Rural Retreat times. [volume] (Rural Retreat, Va.) 1892-1918, 1903-06-12

This is hardly probable, as there are
lenOQgh volcanoes-vent holes from in
lner fires-to allow the escape of steam
and gases from the interior If it were
possible to drill hole through the
earth and let the ocean In there would
probably be an explosion which would
blow the earth into smithereens and
lsend the pieces into space each one a
little earth in itself.
1T is possible that the earth will
| wander from It's orbit There are many
Influences which might cause it to do
that. In the chaos which would follow
highly developed life would be destroy
ed as it has been destroyed in ages
lpast.
There is an eccentricity in the
earth's orbit, but it is slight. Should
this increase with the years until the
earth breaks from its path, there would
be another age. But the sun you'd still
remain and the end Of the world would
not yet have ,ome. A new race would
develop from the life that was left and
| it would be merely one Of the changes
which have occurred many times in the
millions of years the earth has revolv-
ed around the sun.
Then there is remote possibility OF
a collision among the worlds. 1t is q
very remote possibility; yea, very re-
mote indeed. Romancers and writer's of
fiction have depicted what would hap
lpen but astronomers cannot figure out
the possibility of such happening.
Could one of these direlects of the heav
ems strike our earth or sun everything
would probably stand still for time
and before they started up again the
human race would have passed out OF
existence.
There is wall of atmosphere around
the earth. This could be broken
through but the scientific probability
lis that an approaching body would
veer off before striking the earth. The
however would be sufficient to destroy
| all animal life on the globe.
again it has been advanced that one
of these flying bodies might strike the
lsun, breaking through its outer crust
and as 1t plunged it's Eery interior
leaving puncture through which the
molten fire would spread over the suns
lsurface. The temperature of the earth
would under such circumstances
Irise enormously and it's rays would be
deadly. But we need not fear such a
catastrophe.
when one describes the end of the
world it is all conjecture. We must adj
nit that it is coming for all experience
teaches US that everything, no matter
how grand or imposing comes to an
lend. To the astronomer there is only
lone way ne can calculate the end will
come. That is by the dying out of the
heat Of the sun. There may be other
ways but they are among the improb
liabilities.
For three thousand years a record
has been kept of the decrease in the
suns heat. In that time 1t has not
diminished fraction of a measurable
degree. But three thousand years. is a
short period--in astronomical measure
ments. When time is computed in mil
lions of years the fact that there has
not been a variation in this period
which Is longer than the Christian era
does not bother the scinetists.
HE knows that by the laws of ma
ture there will eventually be a varia-
ton. The mercury in the tube will
change ever so little, but he knows
that its course will be downward. 1t
may be centuries before it falls hairs
breadth, but 1t will surely fall, and our
earth will be on the course to it's inev-
table doom of cold and darkness. -
New York Herald