The Cairo bulletin., 1904-12-31
CRACKS IN
The MOON


5nomers had discovered an i'm
nense crack in the moon, which could
be seen under certain conditions of
sunlight, has caused no end Of dis.
oussion in Cairo. The presence of a
man with a telescope on the streets,
WAC invited people to come up and
take look at the crack in the moon,
added considerably 10 the public in
terest Ia the matter. The statement
hat the moon might break in two
ana fall upon the earth doubtless
caused no little uneasiness among the
timid ones.
AS a matter Of fact the crack which
has been discovered in the moon Is
rather old story. Many cracks have
been found by astronomers in the
volcanic torn surface Of that ancient
uminary. It's surface is scanned and
cracked in q bewildering manner. H.
IS bu, the cinder Of 7nce fir and
verdant world. when has seen its
best DAYS and has for centuries I'M
told been given over TO the lighting
up Of Cairo's dark streets when the
Philadelphia schedule would permit,
and of throwing a my cry Of romance
about love lorn couples.
One Of the recrea.iona OF the learn
ed astronomers when tired of their eff
forts 10 trace the canals of Mars, or
compute the distance. color, weight,
substance and physical condition OF
stars Sc far away from the Garth that
their existence may have ceased a
thousand years ago and yet their Ign
still be on it's way to us, is TO take r
whirlu at the surface OF the moon.
The era crs. and valleys and oceans
ana mountain ranges that scar It's
face so distinctly that ono can see
them with an ordinary opera glass,
have ali been named and charted, and
the cracks have been given the names
Iof rills. Sometimes these rills ap
pear and disappear This is caused
by the way The sunlight strikes upon
the surface Of the moon. II Is Just
like a case Of the sun and board
fence running north and south. When
the sun is on the meridian there Is
to all appearance. so far as shadows
are concerned, no fence. A person
above the earth could see ~ fence
But when the sun moves across the
line il causes the fence to cast a
shadow and the celestial observer
can easily mark its existence by the
shadow So II is with the moon rills.
When the sun shines directly into
them they disappear. When il throws
shadow into their depths they APP
pear as long. jagged streaks across
the face of the moon.
The idea that the moon is going
70 break in two, is about as weel
founded as that the earth is going to
crumble to pieces. The earth could
no more split apart than whole
mountain range could lift Itself from
the north and gradually foa. away
into space Some internal explosion
might rend the earth apart, but IL
would Immediately fall together again
unless the explosion sen. the parts so
Tar out into space as to take them
into the control of other worlds.
II It we're possible for the moon TO
crack apart and be separated into two
portions these parts would moi fall
ipon the earth. There would simply
Sc two moons Instead Of one, and IL
-srsrt De tina. IN JspIa course Of time
.hese mons wool M <266gulated IN
~ ORBITS t'ots exoseS<ed fhgPys
'rts. H. d5taI foreign ~ Of out
year viii BE- about the sanek as
Of 1908. Exports will show
II decrease and imports a siighA G
ease. n
ne year isos was one OF compar. to k
ely steady decline in the securi. a.
market. This was the result OF
natural reaction following a peri
OF intense speculative activity aud n
h inhaticn Of capital. The coun vie,
was glutted with stocks ana bonds g,
re were strikes in the iron and -.
! Industries and the iron output
from 1.G73.22s tons in June TO sac. \
in December. The railroads
Id II difficnlt to float new bond is,
s.: the FIRST Northern Securities
sion was disquieting and the dis ~
lures Of the high-handed methods
ne saipbuilding trust produced a A
ing that frenzied finance was be bro,
carried altogether too far. New ext
,rprises requiring large amour. who
money were pos poned. brOr
May Of ls0i the stock market die
he'd low ebb. in he matter Of raj
Is. Steel common sold at SIS:
erred at 5ia. There was Sigh. r
ard trend in prices in June. but ben
volume Of bas.ness On the ex by