Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1811-10-04

earns as to be more attracted by the earth
,bau the sun, we might indeed by that
means acquire another moon, which would
\. change to our advantage, rather than a
.ubiect of terror and dismay.
DR.. HALEY is of opinion, that the great
Comet of 1880, appeared near the time OF
the general delugc. and that it probably was
the occasion of that catastrophe, which he
therefore believes the Almighty caused to
happen by natural cause. If Comet
passed near the earth it might undoubtedl,
raise very strong tide, the effects of
which would be, that it would lay all places
under water; and drown the inhabitants so
far as it reached. For if so small a BODY
as the moon, at the distance of sixty of
the earth's semi-diameters, be able to raise
a strong tide of twelve or ffteen feet in
height; Comet as big as the earth, and
coming very near it, would raise prodi-
gious tide, capable of OVERLOOKING all that
part Of the earth which was nearest to the
Comet.
But it may be said, this could not drown
sn places at once, for at the quadratures
there would be as great an ebb But it may
! be answered, that by the earth's rotation,
Il would pass over all the countries of the
world successfully, and therefore in the
space of enty.four hours, the whole
earth would be involved 10 water, and all
animals as effectually destroyed as if the
water had staid one hundred and fifty days
npon the earth, which is the time mention
cd by scripture the natural effect of this
would be, that by such a prodigious and
rapid motion of this vast body of water
round the earth in twenty-four hours all
trees must be torn up by the roots, and car
ried alocg with the current !; all buildings
demolished, the rocks, hills and mountains
dashed in pieces and torn away; all the
product of the sea, fishes, shells, teeth,
bones, &c. carried along with the food,
thrown upon the earth, or even the tops of
mountains, promiscuously with other bo-
dies hardly any thing could be found strong
enough to withstand its force.-The like
vast tide would also be raised in the atff,os-
phere, attended with the most violent
eommotion of the whole body of air, the
consequence whereof would be continual
rain. In such case as this it would be
impossible for any ark to live at sea, or the
strongest man of war that ever was built.
Those, therefore, who suppose the wa
te: to be over all the face of the earth at
once, must attribute it to supernatural
cause, and not to a Comet, for it is impos-
sible for natural cause to produce such an
effect. Ii is also necessary, that this food
OF waters should be perfectly free from all
storms and tempests; for if Noah's ark
came to be tossed about in raging sea.
from its structure and magnitude it must
inevitably perish, with all its cargo of ami
m'ls; and II TINS was granted, it woul d
still be equally difficult to account for ano.
sher phenomenon, that is, how shells and
marine bodies, should be thrown upon the
land, or even to the tops of mount aims, by
such still water, and many of them burr.
ed deep in the earth this effect is not at all
seconcilable with such a superstition.
Therefore, it does not appear that both
these hypothesis can be trne-for the calm
sea, necessary for preserving the ark,
could move none of the shells; and the
roagh sea, necessary for transporting the
shells, would destroy the ark. The recon
Cling these things is not easy, but we be-.
leve it would be very difficult affair, TO
make out how such great concourse of
water should be SO very quiet aud still, so
clear OF winds, storms and tempests, as is
here required. Hence we conclude, that
the ark and its contents were miraculouslv
preserved from destruction by the power of
Omnipotence.
Al ID