Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-26
ETERNITY'S GRAND EON.
A Little Bird to Carry Away the Giobe-Ap-
psIling Calculation Based on the Power
Of Squared Numhers-The Limited and
the LimItlesa

psliing Calculation Based on tho Powel
Of Squared Numbers-The Limited ant
the LimitIess.
| WRITTEN FOR THE pIsPATcH.1
There Is something staggering to thu
mind. in the thought OF beginningless anc
endless duration. Our thoughts have e
/ do with the measured and the finite
with little spans of time and infni
| tesimal bounds Of space. In only 6
few years from our advent We are bach
| again In the realm from whence we came
and yet are apt to think that much was done
for our especial accommodation; that some
how our coming was something of an event.
instead Of taking rank as only q very little
and most common place incident.
| All that is, was, has been and will be again,
though possibly not in so far as concerns
| our own little world; but this also-our
world with all its belongings-is only an in
eident among the infinity of worlds and the
occurrences in the cycles of that endless
duration, pertaining to the boundless, meas
ureless and beginningless past.
We will try to measure a little Of this
| eternal duration, to enlarge our conception
| of our environment that we may see how
| small factor must be. oil that we know and
can conceive Of
Few Things We Know.
We know something of the sphere we
are on. It has comprehensive dimensions.
form and competition. We know with
pretty fair precision its bounds nnd move
ments; we may know approximately its age,
how and fmpelled by what force
1t came, and What ultimate destiny
awaits fsc. it: snt. We recognize ss.' such
conclusions relating 70 certain ~ eOnse-
quences, then follow inevitably. In a small
way, we know something OF quantity. In q
feeble way. we know something Of the
power of numbers to express it. We are on
globe OF matter, having a diameter Of
about 5000 miles. We will now consider q
very gradual process OF transporting this
matter, let US suppose, to other worlds and
try to grasp something of the immensity OF
time that would be involved in the transac-
tion, and use this as basis IN considering
other quantities OF time.
Let us suppose that in the year 1900 q small
bird shall come, and graspinS as much as is
can conveniently carry in its bill, shall fly
hence with 1t. Millions and billions, yes,
billions multiplied by billions Of such bits
could be taken from an ordinary farm and
the dfminution OF malaria would not be
noticed. But at the end of q thousand years.
which would be in the year 2990, q bird comes
again and se1zlng as much as on the former
occasion 1t flies away, leaving the earth
with that much less. But from this time on.
each visit on this mission of carrying away
matter will be measured by the time of the
visit just preceding it. squared. Consequent
ly, the next call "a ter the thousand year call
will be after the lapse of a Thousand times a
Thousand years in other words, one million
years A Thousand thousands Is one million,
ana thousand millfons is a billion. Think
OF it and try to grasp it. such an amazing
time and only three bill-rulls of matter car
r1ed away. But the fourth visit will be
after a million of millions of years, or what
we denominate n qufutilion of years, thus:
1000 900, 000, 000 C00,0OO Those who have any
idea at all OF the cumulative power of the
nlr II
what incomprehensible limits this will soon
extend and yet, there are now only four
little bill-fulls of material less on the earth.
But the fifth visit will be after the time e1-
pressed by the square of one quintilIion,
which requires the figure one to be placed in
the 18th period and afCer another visit the
number passes to where no human language
has any terms to give it expression.
The Figures Too Big to Comprehend.
Now let this continue, each last trip
after the lapse of the square of the time of
the one preceding, until all the contents of
the entire globe have been carried awayi
Yes, q time would come when the last atom
of the globe would be gathered up.
But think of it!
A sphere as large as the earth, made up of
small type, each expressing q numeral, all
in a straight line, millions and billions and
trillions of times the distance duplicated to
the sun, and yet these cannot express the
centuries in the halfway intervals even, of
the time consumed in thus carrying this
globe away.
But when, after cycles of years, more
numerous than the grains of sand in q
sphere as large as Arcturus, all this earth
has been carried away. has an appreciate
portion of eternity passed? has the knell of
one of its seconds been tolled?
No!
The process may go on: the squares of
time continue, until the moon, the sun and
every part OF every orb in space be carried
away. and even then all this will be as
nothing to eternal duration!
But why?
Because this process began and by virtue
Of its own conditions must end it has limits,
bounds, dimensions and eternity has none.
No, all this would not be the most infinites-
imal part of second in the great, the
grand, the stupendous law of eternity!
But what, then, must we understand as to
the beginning OF anything? Only this: How
ever tar back it is that anything had be-
ginning, it began: it must then have had O
definite commencement, and back of and be-
hind that still lies an eternity, and to what
ever point ba edward we may refer begin
ming. IL would still be beginning and we
would find the same condition, no matter
to how remote time we unpushed
our inquiry. If everything that is had a
then, back of and behind that be-
there was absolutely nothing, and if that,
that had the capacity to begin, began not
during an eternity, If, instead OF manifest
ing potency. it was impotent during an
during an eternity instead of being alert
was inert during an eternity, then nothing
ness would of necessity by the force of the
logic of the situation have remained
nothing in all the eternity to come.
Our Conceptions Are Limited
But since things exist now, since the
universe now exists, we are forced, by the
of the case, to the conclusion that |
it has always thus existed; that it never be- |
gan. We are thus compelled to conclude
that matter and the potencies of the uni |
verse eternally were and were eternally |
mad e manifest. 1t is thus that we acknowl- |
edge the limitations and restrictions of our |
own finite conceptions instead of limiting |
The great infinite.
Is there any logical road to any other con-
,Iusion? Then, can there be any thing abso-
utely new?
Yes and no. New to tie newly formed re-
ceivers OF Impressions, new as to its own
specific individuality, as the leaf of each |
year Is new, but old as a type or race leaf: |
TO- in the rounds of infinite duration, all
hat now is or ever will be necessarily |
llready must have been many, many times.
If, then, we grasp the great truth that
always we're, that the potency in the uni
verse eternally was. that creation, growth,
lecay and disintegration have ever followed
Zach other in an unceasing round, that this
,reat law bears alike on all forms from the
sun TO the tinieSt thing, may |
indulge in some observations on infinite
pace, which is the necessary complement
VI corollary to eternal duration. AS
8 the one so is tho other; both are
AMI endless, rs eternal dura-
ion never began and never will end, so stel-
ar space had never a starting point nor
ermination.
If. during all the timo indicated in the pre-
eding part of this article an electric cur