The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-15

afar OF may be vast worlds where inci-
vlduaI life exists On a giant scale. and
that with the greater age OF these TN
seen worlds there has been develop
r,ent far beyond anything that the hu-
man mind can conceive.
Strange as Il may seem. IN view Of the
vast possibilities afforded by the infinite;
variety Of conditions accompanying the
myriads OF suns. there are scientists
who stu cling TO the old theological doc
trins that the earth is the center OF
mortal lie and the chief end OF divine
care. TIE most conspicuous in later
DAYS Of these Is Dr. See, OF the Lowell
observatory. As q result Of profound
study he says:
TT Is very singular tina: no visible sys-
tenn yet discernsd has any resemblance
10 the orderly and beautiful system IN
which We live; and enc IL thus led 20 think
tina, probably our system Is unique In It's
character-at least it Is unique among eli
known systems.
This seems to US q very narrow. I'M
imaginative and restricted view OF the
universe and Of what we must. for want
OF better term. cali the divine purpose.
When We reflect upon the wonderful
discoveries already made. and realize
within what a limited field We are work.
ing. it would rather seem that our
Imagination should so In the direction
CT greater wonders than to the end that
all outside OF the earth must be in
ferior. For hundreds OF years, and. so
far as we know. from the beginning Of
creation until within the past few years,
man never conceived that a star shining
a comparatively short distance from US
was a planet like this earth and that
around II revolyed four bright objects
which now we call moons. Many years
after observation had established the
fact that Jupiter was not an indie
pendent star. but a planet like our
selves, shining only With a reflected
light, born Of the sun and dependent
upon the sun for its continued place in
the heavens. it was still utterly I'M
known that around it circled four
moons. which are now to be seen with
very ordinary glass. What had never
been seen could have nc place In mans
conception OF the universe. We must
either believe that the far-of stars are
wasting their marvellous fires and throw
ing out their wonderful light to no pur-
pose or that they are the centerS Of sys-
TENS like that made By the sun.
Around those stars might revolve
spheres such as the earth and Mars.
with the same density. the same regul-
larity of motion and the same limited
orbit, such as would sustain life in the
form we know 1t. The great bodies
which seemed to be suns that have lost
| their light, like some OF the dark COM
panions In what are called double stars.
| cannot be included In the number of ter
restrial objects which imagination may
| I'LL with people.
For instance. the companion OF Sirius
Is half its size. which is many times
larger than our sun. 1t is SO large as
compared with the earth. that in Illus
trating IL figures lose their significance.
How utterly improbable 1t is that any
human being such as a man could live
on that body can best be explained by
the objections presented by Jupiter.
which is SO much larger than the earth
and yet SO much smaller than the COM
panlon of Sirius. as 10 be almost COM
parable with the earth. The force OF
gravitatioa on the surface of Jupiter
exceeds that on the earth's surface as
2.64 to !. Considering the effects OF this
on the weight and motion Of bodies. the
density OF the atmosphere. and the laws
OF pneumatics, it Is evident that Jupiter
would be an exceedingly uncomfortable
place Of abode for beings resembling
ourselves. without going into techni-
caiitles. we need only call attention to
the fact that Jupiter must shrink IN
| volume as il becomes more nearly a solid
globe like ours. 1t viii probably shrink
to three-quarte-s OF Its present diam
eter. but with one-half It's present diam
eter the surface gravity will become
more than ten times that OF the earth.
| and according TO Serviss. on such a
planet a mans bones would snap be-
meath his weight, even granting that
he could remain upright at ali.
II is evident. therefore. that forms
and conditions on any great planet OF
the larger suns must be so entirely diff
ferent from ours. that we have no con-
ception OF them. or that they are useless
rocks flying IN space. IF we knew OF
no other form than that of man. the
more limited idea might be justifiable:
hut when we know there is life beneath
the sea. under pressure OF thousands
Of tons sentient, Il Is true. hGt