New-York tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1841-1842, 1842-01-14
Prof. SilIiman'S Lecture.
Reported for the Tribune.

any thing like Ineligible statement OF us prn-
4ipal facts and the processes by WINCH they arc
established The beautiful orb on winch we dwell
belongs. as ever! one knows, to the Solar System
nd ii * the business Of Astronomy TO point out
the characters and relations Of the other bodies 81
This system. We are now concerned however soi'''
with our own planet and thus in many i'lPof raae
particulars the science Of Geology IS nuch fiio'e
interesting than Astronomy; for the results pre-
scented by the latter, although far more nasniacsn'
and imposing than those OF any other department
of hpma, joa,,ry re, depend wholly On the evi-
den.o &c . .;noIe sense that OF sight; and even
~. 80. available until we add to it the aid of
Ma.t,a,,e,;c. and Geometry. The results OF AS
,ro,a,nv. moreover, directly contradict the cvi-
dance Of the senses. The SIN does not revolve
around the Earth our eyes tell us ii does, nor do
The stars that sparkle in the heavens rol! around
our planet as they appear TO do
The object Of the Science 10 which invite your
attention is simply TO ascertain the structure OF
the planet on which wc had our birth, the scene
on which our actions are performed, from the
dawn Of being in which at the night OF life We
shall be entombed ard from which we hope 10
arise in another and better state. When we
look over It's surface we find projecting from II
lofty cli4.--aIong the ribbed sides OF mountains
we behold solid strata Of rock shooting forth. and
far inland VIC find cliffs which We know have
in for1aer ages dwell alongside the sea.The rocky
beds OF which the Earth is composed DO not he
horizontally in every case; a stratum that ~ one
place may be hundreds of miles beneath the sur
face, at another many crop out abovelt; and thus
the traveller, though he has knowledge OF the
internal structure Of the Earth, he crosses
these projecting strata, may read as in book the
nature and position C. the rocks below. Thus the
means of geological invcstig cation are by no means
as scanty as they are generally supposed to be.
But the facts | have stated do not contribute by
any raeans the SOLE or indeed, the greatest aid
in these inquiries The internal fires the Earth,
which were kindcd when the planet was born,
which have burned ever since, are burning now,
and will continue to burn until the end, by the
matter they throw up from the deep abyss, give
us some knowledge Of the nature Of our planet
and though no say TINT he is perfectly
acquainted with the chemical and mechanical pro-
representation of their character. By these var-
Gus means itis believed that we have arrived ut a
1ocrabIy accurate knowledge of the Earth for u
dep,h of at leas, ten niles-whch is at least
twenty times the depth to which any mines have
penetrated. That | may acquire To some extent
your implicit confidence in what sha! advance,
without which no progress can be made may
Io,~ cd
with more zeal and untring adustryor by a higher
class of intellect than Geology.
We behold upon the surface of the Earth vari-
ous astonishing phenomcna-inland sca-clifis, &C.
az / have already mentioned. The question Of
course ariscs-How came they there-whnt are
the causes of these phenomena? 1t may occnr
that the answer God made them thus, is sufficient;
but it is not, for it true. There is not cubic
foot of our Earth that is now precisely as it was
made OF that has not been wrought over and over
agan Mighty powers are necessarily at work
Transforming BY their own laws the structure and
condition of our planet. Here as elsewhere 1t
has pleased the Great Creator to call these sub
stances into being, and to establish certain laws
to whose dominion they are left. These continue
ever he same; they now as at the dawn OF
their being and as they will be al the end of all
Innings. 1Uty UcNcI CIV iAoii the t''i4N
the Gls, bright star twinkled the blue armament
to the last syllable of recorded time their opera
ton is the same.
Two srea, aseats are continually at work upon
our globe-fre and water, the former including all
substances which fire can melt and the latter all
that water can dissolve. These two=invovc all
the agencies at work upon the Earth and to these
may all others be attributed. Let US look first al
the igneous agencies. There is no one present
who has not heard OF volcanoes. We have indeed
a general knowledge of only q iew-such as are
found In countries which are much visited, as &C.
suvius, AEtna, &c; and these to be regarded
only as specimens Of the whole. OF these magni-
fccnt valves, these breathing holes for thein-dwe-
ing fires Of the Earth, exist In active state 10 al
least the number Of three hundred; thong it tsust
be borne in mind that we include in the list oil ac-
tive eruptiyc volcanoes ali those OF whose erup-
items history tradition gives Us any accounts tor
ifby history we know they nave once been active
we have every reason to believe they will be so
again though long ages may intervene | observe
that Mr. LYELl, a distinguished English Geologist
now il this country, reduces their number TO one
hundred but he includes in this number only those
which arc now really in action. At their seosra
phica position can only give hasly glance; and
first all along the Western side OF this continent,
from Bherings Straits 10 Cape Horn we have n
vast Inc of volcanoes, extending through Mexico,
Contra America Peru, Chill and Patagonia. We
often read OF taeirerrible crupions, OF the cities
swallowed up and the vast destruction of lie and
possessions caused by their agency; and we pass
them by without the slightest thought of their real
relation 10 our own comfort and well-beng.. We
little dream how much we owe 10 their agency
docs II once occur 10 us that these vents
sealed, as they will be bye and bye, by the solid
masses failing INTO their mouths, the OF the vol
csnlc ire mast then be transferred 10 our side OF
the Continent nor can we hope to parry of. this
result.
1--we look at the Pacific Ocean we find It, ali
dotted ,Nnt. MI -yn,n MI. IL -. lnnL