New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-11-19
.onld have been different from what it

d','sS avn, are found Captain PARRY found them
90 .%s of the coolest regions u the Earth
y e..,e was, therefore, time when they once eS
" ,.,on the surface, and the temperature must
,.a, have been warmer.
& bs sure Mr.. LYELL controvcrts this method
4 : svpiainias it, for he contends that this change
4 { temperature is owing to change in the condi-
-, NJ the Earths surface, in the periods of its
s,,arsence 1t would have been warmer. That
20 change Of this kind sufficient to account for
..s.s facts could have occurred ne sad, it is i'm
.,ble 10 SUPPOSE: there must at all events have
Ken most material change in elevation. There
-, be no doubts that the temperature ofthe Earth
s..ppasrgone change. Shells show the same thing,
I'd LAPLAcE has demonstrated that this great
,s.pge cannot be attributed to change Of axis, as
oscs thought 1t might. mentioned this theory,
which originated, to Dr.. MITCHELL, and he did
ID lie toloi to adopt the theory, thoughhe forgot
:, acknowledge It's parentage; for he repeated 1t
GO and said not one word about
10 NJ. CLASS ~
10 author. This however, was soon fcnna
!: Of little consequence. These arguments put
5syond all reasonable doubt the main fact have
;!sted-that the Earth was once fluid. Some
o9ections, 70 be sure, deserve an answer First,
! !ca deeS 1t happen, it may De asked that some
heasy bodies like gold pstina, &c, which ought
pgragitate, have not gone to the centre And
mother objection is that the materials composing
lie surface of the Earth far more numerous
han at the centre the surface is most complex
fact directly contrary to the theory of hudity.
Both these objections can be got over by this sup
noslien, there - some reason TO believe that
@etalj Gse 40 simple bodies; for where mines
haze been shut up, metals have been found 10 fern
apon the surface; and they do not therefore exist
II ,heintsror--not being simple bodies. Persons
however, could attach to these objections such
fcrce as they chose.
The fact of the Earth having been in state of
fusion being once established, we are to argue
rpm IT, and not 20 it. 1t leads, first to the con-
,u.on that the temperature of the surface of the
Earth mas gradually changed. DR. S. said he held
ITO be self-evident principle that in system OF
bodies wkere chemical action was supposed to
usyail, The most intense action Mould occur first
lie minor nert, and so IN succession This
opposition is fatal to the cardinal proposition of
DE- LYELL, who contends that the causes which
modify the character Of the globe nor are the
sne as those which formerly existed. This is
dspyoved by the principle just stated, and also, as
Dr. S. conlended, by facts, as well as reason.
Granite lies at the bottom of the earth's strata
bul in some places it has been thrown up and
upon on. own Battery gneiss may be found to have
iaus cropped out. The granite is often found con-
togtcd in the strangest ways. column OF lava
d,locaes the strata Of the earth-and this will
4 Explain how beds of coal and other strata arc
5and oficntinles tilted over. This is effected by
/ lfe upheavng force already mentioned. Granite
| sometimes found directly beneath the tertiary
tlmaton--out of place, as will be seen at once
but ths is readily explained. Sientc too is often
found Just above The primary rocks The great
disturbance TO which the earth has been subjected
has thus produced great changes in the position
q the strata The cooling of the granite must
! have been an exceedingly slow process, because,
fi, the heat must be thrown OIL into empty space,
yely particle OF matter being equally heated with
ewry other; and in the volcano of Truxillo, $50
Years aler the eruption the lava was still uncooled
$50 slowly does this rock lose its heat. Another
fact shows tbs same thing. Ice, which is nc
cessa,y Article there, once failed in Sicily from the |
mdness Of the winter; and q philosopher there
Who had studied the constitution of Mt. Etna dug |
beneah The upper crust OF lava and found zee there
EMBEDDED strange it may appear. Ashes had
covered the ice, and lava the ashes. Flow long
The ice had been there of course no one knew; but
there va, no appearance of its having melted at
all. From this, said DIR. S.. conclude that upon
occasions philosophers are of use. The world Of
tertines 5, ems to be of the opinion oil the woman
yho nursed D'ALEMBERT: she abused him tornot
making mouey--'' OF what use are you? said
She /" believe you fit for nothing but phi
Mopher. Still philosopher may sometimes be
duse, as This fact shows. One of the wise men
nf Greece was once asked of what use his know
edge was, since he did not make money by It. 10
cea!ute him the wise entered into what would
now be called a speculation, and showed that he |
could make money if he would To the writings
Of LOCKE, philosopher as he was, the nations of
The world are Indebted for much of the liberty they
enjoy,
To return to Geology: When the granite be-
gan 10 cool, there was first thin crust; and we
are bound 70 believe that the play OF chemical
affinity was then most intense. We can then well
imagine that these strata should have been turned
upside down, though Dr. S. said he could not ex-
plain hoa they returned to their first position. 1t
SPAIN that, BY severe pressure upon the top and
upon The sides, we should have strata OF a par
dcular form, and easily understood
In examining the strata Of the earth, we often
IND what are called tanhs-that is, one part OF
he strata falls below another, or Is raised above 1t
no matter which. This is the arrangement which |
has given the island of Great Britain such advan-
ages III many respects. Veins in Geology are
snail masses of one kind OF matter which have |
been projected through another. Large veins are
called DYKES. We may often see in our streets
qrarlz thus projected through granite.
Thus the crust OF the Earth, now SO firm, has
attained its present position by changes and dis
@rbance In this country there has been very
Al!e disturbance; our strata are very nearly hori-
lOaisl and it is on this account that our canals
ese SO successfully constructed. With these re-
marks Dr. s. concluded hi, Lecture last evening.
An AMERICAN SHlP DESTROYED by lire
The Bordeaux journals give an account OF the to-
tgi g., ,ba A chin Hsyre.