Paper: Denton Journal City: Denton, MD Date: Saturday, Janaury 29th, 1881 Page: 1 The End Not Yet A lengthy article has been recently going the rounds of the press annoucing the startling prediction that there is great danger of the world coming to an end sometime during this year. The manner in which this dreaded event was to be accomplished, was, as the prediction went, that one of the numerous comets, which occasionally visit our solar system, would this year be deserted by the unknown force that usually guides these mysterious bodies harmlessly through the planets of our solar system in their revolutions about the sun, and obedient to the attraction of gravition would fall into that luminary. The effect of this it is said would be to so greatly increase the amount of heat generated by the sun, as to destroy all the higher forms of animal life on the Earth. It was very gravely stated, however, that the people at the poles, while their temperature would be greatly increased, might possible survive this terrible heat and in the coarse of time re-people the Earth. The Washington Post, in behalf of many erring sinners who were painfully conscious of not being ready to pass their final accounts, and who contemplated the alternative of emigrating to the polar regions, sent out an enterprising reporter during the past week for the purpose of interviewing the sage professors of teh astronomical science who are retained for their wisdom in the goverment observatories at Washington upon some salaries. The result of these interviews has been very encouraging to the transgressor, and very disastrous to the cause of virine and reform. One of these grave professors (Prof. Harkness) whose desk the reporter found covered with sage calculations, in response the inquiry of the Post said: "I can dispose of it in three sentences. In the first place their is no evidence that any comet is about to fall into the sun; secondly, if a comet did fall into the sun, it is not likely to increase the heat of that body sufficiently to cause serious damage to the earth; and, lastly, physiasts do not believe, as the article states, that the falling of the meteorites into the sun is the principle source of its heat. So far as it is now known, the only adequate source seems to be the shrinking of the sun's diameter produced by this action of its own gravity." "That seems to settle the whole matter," commented the Post. "That is, I mean it should do. I think that articles of that kind are not worth a moment's consideration, except to expose there very absurdity." While this unhesistating statement of the learned professor may serve to relieve the minds of sinners from the apprehension of early destruction of this mundane sphere, and an immediate termination of their erring lives, it contains nevertheless some valuable suggestions for the minds of arrogant ifidels, If the sourse of the sun's heat be, as stated by the professor, the "shrinking of the sun's diameter coused by its own gravity" this is strongly in corribaration of the revelation of St. John that this luminary will in the natural order of things eventually cease to give its light. The opinion of the professor, however, if it is to be credited, gives us every reasonable assurance that the end is not yet. |
