[meteorite-list] Newspaper Article, 01-06-1883 The Atmosphere

From: MARK BOSTICK <thebigcollector_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:07:01 2004
Message-ID: <OE752DCKE24sLueLWtV000260ee_at_hotmail.com>

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New York Times =20
New York, NY =20
Saturday January 6, 1883
Page: 4
THE ATMOSPHERE
It has been supposed that we had a right to congratulate ourselves and fe=
el comparatively safe on learning that the comet which was to smash us ha=
s postponed that operation for nearly 200,000 years. The safety of the ea=
rth from assault and battery by a comet is, however, of little consequenc=
e, provided mankind is to perish before that disaster takes place. That w=
e are so to perish has been clearly shown by a writer in Nature, who has =
demonstrated that we shall all be poisoned and suffocated in the year 190=
0.
Every one must perceive that the growth of civilization and the increase =
of the number of civilized human beings is intimately connected with smok=
e. The first point of difference between the beast and the man is that th=
e latter can build a fire. He does build many fires, and the more civiliz=
ed he becomes the more fires he builds. Now, the process of combustion de=
velops a variety of noxious gases, among which may be particularly mentio=
ned carbonic dioxide, a gas that is produced in large quantities by the c=
ombustion of coal. Just in proportion as man becomes civilized he burns c=
oal, and we might define a civilized man as a coal-burning animal, while =
the savage man is only a wood-burning animal. The increase every year in =
the number of tons of coal that are burned on land and sea is something e=
normous. Every new manufacturing enterprice, every new commercial enterpr=
ise, and every new house that is built involves an increased consumption =
of coal. MALTHUS used to say that while mankind increased in geometrical =
ratio, the food on which he lives increases only in an arithmetical, and =
hence will in time be insufficient for him. Were MALTHUS alive now he wou=
ld take great pleasure in asserting that the combustion of coal increases=
 twice rapidly as the human race, and that there is every reason to belie=
ve that the rate of combustion will before very long be still greater tha=
n it now is. When we reflect that all the gases given off by burning coal=
 enter and contaminate the atmosphere, and that the latter is a constant =
quanitity while the former is steadily increasing, we gain an idea of the=
 danger which threatens us.
It must also be remembered that as the population of the globe increases =
the amount of carbonic acid gas given off by the lungs of human beings is=
 increasing. The population of the civilized world has at least doubled w=
ithin historic times, while the population of savage regions has probably=
 not decreased. The time must come, provided man lives long enough, when =
the atmosphere will everywhere be as unwholesome as the air of a crowded =
American railroad car in Winter. We shall poison the air so that we canno=
t breathe it, and the tragedy of the Black Hole of Calcutta will be enact=
ed all over the world.
Another source of the pollution of the atmosphere is the cigarette. A few=
 years ago it was not smoked except by a few men of the Latin races; now =
it is smoked all over the world, and in constantly and enormously increas=
ing quantities. The cigarette gives forth an immense volume of smoke in c=
omparison with its size, and the deleterious gases existing in this smoke=
 are scattered through the atmosphere to the destruction of animal and ve=
getable health.
Any one familiar with the statistics as to the amount of coal and tobacco=
 annually burned and the quantity of carbonic acid gas annually set free =
by the lungs of human beings can readily calculate the exact quantity of =
deleterious gases that pass into the atmosphere. Of this entire quantity =
a certain proportion is washed out of the air by rains. This is, however,=
 a fixed quantity, while the quanitity of gases that pass into the atmosp=
here is a growing quantity. The annual rain-fall is very nearly invariabl=
e, and, of course, can only do a certain amount of work in cleaning the a=
tmosphere, and the time will come when this cleansing effect will be so s=
light in comparison with the noxious elements present in the atmosphere t=
hat it will hardly be worth noticing. The writer who has partially discus=
sed this subject in the columns of Nature has fixed upon 1900 as the date=
 with the earth's atmosphere will become entirely irrespirable This is pr=
obably a misprint, for unless the consumption of cigarettes increases wit=
h unlooked-for rapidity the atmosphere ought to continue to be respirable=
 until 1910, or even 1913.
At the latter date all mankind will have perished, and nothing except the=
 hardier plants will be living on the surface of the earth. This will ena=
ble us to view with some little equanimity another consequence of the pol=
lution of the atmosphere which the writer of Nature forgot to mention. Im=
mense quantities of hydrogen are daily set loose by the combustion of coa=
l and other substances, and the rains have no effect in cleaning the atmo=
sphere of this particular gas. Now, hydrogen gas has a wonderful capacity=
 for absorbing and radiating heat. Hence, when the atmosphere becomes loa=
ded with hydrogen our climate will be greatly affected. The arctic region=
s will become far colder than they ever have been, and the torrid regions=
 will become so hot as to be almost uninhabitable. A little further incre=
ase in the quanitity of hydrogen in the atmosphere will render it exploso=
ve, And the first meteorite which enters the atmosphere will cause an exp=
losion that will leave the earth scorched, blackened, and airless.
It is thus seen that after all it is of very little consequence whether t=
he comet hits us in the 1900 or misses us again. We shall be choked with =
noxious gases and afterward blown up with hydrogen long before that date.=
 Such is the pleasant prospect which science offers us, and who is there =
that will not love and reverence science more than ever for her wonderful=
 prophetic powers?

