The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-11-14
ORIGIN OF THE MOON.
Modern Theories Hold That Satellite
Was Sc0Oped From the Oceans Beds.

NAO@xekm 1ncOEHcS HON lU6I 60UC1ut6
Was ScOoped From the Oceans Beds.
For the origin Of our moon. La
places majestic nebular hypothesis
needs slight modification. Sir George
III. Darwin, in his theory of tidal evo-
luton, traces back the earth-moon
system to hot. Oblate sphere covered
with solid crust some IS miles thick.
This as yet moonless planet may be
pictured as whfrling upon itself with
terrific speed in period of five of our
hours. Tides, created by the sun and
the acceleration of rotation caused q
weakening of the centrifugal force.
and at a critical point this instability
Overcame gravttation and some 5000
million cubic miles Of molten matter
were sundered from the earth. and
hurled outward to revolve in proxim-
ity to the parent planet.
Now, when we scan the earth atten-
lively for indications that may con-
firm this origin, we are confronted
with many instructive facts. Prof. w.
H. Pickering has shown that IL the
earth be viewed from a distance in
space, directly above point 1000
miles northeast of New Zealand, the
land areas that compass this waste of
waters are disposed in an almost per-
feet circle. This roughly circular
chasm, the Pacific, is more eloquent
of the creation epic of our moon than
written volumes.
udI Tic 3 cat OCG6uS Wu4Cn COVCI
the earth are permanent in place is
evident from the fact that the aver
age height of the land above sea level
is about $3.50 feet, while the average
depth of the seas, and oceans is 49,
$50 feet. Thus the average depth of
the water Is over six times the mean
elevation OF the Land.
A strong argument for the perma-
nence of the continents is the fact
that no marine deposits Of any one
geologic period extend over an appre
ciable portion of each continent. This
should have been the case if they were
once covered with oceans for any
length of time, and the failure Of such
continuity of marine fossils is proof
of the immunity of the land from past
submersion.
Mr.. Osmond Fisher has shown that
observations made with the pendulum
on islands proved the suboceanic crust
to be both thinner and denser than
the crust under the continents. After
the moon had been hurled from the
present ocean basins these latter would
be thinner than the continental crust,
but would solidfy and become COM
pact when the water vapor in the air
condensed and ran into the basins.
To the silvery orb that illumines
earth's dark nights. then, we owe not
only our tides, but our vast and deep
oceans themselves. To her we owe
also the more important continental
areas on which high types of man.
malta could evolve. For without the
latter habitat we must ever have re-
mained-collectively as we'll as indi-
vidually-of very low order of mem
tai development, race of cold-blood-
ed fishes. or at best amphibians.
The ancient dwellers in Already
boosted that their beatific race came
into existence before the moon her
self, but they were probably ignorant
of the period they claimed for their
ancestry. They must needs have
mounted back in time some 81, 1000, 900
years, in which case their race would
be hallowed indeed by prelunar an
tiquity.-Kansas City Star.