The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1893-12-02
LIFE ON ANOTHER PLANET.

|
Effects OF Visit to Ceres Upon the In
habitants of the Earth.
| Our earth is small enough. only 1912
miles in diameter, but Ceres is only 100
miles. These words may easily pass in at
one ear and out at the other without leav-
ing any impression behind; or, if they
cause us to think, we will wonder how
easy it must be to get from one country to
another, how delightful to be able to sail
around the world, pay a visit to ones
friends at the antipodes and be settled at
home again all within the short space of
two successive play days.
Ii we look at the subject little more
closely we shall find that it involves far
more extraordinary consequences than
these. We know that while the earth
spins around men, dogs and horses, balls
and stones hold on or fall to the earth.
ms force which attracts matter to matter
Is called gravity or weight. It is stronger
IN proportion to the amount of matter and
weaker in proportion to the square of the
distance OF an object from the center of
gravity. Now the diameter of the earth
being fifty times greater than that of Ceres,
1t follows that boy here is fifty times
heavier than he would be on the little
planet. II he weighs 100 pounds here he
would weigh only two pounds there.
Boys could play at ring taw with huge
round powders instead of marbles. and
play football with balloons. Girls could
carry dolls as heavy as their mothers and
a strong bull would be an EASY load to
bear. But things stranger still would hap
pen. We know that If body be once set
in motion it will continue moving forward
II not stopped by some external force.
Thus, when boy leaps into the air he
would go to the moon and further were it
not for the attraction Of the earth, which
very soon pulls him down again.
But on the little planet Ceres this force
is SO small that boy might leap to an
enormous height before the. attraction
would check his ascent. Jumping over a
housetop would be a. easy as playing lean
frog, while a good jumper would think
nothing of clearing with short run the
tower Of the new city hall. Staircases
might be abolished, for even a stout old
lady could easily jump in at third story
window. The range of projectiles would
be increased in proportion. Baby could
hurl his rattle into Council Bluffs, and in
Inc event OF war an ensign at Fort
Omaha with Krupp gun could defend
san Francisco against the invader. Nor
have we yet exhausted the wonders Of
Ceres.
We can imagine how uncomfortable it
must be for fat man of 300 pounds weight
10 walk, run or exert himself. But trans
port him to our queer little friend Ceres
md he is at once at ease. In a moment he
becomes fifty times lighter than he was
- light. in fact as a kitten-and he NAV
proceed, if he pleases, to astonish the aero
patio natives Of the planet by gymnastic
exploits far SURPRISING even their own.
Muscular exertion there goes fifty times
IS Tar as 1t does here, and the exploits men
re capable of achieving there must sur
lass the widest fights of fancy and the
most exaggerated visions Of fairyland.
stronger than the vanquished Titans of
I'D, letters of iron would be to them "a
threads of gossamer.
Like the genius of the Arabian Nights"
hey could spring from the earth to the
LIQUIDS at bound, or clear half q dozen
niles ut a single leap. The seven league
'oots would be no longer fable. A boy |
ould start on run around the world and !,
'e back again before his mother had fin.
shed singing out his name; race horse
ould gallop 5000 miles an hour, while the |
ca would boil and foam with the gambols |
4 its mighty inmates and the gigantic
arcass OF leviathan extend for a mile
long the beach.-Omaha World.