Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1897-08-13
AGE OF THE WORLD.
The CURES of Scientific Guessers
Vary Somewhat Widely.

Vary Somewhat Widely.
Some new figures on this subject
recently printed by Lord Kelvin have
served to revive its discussion among
men of science. Lord Kelvin is con-
vinced that former estimates have
been too liberal. They varied be-
tween l0O,O0O,O0O and 3OO,O00,000
years, a margin so large that it might
be regarded by some as a confession
of ignorance. As far as his lordship
can Judge from the available facts of
geology, the earth is not over 30, 000,-
600 years old, and perhaps not over
20,000,000. That is to say, the earth |
has been habitable for this period. |
Our planet is assumed to be growing
cooler and to be slowly reducing the
speed of rotation. The resisting
tides are lesscning the speed at the
axis. While the change is slight, it
is apprcciable in the course Of cen
turtles, and science asserts that the
time will come when the globe will
hang motionless in space, a dead world
drifting in thrilling region of thick
ribbed ice" with half its surface
turned perpetually away from the
sun.
Before admitting that this pathetic
spectacle is to be the end of our plan
ct, which is now so prolific of life and
occupied with motion in so many di-
rections, it is not amiss to ask science
to remove from its calculations as
wide a difference as that between 90
100000 and 3OO,000,O0O. A school
boy with such a, discrepancy on his
slate would certainly be asked tot try
it again, and might be the object of
some pungcnt remarks from his pre-
ceptor Within the past year the an
cient history of man as writing ami
NAL has been moved back several thou
sand years, and he must have lived a
long time before that to have gained
fixed knowledge of graphic art
Lord Kelvin speaks with confidence
of the time before the birth of man on
this sphere when there was a constant
succession of violent physical changes
on the earth's surface, upheavals of
its crust, with storms, floods and sud-
den changes of climate, ranging from
glacial to fiery. Perhaps it is all so.
But science frequently adjusts itself
to new facts, and a good deal of its
time is occupied in sweeping out old
theories.
To the casual observer the earth re-
veals no signs of decrepitude. The
human race, in Europe and America
at least, is apparently in its youth
and pressing on with ardor to higher
forms Of civilization. Seed time and
harvest move in their appointed round
everywhere, and each year sees the
resource of agriculture becoming
more potential. If the earth is slow
ing up its children have no evidence
of it except that which must be taken
on trust. If it is growing old it hides
the fact with consummate skill. OF
a summer morning it looks as fit had
just been made, and adorns itself
with the auroral play of light and the
cool glitter of dew as if it were deeply
versed in the laws of beauty and the
fascination of charms that are sim
pie but by no means to be neglected
If the earth is not young it is wise
old coquette; and before asserting
that it is declining into the vale of
years the scientists must reconcile |
their figures.-St. Louis Globe-Dem-
ocrat.