, 1894-11-17
Dear Sir,

May | beg for a little space in
which to make a few comments on al article
which. appeared IN your Bna'cin Of Thursday
under the heading Astronomical predictions
of disasters in November 1894,
In itself the article is not worth notice;
but | am toh that sono Of your readers are
worrying themselves to a painful, not to say
dangerous, degree over it's statements, and |
should lie, if they will accept my services,
preferred with no pretensions to more than a
common knowledge of the subject, to Try to
show them that these alarming statements are
entirely without value.
OF all the heavenly bodies, that which
pulls with most force on the earth is the
moon. and this not Notwithstanding that she Is
the smallest Of all the bodies visible to the
naked eve. The reason Of this is found in
her nearness t. US. For that mysterious
force which we call gravity, but the nature
of which the -profoundest thinker cannot
arrive at nor explain, dininshes rapidly
with distance, much more rapidly than we
might suppose. 1t might be thought, for
instance. that If the moon were placed at
twice 4he distance it would r"ll aith half the
force: but this would not be 30 IT would
pull with only a fourth part of the force
again il it we're three times as distant it
would pull with only a ninth part Of the
force. at q hundred TINES the distance it would
null With ONLY q ten thousendth part of the
force and so on. HENCE it is that the glorious
but distant sun. which would take somewhere
about seventy millions Of moons to make up
his bulk. pulls with less force than the little
moon. The inhuer ce of both bodies is seal
in the tides, and these are highest when both
bodies are acting together, that is at new and
at full moon. The planets also pull on the
earth with forces which the astronomers can
measure. but with forces trivial INDEED, when
compared to those of the sun and moon.
,,Ow what / wish to ask is this: If no cal
antilles can be traced to the great difference
Of force exercised at different times by the
sun and moon, how can it be supposed that
the addition or sHbtractio of he minute
pull of a planet can bring calamltieS? If the
immense addition which the sun makes TO
the moons force every fortnight does not
ruin MS, how is the weakly aid OF a planet or
Two to ruin us =? An eIei hant harnes%ed to
the wall cannot pull it down but. harness Il
mouse along with him and down 1t will
come. That is the sort of thing we are asked
to believe. AS for poor little Mercury,
what can he do 1t would take some TWEEN
ty-four millions of him to make up the Sun.
II is true that he Is q thIrd OF me way nearer
to us. but with such small fractions to deal
with it is scarcely worth while even to recall
this fact.
But our sham astronomer does not enter
into such small considerations. he argues TINS
way: At such and such a time there was a
conjunction and there were some calamltles;
at another time there was o conjunction and
there were calmities therefore tho commune
lions and the calamy;ties. belonged TO each
other. That is a very common line OF. argn-
ment, and as silly rs it. is common. A blid
Aies through my room in the morn ng; in
the afternoon my child is taken i'll. All"
s1s.ys my dear, but unreasoning, friend, don't
1 tell you that a bird coming into the house
is a bad sign No, my dear friend, don't
believe any such nonsence, nor the nonsense
about s'tidal waves" either.
Therefore: Resolved, that we go about
our duties with cheerful countenimces and
with grateful hearts, grateful for the bright
XIV. theasparkIing sea, the fair green earth,
the friendly faces we meet, aud all the other
blessings that a bountiful Providence has