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<HTML><BODY STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV><B><FONT size=3D=
2> <P>New York Times</FONT><FONT size=3D3> </FONT></P><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2> <P>New York, NY</FONT><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3> =
</FONT></P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> <P>Saturday January 6, 1883</P> <=
P>Page: 4</P></FONT><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D2></B> <P>THE A=
TMOSPHERE</P> <P>It has been supposed that we had a right to congratulate=
 ourselves and feel comparatively safe on learning that the comet which w=
as to smash us has postponed that operation for nearly 200,000 years. The=
 safety of the earth from assault and battery by a comet is, however, of =
little consequence, provided mankind is to perish before that disaster ta=
kes place. That we are so to perish has been clearly shown by a writer in=
 Nature, who has demonstrated that we shall all be poisoned and suffocate=
d in the year 1900.</P> <P>Every one must perceive that the growth of civ=
ilization and the increase of the number of civilized human beings is int=
imately connected with smoke. The first point of difference between the b=
east and the man is that the latter can build a fire. He does build many =
fires, and the more civilized he becomes the more fires he builds. Now, t=
he process of combustion develops a variety of noxious gases, among which=
 may be particularly mentioned carbonic dioxide, a gas that is produced i=
n large quantities by the combustion of coal. Just in proportion as man b=
ecomes civilized he burns coal, and we might define a civilized man as a =
coal-burning animal, while the savage man is only a wood-burning animal. =
The increase every year in the number of tons of coal that are burned on =
land and sea is something enormous. Every new manufacturing enterprice, e=
very new commercial enterprise, and every new house that is built involve=
s an increased consumption of coal. MALTHUS used to say that while mankin=
d increased in geometrical ratio, the food on which he lives increases on=
ly in an arithmetical, and hence will in time be insufficient for him. We=
re MALTHUS alive now he would take great pleasure in asserting that the c=
ombustion of coal increases twice rapidly as the human race, and that the=
re is every reason to believe that the rate of combustion will before ver=
y long be still greater than it now is. When we reflect that all the gase=
s given off by burning coal enter and contaminate the atmosphere, and tha=
t the latter is a constant quanitity while the former is steadily increas=
ing, we gain an idea of the danger which threatens us.</P> <P>It must als=
o be remembered that as the population of the globe increases the amount =
of carbonic acid gas given off by the lungs of human beings is increasing=
. The population of the civilized world has at least doubled within histo=
ric times, while the population of savage regions has probably not decrea=
sed. The time must come, provided man lives long enough, when the atmosph=
ere will everywhere be as unwholesome as the air of a crowded American ra=
ilroad car in Winter. We shall poison the air so that we cannot breathe i=
t, and the tragedy of the Black Hole of Calcutta will be enacted all over=
 the world.</P> <P>Another source of the pollution of the atmosphere is t=
he cigarette. A few years ago it was not smoked except by a few men of th=
e Latin races; now it is smoked all over the world, and in constantly and=
 enormously increasing quantities. The cigarette gives forth an immense v=
olume of smoke in comparison with its size, and the deleterious gases exi=
sting in this smoke are scattered through the atmosphere to the destructi=
on of animal and vegetable health.</P> <P>Any one familiar with the stati=
stics as to the amount of coal and tobacco annually burned and the quanti=
ty of carbonic acid gas annually set free by the lungs of human beings ca=
n readily calculate the exact quantity of deleterious gases that pass int=
o the atmosphere. Of this entire quantity a certain proportion is washed =
out of the air by rains. This is, however, a fixed quantity, while the qu=
anitity of gases that pass into the atmosphere is a growing quantity. The=
 annual rain-fall is very nearly invariable, and, of course, can only do =
a certain amount of work in cleaning the atmosphere, and the time will co=
me when this cleansing effect will be so slight in comparison with the no=
xious elements present in the atmosphere that it will hardly be worth not=
icing. The writer who has partially discussed this subject in the columns=
 of Nature has fixed upon 1900 as the date with the earth's atmosphere wi=
ll become entirely irrespirable This is probably a misprint, for unless t=
he consumption of cigarettes increases with unlooked-for rapidity the atm=
osphere ought to continue to be respirable until 1910, or even 1913.</P> =
<P>At the latter date all mankind will have perished, and nothing except =
the hardier plants will be living on the surface of the earth. This will =
enable us to view with some little equanimity another consequence of the =
pollution of the atmosphere which the writer of Nature forgot to mention.=
 Immense quantities of hydrogen are daily set loose by the combustion of =
coal and other substances, and the rains have no effect in cleaning the a=
tmosphere of this particular gas. Now, hydrogen gas has a wonderful capac=
ity for absorbing and radiating heat. Hence, when the atmosphere becomes =
loaded with hydrogen our climate will be greatly affected. The arctic reg=
ions will become far colder than they ever have been, and the torrid regi=
ons will become so hot as to be almost uninhabitable. A little further in=
crease in the quanitity of hydrogen in the atmosphere will render it expl=
osove, And the first meteorite which enters the atmosphere will cause an =
explosion that will leave the earth scorched, blackened, and airless.</P>=
 <P>It is thus seen that after all it is of very little consequence wheth=
er the comet hits us in the 1900 or misses us again. We shall be choked w=
ith noxious gases and afterward blown up with hydrogen long before that d=
ate. Such is the pleasant prospect which science offers us, and who is th=
ere that will not love and reverence science more than ever for her wonde=
rful prophetic powers?</P></FONT><BR><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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Received on Sun 13 Oct 2002 10:10:18 AM PDT