Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1905-12-08

the atmosphere of the earth. a fact that all
scientists accept. Some of these bodies are
as small as pinheads, while others may be
larger. That this last was correct was evi-
dent; yet how 1t had never been discovered
by the earth's astronomers was a puzzle
TO me.
That Is a simple matter of explana-
ton, said our leader; this asteroid has
never been discovered, for the same rea-
son that many small but important things
have been for years overlooked by scien-
lists in search of greater fields to con-
quer. 1t is within less than one hundred
miles of earth, while the very nearest
object that has ever attracted the tele-
scopes of our astronomers is the moon,
distant quarter of a million miles. Can
you not understand that no astronomer
would ever train his instrument so as to
focus an object less than a hundred miles
distant.
That sounds reasonable, yet I asked
him how Ii was that it had never been
seen with the naked eye.
Simpler STILL he answered, because
this little planet Is less than ten miles in
diameter. SO small an object, with
color nearly identical with that of the
earth's atmosphere, would never be no.
ticed, and having no light of its own.
could not be seen at any time. It is a
mere speck in the sky, and no man can
tell how long 1t has ioated around our
earth. There may be many more Of
them, but for the present we will confine
ourselves to this one, and soon shall land
and see what there is to see'
can aneroid barometer was then Yer
through the trap in the floor. in order TO
ascertain the pressure of the atmosphere
before we dared to open the car and step
onto the little world we had discovered.
The planet was growing larror every mo-
ment, and we were now within less than
mile Of Its surface The instrument
Showed that the pressure was eight
pounds to the square inch, which about
equaled that on high mountains on the
earth, so we We're safe to land. The
thermometer attached to the ear at this
time showed an entire lack of breeze and
we gently dropped to the surface Of the
| 'Nebula,' as / had volunteered to call the
| discovery. AS we looked upon the land
scape, 1t seemed as If we had suddenly
dropped into Southern California, and
could not possibly Justify this condition
or verdrre with the small size Of the tinv
world, for such little thing could not be
expected to obstruct enough of the heat
| OF the sun to produce such condition.
Puzzled. / myself dropped thermometer
through the trandoor and noted its reg
lister. 1t was eighty degrees-a fact that
further surprised me-and said 50.
! dare say we shall find that there
are other sources Of heat besides the sun
| said one of my companions: ana nr
sooner had we opened the car door and
hegnn to climb down the anchor rome
which had been cast ont. than we dis
covered the correctness of his prophecy
There were boiling springs everywhere
and the verdure was magnificent.
Tylng the anchor rope about a howl
Ier, we pegan q survey of our world
But hrst of all, 7 took good look at thu
earth we had left few hours before
1t was more magnificent sight thor
words can ever tell It filed almost IN,
entire dome of the sky, and tae continent
Iof North America looked exactly ss
does on raised globe such as we hay,
IN school-roons. / could locate Sal
francisco ms we'll as If I had had a ma,
and pointer: and from that Western mr.
I tropolis could trace the outline of IN
United States to the city of Chicago, ant
so on to the gateway Of Furope2Nev
York. 1t was wonderful. The air wa,
not so rare as to he hard on lungs usef
to mountain conditions; but some of tn,
party complained, and one suffered nose
bleed. There was ripping brook nea,
at hand, It's banks lined with plant life
and I went toward II to got n drink.
felt wonderfully elated in mind and hody
and ran lightly toward 1t, falling on m,
chest, and quenching my thirst with tn,
most refreshing water | had ever drank
The stream was not more than ten fee
wide, and, as far as we could see from
where we stood. there was no narrowe
place. We wsnted to cross It, and
fancied could make the leap, old mai
though I am. I took a few steps back
ward and then ran toward the bank AM
sprang into the afr.
81 scared through that air like a bird
and landed at least twenty yards beyon,
the. farther bank. My companions, as
allghted with the ease of feather, frs
looked bewildered. and then broke int
peals of almost unceasing laughter. Fo
they understood the reason before I did
, Do your
, ''No. Well, the explanation Is as sin
pie as all the others have been, and 70