Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1850-11-30

III Sillinan in a recent article Of hi
scientific lorTnal attempted to show thu
HE earth. at d certaih depth below tn
snrtnce is SSaed mass of matter in sucI
colnpete nnoiry, that it is even tossed b,
suGierrouean winds, which iihd vent in th
crafnrs of Vre'vius, Mount Blanc, Orizm
ho Sc, This il grand speculation. sub
lime in the effect it produces on The mnd
whatever may be the support afforded i
by truth DR. }oySton, in ;oate lecture
on geology, ii tie city of New York
stated that the present condition Of the
earth was The result of entire chemical 40
ton, which onca reduced it to a mass o
| iguifrd, liquid natter. ol which the present
trhst Of The earth was produced by cool
ing, which he calls the granite work We
give his own remarks
"As this crust gradually cooled of, it
contracted upon the melted mass within,
and by means Of His contraction it either
collapsed, forming the beds of lakes or pro-
| truded outward and upward, forming eev-
ated pains and uonntaln4. Hence, the
| grainlte rock ls both the lowest and hioh.
eat III ITS position, OF all the geological
formations.
Again, the masses of granite rocks
thrown up ~ tSa fptm Of mountains. in a
heated state, must cool when exposed to
the external atmosphere, and in cooling
must also contract. Cracks or seams were
thus opened transVersely across the spurs
of%hrts oi tn. mountains, extending quite
down TO the fluid mass beneath. Then.
by a subsequent pressure of that mass. "a
lli'nslon OF meltcd minerals was inlecteg
INTO those openings, forming the traps
basaItie aud porphyrtic rocks. This ne %
ed ninteslaI caIne from deeper source tIlan
the Original Granite. being Of n SONG what
different compost fa,n, and TINS were form
ed the dykes or veins which pervada the
granite rocks. Sometimes these trap rocks
themselves hn6e again been broken by
internG agitation, aud the openings filed
hy materials ot a still different character,
and doubtless f'ou@tlI Iower~oarce br ng-
lng a'ong with them the precious OF baseG
metals. which, from their specific gravity,
Wou'd sink lowest in the me ed ulass be.
meath.
hesldrs The thousand Of extinct vo'ca-
hoes, on the surface Of the earth, there are
at this day more than three husdred that
ore now active, and have, frota time to
time within the period Of the ersiory of
"an, omitted forth fluid matter, SPn1et'nes
IN quantities sufficiently large to form im-q
nense rivers of melted lava, extending in
some instances n hundred miles in LENGTH
aud twelve miles in brendh. melting down
hll's and filing up valleys in their course.
and building out tlle coast for several miles
III the sea-settiSg the ocean boiling, so
that thousands Of fishes have risen to the
snrface, md been thrown upon the shore
by the waves Of the heated and angry
ocean, actually cooked and ready for the
ra"te ot the epicnre.
The breaking through Of the floor Of tho
ocean and it's elevation hundreds Of feet
above It's surface, producing islands in aS
day, .at various point.-thS@ elevation Of
lnor& han 500 miles of the cohst Of South
America by the throb Of an enrthquake--
the gradual depression Of tDe coast Of Nor
way and the corresponding elevation Of
the other to the height OF some 200 feet, |
carrying with it the remains Of animals Of |
species now inhal'iting the ocean, and |
many other singular phenomena, are
to convince us that the earth j. |
tiuld at the centre, aud that the perpetual |
and the everlasting hills, instead |
VI beng based upon SO id UNDERMINING,
rest upon yielding foundation.
The same fact is shown likewise by the |
phenomena connected with the boring OF |
lrtcsian wells, aud the sinking Of mines.
he temperature constantly increasing a
'o't one degree for every 45 feet Of des-
cent.
at this rate, water would be at the boil
n~ heat at little more han one mfg from
he surtace Oi the earth, and at the same
alto Of increase every known substance
would be IN tluid condition at less than
ltty mics below the surface. Now, should
We allow the crust over the fluid mass Of
'arih to be 200 mics in thickness, and then
contrast the globe with an err, it will be
ould that the shell OF the egg Is full five
tnes thicker III proportion to the diameter
han the crust Of our planet"
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