Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1836-12-28
yAR7zTx x.
From the pennsyIvaaia sentinel.

From the Pennsylvania sentinei.
TvxppnAruRE or THE EARrH.--An o
p;aion among g~eologists is that The centre
r. ia asrfh e IN a state OF fusion from
heaf, and that consequently. the tempefa
,nrs Increases with the depth below the
s~uefare. This opinion is greatly iorti1ed
~ recent experiments. Indeed IT 70 actu
siiv proved that the temperature, indica
I'd by the thermometer, il in proportion
10 the depth. 10 the process now 10 ope,
ration al the Barriere De Grenelle, near
Paris. for forming a~rtesian wells. the depth
already bored is 1888 feet. An experI
npent has been tried at this depth with the
thermometer, and the increase OF tempe
rature has been estimated from the result.
at one degree in every bundreI feet. The
contract Of the engineer is 10 bore TO i2Oo
feet, a greater depth than has yet oeeh
sounded, pom the surface OF the CioDe'
The greatest depth yet reached 10 Eng
laad, is 10 a coal pit at a place calico
Monkwearmouth, which has been sunk
10 the depth of 1884 feet below the sur
face. In November, 1884, Professor b
lips, OF York, with a number OF scientific
gentlemen, descended this pit, and made
many interesting observations upon the
variations OF the barometer and thermom
etcr, in the course of their descent and
ascent. According to these observations.
the temperature increased With The depth
A hole was drilled to the depth OF two
fact and a half below the floor OF the
mine. A thermometer was plunged IN II,
and the air carefully excluded. Alter
remaining. here during as hours, the Their
mometer stood at IL.
Since these observations we're made,
the owners of the mine have sunk this PIT
still deeper, and the average temperature
has increased TO 10 degrees.-At 'his de
gree of heat, the worxmen find II difficult
10 work more than six hours successive
~. Besides a great degree OF heat, a sp!e.
cies Of fly has appeared about an inch 10
length, the bite Of which IS extremely an
moving, both TO the men and the horses
The appearance of insects at great depths
below the surface of the earth is uncom
mon, but this is probably the common
black horse fly, the eggs of which had
probably been deposited in the hair oil
The horses before they were carried down,
and which has attained this uncommon
size from the high temperature.
These facts very strongly support The
hypothesis that the central portions oil the
Globe, are 10 a high degree OF heat, and
perhaps in a state OF fusion The dame
ter OF the Globe being 5000 miles, the dis
lance from The surface TO the centre rs
Ell, 100, 900 feet; and ifthe increase often
perature be one degree in every hundred
feet, the increase of temperature from the
surface 10 the c~eatre, must be 10 the en-
ormous extent Of Gil 400 degrees; a de
gree far beyond what is necessary 10 lnze
or volatiIize any known substance. Does
not this increase of temperature acc ountl
for volcanoes? The interior being IN a
state of fusion and volaiilization, the vol
slitixed matter must find vent, and escape
in volcanic eruptions. BY the process oil
cooling, a crust is formed over this ave
nue. OF escape, until the volatil.zed matter
has accumulated sufficient force TO break
the crust. and escape in a volcanic efup
ton. This accounts for the occurrence oil
eruptions only at intervals. They occur
in the same places, because there the
erust being more recently formed, IS the
weakest part Of the shell, and therefore rs
broken the soonest.
This internal fusion will also account
for earthquakes. They are most frequent
ia volcanic countries, and generally pre-.
esde eruplious. Are they not produced
by the effort Of the voiatilized matter to
break the crust? This internal heat will
also account for extinct volcanoes. BY
she process of cooling. which continually
advances. the volatilized matter 10 dim'n
ished, and therefore breaks through al
fewer points. On the same principle will
it account Tor the diminished violence oil
eruptions. None has since occurred 10
Vesavius, so violent as that which DIES
troyed Pompeii and Herculaneum'-Psnn
Sentinel.