The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1910-05-04
LITERARY MAGAZINE
The Earth's Destiny
By A. L. HODGES

MA destinies have been mapped out
FOR this old earth of ours, but the lat
est one. which is argued from the results
recently obtained by Lowell from the planet
Venus. is very interesting. \ few necessary
statements are here INDUCED in tn render
tne subsequent reasoning more plain. The
planet Mercury is the nearest to the sum-
next Is Venus and next is the earth. If by
any means we can trace from Mercury out
wards progressive condition we may as
sumo that that condition will in time reach
me earth. Now it has been found that
to the sun. this condition being the result
of what is known as tidal friction. This
tidal friction may be explained in this
way: Taking the earth as an example. the
moon pulls at it continually and any large
plastic or fluid mass free to move on the
surface such as the water of the oceans and
the atmosphere is bumped up directly under
once every twenty-four hours, this hump
held in place by the moon. travels complete
~ around the earth in that length of time.
every day. which means that ut opposite
places on the earth at any particular time
the same phase of the tide is exhibited.
But what erect has this tidal action on the
rotation OF the earth every day: 1t has to
make 1t rotate more slowly for the rotation
has to overcome the shearing stress in the
water, to say nothing of the increased mass
kept In one particular direction If it does
make the earth rotate more slowly the eff
feet is constant and will in time stop the
earth from rotating in respect to the moon
just as the earth has stopped the moon
rotating in respect to the EARTH This would
make the earth and the moon rotate only
once as they revolved around their common
earth would always be turned to one face
of the moon, aud of course only one face
OF the moon would be seen from the earth
fact which is true at present. This. then.
would make the moon visible only one
side of the earth at any time-the other side
never seeing the moon at all-thus people
would be forced to so abroad to see the
moon.
Now as the sun has effect similar to
the moons. albeit somewhat smaller on
account of his greater distance. in time the
ton of the system of moon and earth and
they would undoubtedly gradually approach
each other until they We're closer together
and only rotated once around common CEN
ter of gravity during the year. thus perpet-
ually turning each the same face to the art
OF day. AT this stage of affairs, the sun
having stopped the rotation save only in Il
yearly revolution in order for the hump to
stay In the same place on the earth. the
day would be year long-in fact would be
perpetual. the sun continually shining on
darkness save for the stars Now this con-
dition Of affairs has been known to exist
on Mercury for a long time but it has only
recently been discovered to be obtaining on
the planet Venus. \ description of that
planet and the results of the above cond-
ton argued from Il physicists standpoint
tue weather bureau are very interest
ing. for as it has proceeded outward from
Mercury to Venus the condition is due on
the earth next and the same things may be
argued for the earth as follows for Venus.
An observation of Venus disc shows sew
eral radial lines extending from the edge
nwards, getting narrower the further in
wards they e; go. and at last stopping alto
than that Of any other planet-in fact so
bright that many astronomers have con
fessed their inability to account for it, At
times the dark side of Venus be dimy
seen similar to the ''old moon in the young
moons arms and on such occasions 1t
gives out . phosphorescent glow which has
Professor Lowell has very ingeniously eN-
planned all these phenomena. There seems
to be no loophole from his conclusions. The
argument is in general as follows: The side
of Venus toward the sun, kept perpetually
hot. attains very great temperature much
greater than that of boiling water. This
has the effect of evaporating all the water
ON the hot side of the planet. OF course
the air on the hot side being hot and light
rises very rapidly the cold air from the
dark side rushing in to fill its place and en-
tering along the surface. while the hot air
PUSHES up from the center of the hot side.
spreads out in fan-like formation and
gradually goes back to the dark side. carry
ing the contained water vapor with it. This
water vapor. of course, freezes on account
of the intense cold of the dark side and is
precipitated as snow and hail As this pro-
cess has gone on for ages it is assumed that
there Is no longer amy water vapor on the
hot side and that it resembles perfect
desert. Now the hot air in rising at the
center produces enormous whirlwind or
cyclone. the like of which We cannot even
conceive. This is taking place all the time
and so Venus weather Is always the same
in any particular place and lost is he who
gets into the zone of the central whirl.
Now the very great contrary conditions on
the two sides must give rise to winds Of
enormous velocity-winlS whose power is
far beyond ANYTHING ever dreamed of on
this planet. These. it is assumed by Low
ell. rushing in along the surface from the
dark side have followed out great burrows
in the face of the planet polishing the
silns II u.ith rnrlS and ILL