44 ANDREW JACKSON HOWE. 



The impact of two ponderous bodies, moving at almost 

 incomprehensible velocity, must be sufficient to pul- 

 verize the densest metals ; and the evolved heat would 

 dissipate the debris of the colliding bodies, returning' 

 the particles to space in a gaseous or nebulous state. 

 In this way the aggregation of matter and its diffusion 

 may have been going on eternally, and is thus to con- 

 tinue forever. Aberrating activities are always dis- 

 turbing the alleged " harmonies of the universe," 

 rendering collision possible, if not probable. The dis- 

 play of meteors through contact with our planet dem- 

 onstrates the possibility of collisions; and the heat 

 known to be evolved by such contacts is in accord 

 with the nebular theory. It is not possible for so 

 many spheres traveling at varying rates of speed, to. 

 escape collision ; and when two heavy bodies come into 

 direct contact the course of each would be arrested, 

 yet new forces would come into play, governing the 

 movements of the debris, for the concussion would 

 pulverize the masses, evolving an immeasurable 

 amount of heat. The minute fragments of matter, 

 through the agency of the suddenly acquired heat, 

 would fly apart, gravity not being strong enough to 

 hold them together or in intimate relations. The 

 larger fragments would attract and aggregate the 

 smaller that happened to be near or proximate, and a 

 new sphere of revolving matter would enter upon an 

 orbital career. Many erratic pieces would fly hither 

 and thither at random, and possibly find lodgment in 

 contact with the earth. 



METEORS. 



Meteors are constituted of fragmentary stuff that 

 has its origin in collisions. They sometimes travel in 

 groups, and strike this planet on certain days, recur- 



