The San Francisco call., 1896-10-04
Five Years From Next December the Sun
and the Planets VIII Bear About the
Same Relation to the Earth
as IN the Year Of the
Great Deluge


sun and major planets at the time of the
cataclySm. Almost a similar position OF
these planets will occur in December,
1901, and many people are of the opinion
that some great cataclysm will then oc-
cur
What may we reasonably expect?
All human knowledge rests on human
experience. II it be proven that certain
terrestrial phenomena have occurred when
certain ultra-terrestrial conditions have OBJ
tanned it requires no argument to induce
the belief that when similar conditions
again lake place similar results may be
expected. No more, no less. Science, if ii
deserves its name, must be absolutely true
and unbiased The pedantry that disre-
CARDS natural phenomena is not science.
The dictionary defines "cycle" as a
"unIformly returning occurrence of the
same event"
Just now, for some reason (that may
form the subject of future discussion), the
popular mind is much interested in cyclic
phenomena, and anything that offers ever
so slight clew to the elucidation of the
mysterious working is eagerly accepted.
Probably ninety-nine out OF every hun
have an Unborn conviction that, what has
once happened will most likely happen
again. Asked why such ideas are enter
tanned, the reply is, ~ don't know" But,
all the same, the conviction is present.
Indefinite, vague, plainable, but
existing.
The "cycle" is the expression of eter-
nifty. Nv ithout beginning or ending"
Modern science is. emphaticaIly, mate
rials tic. 1t taxes cogn.zance only of wha
pertains to the material universe and what
is susceptible OF measurement by weight
and volume. The laws it recognizes apply
only to matter, and it confines its re-
searches TO the determin alton of materia.
causes, so that every effect is measured as
the result of purely physical cause.
For convenience we divide science into
many branches, each pertaining to some
one specially, as astronomical SCIENCE"
the science of chemistry" etc. Natu-
rally, there is a tendency due to such
division, to narrow the limits of research,
and consequently confne conclusions,
with the result that out of 10, 600 specialist
investigators there arises but one philoso-
pher.
most inclined to search for the key to
cyclic phenomena. He witnesses the
evide ence of cyclic law in all his investiga-
tons. The simplest illustration of the
cycle is found in the motion of the earth
in her revolution around the sun. Ssiect
any point in the orbit of the earth, and at
the expiration of q period of time embrac-
ing 365 days hours 48 minutes and 47.6
seconds the earth will have completed
one revolution around the sun along the
path of her orbit, and will occupy like
position in regard to the sun that she d d
at the beginning of the elapsed time above
mentioned.
In the computation of time use is made
of what are known as "cycles" The
Dominical cycle is for the purpose of de-
termlning the day of the week correspond
ing to any given date. II is found that at
the END of term of 400 years The same
order of Dominica letters and days of the
week will return. A cycle of the sun de-
termines the order of the Dominica let
ters applying to the days of the month
and lasts during q period of twenty EIGHT
years, when the same order returns. The
lunar cycle determines the times of occur
renee of the new moon and has the period
OF nineteen years, at the expiration of
which begins another period of similar
length, the duplicate of its predecessors.
Astronomy declares that almost every
heavenly body is governed by cyclic law.
The motions of the planets, their satel-
lites, the so-called fixed stars (there are
no fixed stars; every star that, for want
of better expression, is called liked
STAR" is, in fact, swiftly speeding through
space at rate of motion calculated in
some instances to be a million miles an
hour, yet so distant from us that, though
a thousand years were expended in watch
ing, 1t would be impossible in that period
of time 10 detect any change in it's posi-
tion), and also the motions of some
comets, are in cycles that have been deter
mined by US.
Because we have been unable to measure
the orbit of each comet is no reason that
we should say that any is exempt from
cyclic law. The vastness of the orbit may
exceed our finite comprehension, yet it is
an orbit
Coming closer to home we observe many
manifestations of cyclic power. In mat
ters of disease and health the physician is
well q ware VI tic lOICC Oh CYCLIC law.
Fevers are distinguished by the periodic
ity OF their recurrence. Some physiolo-
gists declare that every seven years our
material bodies are renewed. That is,
the process of eliminating effete animal
matter and the supplying of its place with
new is gradually and constantly going on,
so that at the end of the period of seven
years our physical organism contains
nothing that formed it seven years pre-
viously.
1t would be strange if with such forcible
evidence before us, our brains were unten-
anted with the belief that past occur
rences would be reduplicated. 1t will not
do to relegate such imaginings to the
land of myths and say such thoughts are
nonsensical Education and culture have
not, nor Will they ever, expurge such
thoughts. The greater application the
student bestows upon the phenomena OF
nature the more pronounced appears the
truth of the cyclic law.
The development of intelligence but
whets the appetite for knowledge. The
more we know the more we want to know,
and there is growing to-day an intense