Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1918-01-09


years. The observer who reported
this fact to the writer inquired the
cause and was given the opinion
herein set forth. This observer had
noticed ~ most unusual thing and he
was correct. Farmers households
would have suffered many Irregular
tiles IL they had to still depend upon
certain indicated spot for the suns
shadow to appear at noon. The din
ner horn would fave been sounded
possibly an hour too soon at an hour
! supposed to be noon.
! The question may be asked. Is it
possible for the earth to assume
such seemingly abnormal position
in its revolution around the sun?
The answer to this question is that
, the earth in its motion through
space Is independent Of its revolu-
ton around the sun. The earth does
not move in the same path around
the sun each year any more than an
inhabitant Of the earth walks exact
ly in the same line on the road when.
he goes to and fro in his business on
the earth. Man is little world in
! himself and he is influenced to do
; things very much after the pattern
and example Of Mother Earth.
1t is the opinion of the noted as
. tronomer, Garrett p. Servlss, that as
far as can be determined the motion
, Of the earth in its revolution around
; the sun is virtually straight away
| through space with less curvature
than that OF a projectile from a high
! powered gun. 1t is certainly not a
revolution around center, so that
every year the earth must be passing
through a part Of the space which it
has never penetrated before.
This fact is all the more remarka-
I bic in connection with conditions in
{ 1917, when 1t is known that the
earth in its diurnal movement (mak-
ing our day OF "a hours) has it's
greater flight through space and the
rate Of this motion is not less than
2 miles a second, or about 400 mil
lion miles year-or to be more en-
, act, 37S, 900 miles. The orbit of
the earth changes slowly in form and
position, although in the long run 1t
. makes no change as regards the
length OF its own axis or the dura-
ton OF the year. So it is possible
for the earth to change it's course
nearer the sun and only the tempera-
ture OF its atmosphere be affected as
has been the case this summer in
coming into contact with the rays of
the sun.
These variable movements of the
earth are called Secular" chanaes
and they are due to planetary infu-
ences called "pro tuberances. Were
1t not for the action of the planets
upon the earth in this particular, the
, earth would move in the same path
In its orbit around the sun absolutely
unaltered from year to year.
Less Heat Produced.
The strange position thus assum-
ed this year by the earth in its orbit |
around the sun, in my opinion, ex-
plains the strange effect Of the suns !;
rays and the earth's atmosphere upon
all forms Of life on our sphere The
suns rays became weakened and !
!, neutralized in their more oblique !
course, thereby producing less heat !
nf fha MI IA
This marked difference when COM
pared to the normal vertical rays OF |
the sun is further exaggerated by |
the absorption. of the heat in the |
earth's atmosphere because horizon |
tai rays traverse much greater thick
ness of air before reaching the !
earth's surface. This fact explains |
the entire absence Of the radiation
which should have been produced by |
friction between the earth's atmos-
phere and the suns rays when they
come in normal contact.
The peculiar effects upon plant life |
has only been referred to so far. |
Birds made their nests two months
later in the latitude of Indiana and |
in this latitude partridges hatched !
their young and were seen with their |
young brood in the cotton and corn
fields more than three months after |
the. grain harvest. 1t has been OBJ
served that in the dental profession
cases were noticed where teeth yield.
ed to treatment more stubbornly |
than usual, the difference being from
4 TWO to SiX wapka Tho bnp,ou I>oa,,