“The End of the World,” 1879.

The Gundagai Times and Tumut, Adelong and Murrumbidgee District Advertiser NSW

7 Nov 1879

NOTES ON PASSING EVENTS

(BY MOMUS)

My mind has been painfully exercised by a coming event announced in a lecture, with the ominous title of “The End of the World,” delivered at the Berlin University some three months ago, by Professor Dudios Reymond.

He declares that within a stated period our earth will 'become colder and colder, in proportion as the solar heat shall diminish.

The ice will advance from the poles to the equator, the earth's population will gradually recede before the advancing glaciers, the sun will become less and less luminous, until he will present the appearance of a dark red ball, and finally ice will annihilate all vitality upon tho surface of our planet.

Now, all this is to happen within seventeen millions of years, and consider the fact very hard upon us indeed, and the Exhibition just opened, and my stock of summer clothing already purchased.

I really wish the Professor had been kind enough to put it off for a few more millions, and we would all have a chance to get things in order. 

I declare I don't know what some of the stone-crackers will do, having only seventeen millions of years to get ready for being “froze to.”