat will recreate nehulae and worlds!
Universal death will never reign!