Year: 1879

ONLY 5OO,OOO,OOO YEARS OLD.


The Age of tho Earth, Accordin.


to Professor PrOctor-Am Inter


esting Lecture.


Baltimore American.


In spite of the inclement weather
a good sized audience greeted Profess
Or Proctor at the Academy last eve
nlng, when he delivered his second
lecture on astronomy, his theme being
the 'Vastness of Time and Space.
The lecturer said: Science has given
Us very much more satisfactory in
formation as to space than to time.
We have first the size of our own
earth to use as a basis of measuring
the planets around US. To get an idea
how this is accomplished, picture the
earth az globe one inch in diameter,
the sun three yards in diameter and
the distance between the two 800
yards. This will convey much bet
ter idea of the difference in size be-
tween the earth and the sun than if
we dwelt in the stupendous figures
which are actually correct. From this
dimlnutive sphere astronomers have
to survey the sun and the whole solar
system. and it will readily be seen that
the angles upon which we make our
measurements must be SO min ute that
obseryations must be most carefully
made, for the smallest error would
make difference from correct results
of many miles.


tIn measuring time we have no ba-
sis to work upon. If we ever know
positively the age of the earth our
movements would be greatly facili-
tated. All estimates are comparative
ly doubtful, although geologists tell us
that there are certain conditions in the
crust of the earth which have taken
such and such terms of years to form,
and from their deductions 1 think q
moderate estimate of the age of the
earth would be 500, .O0O years, and
this is generally accepted by the most
eminent geologists. Even this is un-
certain, however, as the changes in the
earth's crust having all been formed
by the action of the sun, we do not
know that the action has been uni
form throughout all these years. We
know that before the crust formed the
earth was in q molten condition, but
finally cooled off and became solid.
Now, supposing the molten mass was
at heat of 1000 degrees centigrade,
aud had to cool down to 200, the high
est rate at which life could exist, it
would have taken, according to sci
ontists, at least 35O,0OO,OOO years add
100000 years for the time during
which the earth was contracting, and
then 1OO.OOO,OO0 which the crust has
taken to form, and we have total of
50O, 100000 years. The solar system
as at present understood, corresponds
with this idea of the age of the earth /;
and we work on the basis that the
smaller the planet the older it Is. and
in the cooling off process the molten
mass contracts and grows smaller and
smaller. The moon is believed to have
passed through all the stages which
the earth has undergone, and, being
considerably older has experienced
many changes which the earth may
expect to experience. Jupiter, on the
other hand, being much larger than
the earth, is believed to be much
younger. and it is estimated that it
will not reach the present condition
of the earth for three thousand mill
lions of years, and that it will take the
sun five thousand years longer. Venus
is nearly the same age, and Mars and
Mercury are both older than our
globe


After a few remarks about meteors,
asteroids and the condition of Jupiter
and the sun, the lecturer considered
the future of the earth as follows: We
find that Venus, being nearly our own
age, is surrounded by atmosphere, and
has oceans and seas something like
our own, and we may call her our
sister planet. The earth will constant
ly get smaller and smaller until it gets
to the size of Venus, and from that to
the size and condition of the moon.
Now, let us see what observers have
found out about the moon. We find
that it is desert, and as desolate a
place as can be imaginedI It is COW
cred with craters and seams, and we
find cliyities which show signs of
having been filled with large bodies
of water. They are empty now, how
ever, and there is no water to be dis.
covered on the moons surface. 1t is
believed that this water has retreated
into the bowels of the planet, for the
moon is planet the same as any 9TH
or. There being no atmosphere sur
rounding it of itself would render
life impossible, and we may expect
that after the lapse of many millions
of years our oceans will dry up and
the earth become uninhabitable by any
living thing.


1T ISN'T THE FISH.


A citizen who was yesterday get
ting ready for trip to the Flats and
struggle with bass and plckerel, was
stopped on the street by a solemn