The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-05-15
III 0PULATfD WORLDS
Nm o1Hxa PLANETs NOT IN
HABITED
MYRIAD STARS DEVOID OF LIFE


sarily Waste Places
IN Z two-column editorial recently pub
1fshed In the San Francisco Chronicle, as
tronomers are taken to task for arriving
ct the conclusion that the earth Is prob
ably the only planet In the solar system in
hablted by highly organized and intelligent
beings.
1.-TWO reputable English star-gazers.'
remarks the editor. slightingly, ARE united
In combating the assumption that planets
of our solar system other than the eartn
are habitAble, or that systems beyond are
relatively moro affluent in worlds capable
OF producing and maintaining animal life"
The editor, however, admits, though the
admission Is worded as If 1t were fault,
that extreme caution marks the profess
sional utterances OF the astronomers Of to-
day
The editorial closes with this paragraph,
which Is doubtless regarded as clinching
argument: And yet astronomers seem to
be content In the belief that a hfth-rate
planet Of our solar system is the only spot
IN all the universe where there
u : tuft Of vegetation or where
human peins can I'VE s'.o"-
omy hsould either teach broader doc
trine or endeavor to explain the necessity
for ceaseless displays of tremendous celes-
tial pyrotechnics for the express delecta-
tion Of few favored mortals but recently
provided with telescopes large enough to
make them visible
The question propounded by this astute
editor IS not what are tne iac.s us
closed py scienunc investlsa.lon. ."e
more perrnent aueseion, acooiuns ~ ."e
-CnIonacie witor' ls' Wna. vusns W. -
oeaieve ABOUT NE IN otner "oiius' 'es1A1
49, OF scienunc oatas
IN oroer 70 support nis pleconce,veo
vlewu' the eoator invoAes the snaues VI au-
tnors VINO nave long SINGS passeu away.
Among others ne Quotes REV. ihomas
DICK scottish clergyman VINO wrote m
terestinsiy on Astronomical topics III INC
early part OF the present century WIN
the usnt ne then naos MI. OlcA' thousn not
an original investiSator' arsueu very
plausibty IN favor OF piuranty VI
worlds'-en expression wMcn came 70
mean many innepiteo worios'
Even BIZ wiiiiam aerscnei' NOT hhowine
the constitution OF the sun tnousht tna'
luminary might De the aDooe OIL nvins
creatures But modern discoveries
says Hicnaro A. Froctor' nave renoereo
sucn tneories untenauie. Inc sun 10 p1e-
senteo 10 US as mighty iurnace' III whose
nres the most STUBBORN eiements are not
merely meiteo' put vaporlzeo. Anu ne
might nave adoeo' the very molecules,
without winch there can pe no ofsa"iAeo
NE, are douptiess oisassociateo.
Wnen LICK wrote ms Cnristian Fn'l-
osopner ana otner DOCKS tnree-quar'ers
OF e century ago. spectroscopy' pnoto.
graphy, pioiogy, evoiuton' mechanical
electricity ana otner modern aus 10 scien-
tinc investigation were undreameo o.
ine largest rerracuns telescope IN Inc
worlo nao nine-inen OBJECT glass. Inc
distances to the nearest nxeo stars were
unmeasured' and Deiieved 70 De incomput-
able Had anyone nazarded me predic-
tion tnat we couio some oay assert ITO"
positiVe Anowieose' whAl che.nicali e,e
ments are exisung IN the sun ana stars ne
wouio nave Deen pronounceo narepraineu'
surely Win 'ne noou y. nsn. Which AaS
come 70 astronomers ourihs 'ne ias' nal
OF the nineteenth century iro" al oi the
euxhnary sciences ITO" hore po"eriui
telescopes from more perlec. anu mo:e
oenca.e mecnanicai appAsn.es' 'ne mas
ters OF tn's uepar 'men. u phy sicai inves-
tisA''on snou'u oe 49,, sua -
upon uues'ion With 'n.,s uo N... " ~
I'ny' u.a. "see.e "'
n. ~ ~ 49, D. -
- s.r.r...,
W.. wi ..-s ny -. p Ass
We .~N -. ~. ~,r.n.-,. A.
....s. 40 y. lii IT. ,,ar ~ .h,s ,a.a aa,,