The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-10-12
sPEcuLAT1oNs AS TO pooMspAx.

Discussions as to the Fate of HUI
manity ON the Last Great Day.
st. Louis Republic.
The probable fate of the last man
has often been discussed and dozens
OF theories have been advanced by per-
sons who honestly believe that they
have solved the problem. That there
Will be a time when this little world
OF ours will no longer exist there is not
the least shadow of q doubt But ex-
actly how the human race will perish
and disappear from the face of the
globe is the question that has inter-
ested the philosophers of all ages
Some profess to believe that the
oceans are gradually encroaching on
the last man will be drowned.
Opposite to this Is the much-talked-
or theory that the water on the earth's
surface is slowly drying up, the amount
being appreciably less now than 1t was
at the opening of the century. The
apostles of this unique theory say that
If the dry1ng-up process continues for
few thousand years longer the earth
will become as arid as the moon and
the last man will perish for want Of
water.
Some believe that the earth will fall
to pieces: others, that a monster planet
Will plunge into the sun, causing that
great luminary to blaze up, and burn
to cinders the earth and the other
planets In it's train
There have been dozens of other theories,
some OF them equally curious, advanced by
men who have been making the subject a
study. But the most remarkable solution Of
the question is the opinion lately expressed
by leading German meteorological and as
tronomer. He says that the internal fires of
the earth are rapidly dying out and that the
sun Is sure to burn out and become cold and
dark This. he says, is proven by the fact
that ice is rapidly accommodating at the poles
OF the earth and slowly creeping down
toward the temperate zones. Places visited
by Kotzebue. Franklin, Ross, Parry Lyon
present century and pronounced by them as
being free from Ice during June July and
August, are now covered with several feet
of the crystal deposit which Is capped with
snow throughout the year This Certainly
proves that the earths glacial zones are
rapidly and permanently charging and that
the old German apostle Of the freeze-out
theory has basis for his calculations, to
say the least.
That Europe ia on the borderland of an
other glacial epoch has been shown by Flam-
marion, the great French speculative as
tronomer During the last fifty years every
kingdom, empire, republic and principality
IN tnat country, as well as those of Asia, has
temperature. In France, Germany and Italv
the northern limit of the growth of the vine
Is being steadily forced southwark. In South
america ana South Africa similar conditions
are noted; at Rio de Janeiro the annual
temperature has been steadily going down
since the date when meteorological records
were first kept in that city. The German
authority Just cited declares that this will go
steadily on, with the effect of narrowing down
the habftable area Of the globe At last
sniver1ng humanity will all collect along the
equator. Finally that too will become a re-
gion OF Ice and snow. Then the time win
come when the eovercrowded human beings
VIII all starve or be frozen in a heap.