Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1903-03-19
A MARVELLOUS THEORY
The Universe Made For Man
Alone, Says Dr.. Wallace.
EARTH AT THE CENTER OF ALL.

Famous English Scientist Expounds
Startling Views, Stating That the
Inhabitants of This World Of Ours
Were the Cause of CreatiOn-Stars
Limited In Number.
DR.. Alfred Russell Wallace, the emil
| nent scientist, who was credited by
Darwin himself with having discoV-
cred the theory Of natural selection,
has again centered the attention of the
scientific world upon himself by q re-
markable article in the Fortnightly
Review for March. In this he advances
the startling theory that the earth, or
solar system, is the physical center OF
the stellar system and adds that the su-
preme end and purpose Of this vast
universe are the production and deVel-
opment of the living soul in the perish
able body Of man, says special caDle
dispatch from London to the New York
American.
This attempt to unite religion and
science is entitled mans Place In the
Universe" and, while it is impossible
here to give in full the absorbingly in
teresting details Of DR.. Wallace's the
DRY, the chief features may be out
lined.
DR.. 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
significance by charging upon the
| vasthess, variety and completely 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 Son in the
scheme Of redemption.
DR.. Wallace's first question is, Are
| the stars infinite in number" By a
fascinating argument, In which he COW
ers the progress made in astronomy
during the past fifty years, he estab-
fishes strong case in favor Of the linn
tied extent of the stellar universe, quot
ing, by the way, Professor Newcomb
and others, who affirm that If the num-
Der Of stars was infinite their COM
bined light would be fully equal to the
sun at midday, while as a matter of
fact starlight is but one-fortieth as
powerful as moonlight. His conclu-
sions on this point are:
| The result go far reached by astrono-
| mers as the direct logical conclusions
| from the whole mass Of facts accumu-
! lated by means Of powerful instruments
| Of research, which have given US the new
| astronomy, is that our sun is one Of the
| central orbs CT a globular star cluster
| and that this star cluster occupies nearly
the central position in the exact plane OF
the Milky Way, but l 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 position very near il
| 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 it, yet am not acquainted
with any great inductive result of modern
| science that has been arrived at SO grad
| ually, so legitimately, by means Of sc
| vast q mass of precise measurements and
| observations and by such wholly unpreju'
| diced workers. 1t may not be proved
with minute accuracy as regards the &C.
| tual mathematical center. That Is not OIL
the least Importance, but that 1t Is sub.
stantially correct there seems to be nc
good reason Of doubt, and I therefore
| hold 1t right and proper to have 1t sc
| stated and Professionally accepted unit
further Accommodations Of evidence may
show to what extent it requires modifica'
ton.
Passing from this part Of his subject
DR.. Wallace takes up our position IL
the solar system itself as regards
adaptability for organic life.
Here, too" he says, Il am moi
aware that the whole facts have beer
sufficiently considered, yet there are
facts that indicate our position in this
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 ir
the center of a cluster Of suns and that
that cluster is situated not only precisely
in the plane Of the Milky Way, but also
centrally in that plane. can hardly now
be looked upon as chance condolences
without any significance in relation tc
the eliminating fact that the planet sc
situated has developed humanity. Oi
course the relation here pointed out may
be true relation Of cause and effect and
yet have arisen as the result OF one in g
thousand million chances occurring during
| almost infinite time; but, on the other
hand, those thinkers may be right who
holding that the universe Is manifesto
ton of mind and that the orderly develop
ment Of living souls supplies an adequate
reason why such a universe should have
been called into existence. believe that We
ourselves are its sole and sufficient result
and that nowhere else than near the cen
trail position in the universe which We
occupy could that result have been at
tained.
|