The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-09-11

Astronomers tell 10 that the day must
come when the earth will, like the moon.
wheel through the heavens 4 dead and
barren ball Of mAtter-airiess, watefiesS.
lifeiess. But long, long before that time
man will be extinct. WI have disappeared
70 utterly that not 10 much M the bleach
ed skeleton Of human being VIII be wis.,
Bile on all the millions OF square miles OF
the surfaces Of this planet.
Unless by some huge and universal cata-
clysm the whole race n swept At once into
eternity. n In but reasonable 10 suppose
that man. like any other race OF animals.
VIII disapp slowly. and that eventually
there will be hut Z single human being left
some old old man. srsy-haiod and
bearded. and left TO wander alone IN a soil
tude that may be imagined but not de-
scribed.
How will he die. this last relic Of the
teeming millions that once transformed
the face OF the glohe ana ruled undisputed
masters of every other living thlnG7 There
are many fnteB that may befail him. He
may 80 mad with the horror Of loneliness
and himself end hts own miserable exist
ense lie may be eaten by the vast rep
tiles or giant insects which win then prob
ably infest tho soitudes.
Hut hiy fate may he far weirsier and
more dreadful. Scientists say tina, az we
burn the coal and timber we are still 80
richly supplied with We let loose Into the
atmosphere an ever-increasine volume OF
carhonic acid gas. Much OF this IL taken
UP by plants. hut not ali. II must increase
and eventually poison tho breathable ar.
filing the valleys and mounting slowly 90
the huitops. where the last remains OF AMI
mai life are striving for existence The last
man will climb higher and higher. bu,
eventually the suffocatIng invisible fiood
Will reach and drown HIN.
A.. aAAA
gets older II cracking like dry mud Thes.
cracks will increase until at last they viii
l~t the water. Of the ocean ana rivers
sink into the nsry center OF the globe
Then will occur an explosion 30 terrible
q may startie tho inhabitants OF neigh
boring worlds The Las, man In this case
will probably be some arctic explorer or
Eskimo. whom the vast plains az ice
around viii save from instant death And
leave 10 grlii few moments 'ili the ice
continents are swallowed by rctho, gases
ane steam.
Suppose these earth cracks develop more
slowly. they may suck away the water
without devastating explosions. Then the
last mans fate viii De the worst d~.crfh.
able. He will i,e ~ thirst, Tn. scene
~ his death will probably De the xrea,
valley in the he'd ~ the Atlantic ocean
on the brazilian coast, half way between
miles ~ green water lie between tho
steamers keel and the shyssmai slime tc-
meath. There. h0p~isssiy digging IN the
svvr-drying mui. ne mus, perish ard leave
hss bones 20 parch on a wassriess planet
The antarctic polar tce cap has been
growing thicker ard heavier for unrOunf-
ed sxes. The distance from the south pole
20 the edge 81 this cape 10 4 go miles The
Tee risss steadily from the edge 90 the
center A. that center II cannot ~ lsss
than twelve miles In thhSre~.--,w ice a.
thick ne Mount EVrr~s. IL high suppose
u syii,s Imagine the gigantic mass Of
water ard tee tsss wi,i come swe.glns
ap north ever the oceans ara continents
~ tire earth where. tssn. Will the las,
man breathe his arai Easpf High up n
tse SHOWS 90 anne great range he will
perish miserahiy 81 ecis and starvation.
locking down On haxe. shallow sea bs-
Meath whose tossing waters VII lie The
whale % ths races 81 the world
az last. and psrhsrs dreari~st fate 81 All.
sNe human rae ray ogiIivs ether man
msls and lasi pniii the sin Some day
IL must. groes Dan and cold srt vexeiA-
,soa tscs srcrn ire chilled earth. Ire mis-
srzr:e rewnsrt - sArtas people musf
then slowly dYe cu' after agss 81 an sx.
ls9epcs 20 which thar % ,hs Esk.no es
tod ~ - q paradi -. --Answvrs