Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-03-14
MISCELLANY.
G E OIL OG Y
PROF. SILLIMAN'S SECOND LECTURE
Reported for the New York Tribune.

PROF. SILLIMAN'S SECOND LECTURE.
Reported for the New York Tribune.
Professor Silliman, in introducing his second
lecture on Geology, said that the subject seemed
to grow before his own mind, and that it was Ut
terly impossible to do il any justice within so brief
q compass. He apologised for the desultory and
disconnected manner in which the prominent
facts Of Geology must be presented, as the time
~as not sufficient for an orderly and complete
discussion Of them The pressure Of the subject
upon my own mind, said he, is that of swollen,
rushing hood-while there 10 but mill race outlet.
The lecture Of the las, evening was closed with
some account Of the theory Of an eminent profes-
sor at Neufchatel in Switzerland, concerning the
transportation of rocks among the AlI,s and other
regions where ice prevailed by means Of glaciers.
He did not suppose that all transportation of great
mineral masses, which was to be seen, was caused
in this way but he believed that this was the
true method of accounting for the phenomenon
as it was exhibited among the Alps and other Al
pine regions-and by Alpine regions he meant
those in which the tops OF the mountains reached
the height of perpetual snow, which at the equa-
tor was about three miles, this distance diminish
ing as we go from the equator in either direction.
There is one important addition to this theory,
which have not yet noticed: mean the trans
portntion of boulder stones, they are called, by
means Of floating ice. II is not al all necessary
TO draw upon the Imagination to understand this
fact for is matter OF observation that ice isl
ands of vast magnitude are frequently torn away
from their beds and foated through Hudson's
and Bsffin's Bay to more southern regions.
have seen myself ice-slands floating through the
ocean, towering from one hundred and fifty to two
hundred feet above the surface of the sea and
rs we know that floating ice never shows above
the surface more thpn one. eight OF its bulk, we
may reasonably conclude that islands of sixteen
hundred feet in thickness frequently float from
the Arctic regions to southern chimes. 1t is
81. al. .al..
BILE of transporting immense loads of rocks, far
more heavy than the largest ships Of war. In
one instance Mr. Lyell observed a rock which
must have weighed at least fifty thousand TONS
1t is obvious that when these islands float into
warmer regions They must melt and drop their
load; thus the rocks are deposited in the bottom
Of the Southern seas which come from the most
Northern regions. These masses transported
thus, may bs seen off the West Coas, Of South
America and at the island Of Chloe, and the pro
cess has long been going on, is now, and will be
in progress forever
As an example of ihis, Prof Sman exhibited
drawing Of a rock of red felspsr granite, some
fifteen feet in length and ten in breadth, resting
on seven marble pillars, in an inclined position,
the pillar al the lowest end being much larger
than the others, just as we may suppose one strong
man to support tho heavy end Of a burden which
il requires six ordinary men at the other end 10
uphold. Now how is this position 10 he aceoun-
ted for-since the country in that section is all
marble and there is no granite to he found there
ynur nsT, rP nr,,,s;on a~ s.. hi. mos,
Is.n,;S,i oh;sc, .;ncs !, !" =, No. SoIsr, No, "a,
from Nav Redfo1d v,hsrs Cav Iay "n.s n~sJ
Won can s.s;Iv cra,., "nJsr i, ~ NAV he aIow.
sd ~ an oasa, nv ",n nods ~ ...o"1,;n, '"r II
shonid sav I'm, vhen ,Ls, .es,;on If Country
was under he ocssn IA i, NAV bs ,,rovsd 10 hsvs
"n -, snn VIZ ,; "so ~, 90 nay 70 ..a.nor
,.d tbhsr INV an ;cshera SronnaJ ~ Tho ho,,op, n,
the sea. and thus deoosited upon The sand and