Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1903-03-07
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4 EA...g4-U~o IsiEUnI
The Unive-eo Made For Man
Alone, Says DR.. Wallace.
EARTH AT TIE CENTER OF ALL.

lannon's EAgEish Scientist Expounds
Startling Views, stating That The
IzhaDitaats Of This World OF Oars
Were tgle Cause o. creation-stass
Limited In Nuuaber.
DR.. Alfred Russsl wallace. The emit
nent scientist, WHO was credited by
Darwin himself with having discoy-
ere s-e 81 ttu,ai selection,
has ogalu eel tered tie attea tioa Of the
sciena1c word u.3o. alusetf ly a ra-
markab.e criticize ID foe Fortnight;
Review fer March. In this be advances
the startling theory that tae eaItn. 81
solar system. Is The physical center 81
the stellar system aud adds that the sui
preule end and purpose Of this We
universe are the production and devel
opment Of tie iiyiag soul in the PERISH
able body OF man, says a special cable
dispatch from London to Tie New York
American.
THIS attempt to unite religion aud
science Is entitled Mans ilace In tie
Universe and, while it Is impossible
here to give In full the a|bsorbingIy III.
terestlng details of Or. Wallace's the
DRY. the chief features may be out
lined.
Or. Wallace recalls that TO the early
astronomers the earth was the center
Of the visible universe, but that as
progressive knowledge of astronomy
further enlightened men of science
they were driven to the other extreme.
Recent astronomy reduces the impor-
lance of the earth to comparative In
signincauce rs charging upon the
y~astness, variety aud complexity Of
the stellar universe. 1t is also recalled
that modern skepticism points out the
difficulty Of believing that the Creator
of all selected one of the smallest of
his created orbs as the scene for the
tremendous sacrifice Of his 0 in the
scheme of redemption.
DR.. Wallace's irst question is, Are
the stars infinite in numberY" BY a
fascinating argument. in which he COW
ers the progress made in astronomy
during the past fifty years, lie estab-
fishes a strong case in favor of the linn
tied extent of the stellar universe, quos-
ing, by the way, Professor Newcomb
and others, who affirm that Ii the mum
Der of stars was infinite their com
bined light would be fully equal to tie
? sun at midday, while as n matter of
fact starlight is but one-fortieth as
powerful as moonlight. His conclu-
sions on this point are:
The result so far reached by a~strono-
mors as the direct logical conclusions
from the whole mass OF Iacts accunla-
lated by means of powerful instruments
of research. which have given US the new
astronomy. is that our sun is enc of the
central orbs of a globular star cluster
and that this star cluster occupies nearly
the central position In the exact plane OF
the Milky Way, but | am not aware that
any writer has taken the next step and.
combining these two conclusions, has
stated definitely that our sun is thus
shown to occupy a position very near If
not actually at the center of the whole
visible universe and therefore. In all prob
ability, in the center of the whole material
universe.
This conclusion no doubt is a startling
one. and all kinds of objections will be
made against 1t, yet I am not acquainted
with any great inductiye result of modern
s science that has been arrived at so grad
g ually, so l~egitimately, by means of so
vast a mass of precise measurements and
observations and by such wholly unpreju-
diced workers. 1t may not be proved
with minute accuracy as regards the ac-
tuai mathematical center. That is not OF
the least Importance, but that it Is sub
stantially correct there seems to be no
good reason Of doubt, and | therefore
hold IL right and proper to have IL SO
stated and Professionally accepted until
further accumulation of evidence may
show TO what extent it requires modifca-
ton.
Passing from this part of his subject,
DIT. Wallace takes up our position III
the solar system itself as regards
a%daptability for organic life.
Here, too" he says, II am noJ
aware that the whole facts have been
sufficiently considered, yet there are
respect to be as central and unique as
that of the sun in the stellar universe"
His conclusion on this point Is:
The three startling facts that we are in
the center Of a cluster OF suns and that
tina cluster is situated not only precisely
in the plane of the Milky WAY. but also
Contrary II Tia RlAAts Ndh AAANtN INV
be looked upon as chance condolences
without any significance in relation to
the eliminating fact that the planet SO
situated has developed humanity. or
course the relation here pointed out may
be a true relation OF cause and effect and
yet have arisen as the result Of one In a
thousand million chances occurring during
almost infinite time; but, on the other
hand. those thinkers may be right who,
holding that the universe is a manifesto
ton of mind and that the orderly develop
mtnt OF living souls supplies an adequate
reason why such a universe should have
gbnen called into existence, believe that We
ourselves are its sole and sufficient result
ana that nowhere else than near the cen
tral position in the universe which we
Toccdpy could that result have been at
.tatued.
~ L.. r.u