The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-07-05
COMET AND QUAKES

CHICAGO, June 16.-"The earth
quake in Italy adds one more confir-
nation to the long list OF the past
three months to prove that the pas
sage of comets through the solar sys-
TEN does have a disturbing effect on
the planets" said Edwin Fairfax Maui.
ty today The earth has had her
share of these disturbances lately and
if We possessed means of communica-
ton with the inhabitants of Mars and
Venus we should probably find that
these planets have had much the ex.
perience of the earth. To assert that
all the phenomena of the last few
months were merely coincidental re-
quires much more credulity than to
find a rational explanation for condi-
tions now existing in some natural
causal impulse.
"In all mundane things the element
of time is an important factor. Be
tween cause and effect, so far as it is
manifest to human understanding,
must exist an interval during which
the causal impulse is transformed into
the resultant effect Even if the erro-
neous theory that comets tails are
gaseous were true and the atmos-
phere of the earth had been swept by
a gaseous tail May IS, the effect on
the atmosphere would not be instanta-
neous. If the gas were heavier than
the atmosphere it would take time for
it to permeate the air Even light is
not instantaneous. 1t takes it over
eight minutes to travel from sun to
the earth, or really, it takes that
amount of time for the energy radiat-
ing from the sun, which becomes ma.
nifest to us as light, to travel the
ninety-odd millions of miles between
the two bodies.
THE END NOT YET.
This will help explain why the earth
is still suffering from the cosmic dis
turbances set in motion by the pas
sage of the comet through the solar
system. Nor is the end yet. 1t is
likely that the spring and summer of
1910 will be long remembered for the
many natural phenomena which have
occurred and which will occur. To re.
capitulate: The rain, hail, sleet, heat
cold, frost, storms, weather changes
| strange fires, explosions, earthquakes
and tremors, volcanic activities and
general arrangement of the normal
condition of the earth and it's atmos
phere in the last few months. and par
ticularly in June and May are really
not needed to impress on the minds OF
| thinking persons the great fact that
| the earth has been through a siege
Every one knows that these things
have happened and many, without
thinking much about it, have blamed
| it on the comet.
"The comet is the immediate cause
of it, and it can be shown scientifically
to any one possessed of an open mind
That some astronomers still doub
only goes to show what a properly
! careful body of men they are. Pro
! perly there must be reserve in accept
ing new hypothesis, even possibly
when these cease to be such ant
become demonstrated facts. Life ant
all that it serves consists of a series
of adjustments and readjustments Il
newly discovered truths. The atomic
theory in chemistry died hard, but Z
is all the deader for the struggle. We
have not yet found the ultimate mi
crOcOsm, but we have learned tina
composition persists beyond what We
thought was elemental and simple.
THE true simple element is the
power of the Creator in His creation
eternally at work, eternally changing
yet eternally the same. 1t does no
matter by what name we call Him OF
how we reverently conceive Him, tt
His power, at last, all scientific in
quiry must come for the answer tc
the problems. The difficulty with
some of us is that we have tried tC
give to the creature, to the impulse
of energy, to the electron, to the atom
to the microcosms and the macro
cosms, that which alone belongs to
the Creator. The engine will not run
itself, it must be under the direction
of an intelligence. Nor will the cos
mic engine run itself without a direct
| ing intelligence.
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