So you envisage the picture not much different from Kapteyn universe or other concepts of island universe from that time. Well, we have plenty of time for our current representations to make another lap on that track. As recently as 30 years ago dark energy & eternal expansion weren't ingredients of compulsory student meal. ;)

I prefer to think that other forms of dark energy, e.g., quintessence, or its unification with dark matter (see, e.g., Zloshchastiev's works), could wipe the welkin weeping.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2011.12565