The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1898-01-15

~ AHMN W. AanA"
zine That seemingly stald body was
long ago discovered TO have pro-
pensity TO gain a little on the earth.
appearing NJ eclipses an inflnitesimal
moment ahead OF time. Astronomers
were sorely puzzled by this act OF In
subordinatlon; but at last Laplace
and Lagrange explained Il a. due 70
an oscillntory change In the earth's or
bit, thus fully exonerailng the moon.
and seeming 10 demonstrate the alb
solute stability and permanenee OF our
planetary system. which the moons
misbehavlor had appeared 10 threaten.
This highly satisfactory conclusion
was an orthodox belief Of celestial me
ehanlca until 1858. when Prof. Adams
Of Nepiunian fame. with whom com.
pleN analyses were a pastlme. reviewed
Laplace's calculations and discovered
an error which. when corrected. left
about half the moons aoceleration un.
accounted Tor. This was a momentous
discrepancy which at FIRST no one could
explain. But presently Prof Hem
holtz the great German psychist. sug-
gesici that a key might be- found In
tidal friction. which. acting as a per-
peiual brake on the earth's rotation.
and affecting not merely the waters
but the entire substance Of our planet.
must In the long sweep Of time have
rfumFuH Ifa rnf. az rafnffaw afHfts fN.
sceming acccloration u the moon
might be- accounted for as actual re-
tardatlon OF the earth's rotation
lengthening of the day. Instead OF a
shortening Of the month. Again the
earth was shown 20 BE- a. fault. but
this time the moon could not be ex.
onerated. while the estimated stability
OF our system, instead Of being re-es-
tablished. was quite upset. For the
tidal retardatlon Is not quite an oscil-
latory change which will presently
correct itself. like the orbltal wabble.
but a perpetual change. acting always
In one direction. Unless fully c0un-
toracted by some opposing reaction
therefore las Il seems not 10 be-. the
eject must be cumulative. the ultimate
consequences disastrous The exact
character OF these consequences was
FIRST estimated by Prof @. n. Darwin
In 1879. lie showed that tidal friction
In retarding the earth must also push
the moon out from the parent planet
on a spiral orbit Plainly then the moon
must formerly have been nearer the
earth than AZ present AZ some very
remote period Il must have actually
touched the earth. must. IN other
words. have been thrown on from the
then plastic mass Of the earth. as a
polyp buds out from ~ parent polyp.
A that time the earth was spinning
about IN q day 90 from two 90 four
hours Now the day has been length
ened 70 twenty-four hours and the
moon has been thrust out a distance
OF a quarter million miles: bui the end
Is not yet. The same progress OF
events must continue an. az some re.
mote period In the future the day has
come 10 equal the month. lunar tldal
action has ceased. and one face OF the
earth looks out always nd the moon
with that same fixed stare which even
now the moon has been brought "a
assume toward her parent orb should
We choose TO take even greater liber.
ties with the future Il may be made
10 appear Though some astronomers
dissent from this predIction) that. a.
solar tidal action stlll continues. the
day must finally exceed the month and
lengthen out little by little toward CO.
incidence with the year. and that the
moon meantime must pause In lts out.
ward flight and come swinging back on
a swinging spiral. until finally. after
the lapse OF untold aeons q plovs and
rioochc,s along the surface Of the
earth and plunges 10 catastrophe de-
strucilon. but even though magma,
ton pause far short OF this dlreful cul
mlnation. Il sim Is clear that modern
calculations. based on memorable a.
dal friction. suffice 20 revolutlonil,
the views formerly current as TO N,
stability OF the planetary system. tn,
eighteenth century mathematician
looked upon this system a. a vast &C.
lestlal machine which had been 10
existence about 5000 years. and which
was destined 10 run on forever. Tn,
analyst Of today computes both N,
past and the future OF this system II
millions instead OF thousands Of years
yet feels well assured that the solal
system offers no contradiction % thosl
laws Of growth aud decay which seen
everywhere 20 represent the lmmui