The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-03-13

1ourney-some great burned-out sun
whose place In the heavens Is now ur-
suspected. But the spectroscope ana
spectrograph. which measure and
record the pull exertcd even BIZ In
visible stars. would give us warning
centuries ahead OF time of the an
pearance IN our path OF such hidden
ue.eilct. such black and burned
out sun. hanging in the constellation
OF Perscus. ID its fire renewed
ieW years ago. probably as result OF
1rlction generated while passing
through nebula-one OF those ya.r.
gaseous bodies. millions upon millions
OF miles In extent. which loom ,1p like
green or white clouds here and there
IN. the far-off ckground OF the sky.
me .dange, OF our passing through
one or these bodies has been consid-s
ered' but It need not worry us. even
as Huch as the danger OF collision with
Ia light star. since the nearest nebula
cannot be met by us within millions OF
years. What would occur should such
+ collision take place can hardly be
contemplated. for although astrono-5
mers believe that these nebulae are
the raw material out Of which worlds
are made. they are not agreed as4to
their structure. Some appear to have
tplanet-like nuclei. into which they are
condensing---such as the two eyes OF
the owl nebula In the Great Bear.
Others are in the form OF great spirals.
or rings. While many float isolated
IN the sky. others are connected with
groups OF stars In such manner as to
lead to the suspicion that their ma
aterlaI IS some substance being thrown
OH by those stars. The green rlebuae
seem to be composed almost entirely
of gas. while the white are OF gaseous
and solid matter combined. The only.
nebula conspicuous to the naked eye
can be Seen on clear nights In Androm-
ieda. fs 3 -
What's Likelfest to Happen.
That our race will be exterminated
by cold and drought before any OF
these collisions with other heavenly
bodies occur is the belief OF the ma
.jority Of astronomers. The orthodox
notion is that earth is a fiery mass
surrounded by crust formed by a.
gradual cooling OF the sphere. and
that this cooling will continue. along
with q diving up until we become as
cold as the moon. II no t nearly as
small. The oceans are believed to
be slowly disappearing. Indeed. the
late Professor Dana, of New Haven,
constructed maps showing how the
land OF North America has been GAIN
Ing at the expense or the sea, ana
other authorities have charted such
changes In the Old World. where. dur
Ing paleozoic times. the whole Of Eu-
rope was q sea bottom. with the ex-5
5ception Of the north Of Scotland ana
Scandinavia The present sites of Lon
don. Paris and Berlin were shut be-
meath the emerald dome OF tho dread;
full d eep. ;39s ~ I'LL q
4 Til t earth s fate Is pictured In those IT
wonderful p autographs OF moon land 4
scape Which astronomers are now TAX
Ing Is the belief Of these ssavants. IN +
other words, our ultimate destiny, as
mtrrored In the moon. is to become an
endless desert vast Q whose white sand
With the dry salt ofgthe eyap-
Grated oceans 53S n
ID Thai we will become like Mars, az
an informed late step bel fore reaching
the condition8of tho NOON Is the be-
lief Of Profe sor PeTciyal I4o1eu. who
secs In our d esorts tho ..beginning of
the end."A Our forests. he says viii Ii
turn to grnsslands and our, grasslands
to wastes. until eventually the rem
nantz OF mankind will congregate IN
the last cases OF the desert spots which
were once the sea bottoms, s RI
33ls"' Unless some other catastrophe OCCUR
f1rst," Professor Lowell says, ..earth's
becoming q barren waste. like Mars, u II
as fiat ltstically IRE as that ro-mor-
rows sun vii rise"
Hut this catastrophe, ike the others
discussed, must await mil lions or years
for its consummation, and who knows
but8that long before that time the
human race may have been succeeded &
In its dominion over Garth by a tspecies
pfs sur erman whose genius will fortify
our y phere IL against u fire.. famine n on n \
fraAy n q, and wi II at eer IT 81 cnnrs :, r,oa
ot tho Il worst obst ao les d p laced IN Ito
patti. AZ
a Copyright, 1al0. n by y 81 n I!Ereth Il
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