The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-03-21

Ueoiogy from yesterdayS paper.
When Mount Dor was formed by grand series
OF volcanic ersptons, there were immense lakes in
the Immediate vicinity oft at that very lime in the
process OF filling up, and also not far of Be
| cause we find in this valley, (here the lecturer
pointed TO his large and beautiful view Of the val
ley, in which is the sources ofthe river Loire
also the comparatively recent formed volcano OF
| Tartarus, and the old volcano Of Mount ID Or ia
the disanee,) by the sources of the Loire, and
through which the river runs, traces OF shells and
organic remains. which prove that this valley was
once covered with waller; aud the same traces and
proofs may DC found all the way down the valley to
! the city OF Tours. In travelling down ii we find
shells and the remains of animals, that lived at and
before the period Of the formation Of Mount Dor,
and that were f0ated down towards the and ul.
timately imbedded in this deposit. We have on
the banks OF the Loire, and in this basin, remains
OF shells and c0ras, in what is termed the fresh
water deposit, fourth of which shells and coras
are now extinct-can be found living no where on
the face of the globe; but one-fifth still exist.
Again, In my recent tour to the South, found,
Virginia, aud la the basin Of the Savannah river,
near Augusta, and elsewhere, the distinctly mark
ed Eocene elass of formations, distinct as we fad
1t in the Paris basin, with the species OF shes
to designate the chronology Of the strata that
found in the Eocene class on the continent of Eu-
rope l have also seen ON the James river the
distinct As that on the Loire, in France, and
containing shells than can easily be identi-
ned with some Of those now living your
coast And it is worthy Of being remembered,
OF this country ia the Miocene class of formations
are identical with those living on the coast of this
country so the shells found inland the continent
OF Europe In the MOcene class are identical with
many Of those living ON our csset. And now, we
some 10 very important part of eur subject-one
connected with the history of the earth's surface.
Many OF You might imagine that these ancient
fresh water formations were the very last deseriP
tion OF strata that were formed the globe just
previous 10 the present period. when man and the
present race OF animals were called into existence;
found here and there in various paris of the GLOBE
OF no great thickness And to suppose this, you |
must also suppose that when the world was brought
into its present state, alleged at the creation of
man, that 1t was done SO BY a sudden transition |
a sudden and violea sreepig array Of all The races
Of beings vlch then erised the globe which was |
followed by the equally sudden Introduction of II |
new race! (Considerabls sensation, and many of |
the elderly and young ladies, Of which latter there
was large number Of very handsome ones |
Present-looked astenished) Bat, if you exsmiss
the country round Mount Dor, you will be con
WINGED, BY seeing the predigious monuments in the
shape Of strata and organic remains that are to be
found there of the Uast space Of time that must haze
elapsed 6et.ceen the Eosens period and the present.
dons, and be6emoths and hippopo amuses, and ether
gigantic aninals.(the plegiosaurus, ichthyosaurus,
&c ito grow, flourish, and die, race after rase,
near the places where their organic remains are
now found. Again, also on looking at Mount Dor,
you might suppose that the volcanic eruption which
formed this mountain was the last that had taken
place In this region. But on proper examination,
we zee that since it was formed, there have been
also formed strata after strata many hundred feet
thck-a deep strata of pumi ce-then another on
the top of that Of lava-then one Of scoria and Of
obsidian and OF various others, proving that nume-
rous eruptions OF long periods apart. took place
subsequent 70 the eruption and upheaving of Mount
Dor. Considerable sensation excited, and great
astonishment depicted upon the faces Of the ladies
Miocene period the last formation pre- vious to
the present state OF things. But examining this
tract Of country, (here he pointed to the map of
Mount Dor, &c,) we see that after the formation
OF the Miecene class took place, TIE tchoie of this
galley Of Loire ercavated and then subsequent
to that came the eruption OF this Volcano Of 1arta
rus, (pointing to the map Of volcano at the head
to
In the Reghborhood through the lava, that had
been thrown out at successive eruptioRs Of the
Volcanoes, lperhaPs ages apari:) And then again,
after all this find the lava thrown out in melt
ed state from the volcano and Overlooking this val
ley down towards Tours for distance Of thirty
miles (Great sensation.) And then again, we
elapsed between the formation Of the Miocene class
aud the present period. This we can ascertain by
examining the Europeanlhills skirting the Medier-
ranean, and particularly that class Of hills termed
the Sub-Appenines On examining this class of
rocks, we find that they were of still more recent
period, and BY the Shells acting as chronological
metals, are enabled place them among those of
the Pliocene period; and here we find large num- |
Der of shells that can be identified with those
existing in our seas and lakes. So in Sicily we can
distinguish the volcanic rocks Of the newer plio-
100 shes that we find that cannot be identified with
those now existing in the adjacent In folio W
ing out the various long periods of time that have
elapsed during the formation of these several strata
found in the neighborhood Of Syracuse in Sicily |
over 1000 feet Of alternate reshwater deposits and
lava. First we have very thick bed Of sand and |
gravel then large deposit Of volcanic rocks on
the top Of that, then thick bed Of limestone with
all its organic remains (Which must have taken |
ages to foIm,) then large bed of submarine lava,
and then ON the top OF this An enormous bed of the
eatabe oyster twenty feet thick, (not the Ameri-
can, but the European oyster) layer upon layer, |
each layer having its shells all the various little
marine animals and shells that are now found on |
idea ofthe great space time occupied in these
formations the FIRST layer Of oysters must have |
had time to live and grow, and die and the animals
to be formed on their shells, and then another and
another layer Of oysters till the bed increased to
twenty feet in thickness; and again over the whole
Of this found another stream OF lava had run and
formed thick bed and over this again thick bed
Of coral-all these having been formed at long in
tervals, and during period when nine.tenths Of
the shells contained in these beds, were the
as those 70 be found in the Mediterranean. Ard
yet alt this immcnse has been upheaped distance
of 200 feet from the surface Of the ocean for the
uppermost strata in this mass was originally depo
sited under the sea, and upheaved through all
(Here the lecturer referred to diagram represent
Ing tue interior OF the eArtn rs one enormous cau
dron Of red hot Matted matter, forcing up the beds
above it and occasionally breaking cut through red
hot chmneys Of it: own making) You will now
come to the end of this series of documents
relating to the earth's history. But still
not so. And If you examine the south part OF
Sicily you will find that there 10 yet another class
of rocks, Of even still more recent origin, and
these are termed the Post Pliecene class. (Con- |
siderable sensation.) In examining the country
round Mount Etna we find that that celebrated vel
cano is based a strata in which all the shells and
corals there found identical with those found
IN the Mediterranean Sea at present Etna isll9O0
feet high; and its division by the ancients into
was very appropriate, and we'll calculated to de.
sgnate the peculiar features Of each portion Of the
mountain. The fertile portion is the bottom part
of The mountain and all this Ia rema ahlx