Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-08-30
THE CAUSES OF THE DIMINUTIoN OF WATER.

THE CAUSES OF THE DIMINUTIoN OF WATER.
The idea suggested by Lieut. PoRTER, article Of his
published few weeks ago, is not a one 1t men
toned the writer of this upwards of thirty years
Of Washington who had the conclusion that
from the erocesson of rivers and the formation
coral islands in the ocean, there would finally be LEFT suf
cen quantity OF moisture to counterfeit the effect Of the suns
heat and that the earth would then be consumed predict
ed in the bb by ferven heat 1t would seem from an able
paper Dr. BALFoUR that the destruction Of dimnshes
the quantity of water and moisture that trees, according
HUMBOLDT "by the Of their pesprson and the
radiation from their leaves in sky without Clouds surround
themselves with atmosphere constantly cold and misty
that they affect the copouness of springs because by shelter
ing the soil from the direct action of the sum- they diminish
the evaporation Of the water produced by rain Dr. DUNCAN
mentions that within his experience Dspooe
in India, dry up in December which used to flow till
April May which be attributes the destruction of the
trees that formerly clothed the hills. The dreadful drougbs
which frequently prevail in the Cape de Verde Islands are
owing to the removal of their forests. In the high lands of
Greece, where the trees have been down. springs have
disappeared. In Switzerland has been asceraned that
rivules formerly full have shrunk dried up, the
removed and this fact has been ascerained result
from the all the earth "Trees il stated
by the secretary in his report of the proceedings Of the Bonn
bay Geographical Society," shade the soil from the sum-
They give off vapor during the day, and mitigate heat
while they obsuc the direct rays from above they radiate
out heat during the night and occasion the precipitation of
dew The quantity of actual moisture raised in the shape of
vapor from the surface of the alone caculsed to
amount to less than sixty thousand cubic miles annually
or nearly one hundred and sixty -four miles a day.
is stated that in the Island of Madeira when first discov-
cred, and when the northern mountains covered with
~. n
sufficiently deep float timber the sea- now small
stream, occasioned it is believed by the destruction Of the
trees especially of the laurel be the smooth surface of the
leaves Of which cool rapidly BY radiation and dew be-
ing consequently deposited posey upon them they collect
and dist were, great abundance from the at
mosphere" It would appear that the dmnuton Of water
has been found in all parts Of the world follow the destruc-
ton of trees and Of course, this dmnution is gradually in
creasing cultivation and improvements extend and the
forests disappear.
But another agent constantly and secretly work in alb
sobing water, and adding the quantum Of earth Invisible
to the naked eye it only be by means of powerful
microscope, which, through the skill of Pro-
fessor EHREsBURG has developed the minute wonders Of
creation When applied to the green scum of stagnant
pool to the mud of the ITSELF it tells us of world
of what considered to be vegetable FORMS but thew
are wholly unlike plants though boans have divided them
into two families of which the called Desn,id exclusive
inhabit fresh water, while the Others Diotoacc are
principally marine. In shape, they both resemble mathe
NAUTICAL figures of mcroecopcal Dimensions rather than We
geble organisms From their property Of Withdrawing slick
from its solution in the waters which they are found heir
bodies ndistrucble hence their constantly accumua
ing remains gradually being deposited in beds under the
waters OF the well in lakes and ponds" To show
the operation of these animacue in the absorption of water
and in the deposition Of marine strata give the statement Of
DR.. HARVEY, In his Seaside book.
GAS each moment has its value in the measurement Of
me whatever of ages the succession NAV be pro
onged so each of these atoms has definite relation to
and their constant production and deposition will at length
result in mountains The examination the most ancient Of
the sratca rocks and Of all others the ascending SCALE
and the investigation Of depoes now in the course Of rma
ton teach that from the first dawn Of animated nature
up TO the present hour this prolific family has never
its activity We cannot count them by millions simply but
by hundreds Of thousands of millions Some great Of
country are literally built up of their skeletons The world
vast catacomb Of Datomaccs is the growth of these
old jewellers earth diminished in its latter days"
Their ncessant dposites adding constantly the crust
OF the eartb and diminishing the quantum Of large
portion Of the coast Of England the Isle of Wight &C. is
formed of chalk, of Shells and corals GA million Of shells
and coras lie in cubic inch of chalk. The Foramin fera
of which these shells chiefly consist in
numbers IN present and constantly adding large
y the submarine deposes" Several thick beds Of rock
called caae grossier, wholly composed of species Of
anmalcule called moLa. cubic inch Of this stone con-
tains about yeght thousand of these minute Shells which
said to form almost the entire foundation of Paris and Of
the and villages Of the neshborng departments Il has
been asserted by Dr. BUcKLAsD that the remains Of these
anmacule have added thousand times more to the mass Of
materials which compose the exterior Of the GLOBE than
the bones Of elephants hppopoam and whales In further
an.
bess Papers for the People, in which many curious and
resting facts relating nfusoia and other anmalcue and
the powers Of the microscope developed and explained
The look into the Of nature her most
minute FORMS the struck with WONDER ave. and
veneaion for that machess Being who has created ALL and
whose " ways past finding out" The wisdom and
perfection manifested in the smallest in the most mag
ncent formations and the investigate His works.
the more we must adore and worship.
Without commenting upon the theory of your intelligent
correspondent, Mr. scHKrrERLr, would simply ask him
what has become of all the waters that the earth during
the food, if he says, dmnuton Of them has taken
place He admits that 6 some parts Of the between
latitude $50 north and south gradually being filled up by
coral rocks and when raised to the surface become islands,
But the microscope has shown that world of organic life
peoples the Arctic beyond the highest powers cacu
la,ion. Par Of this ocean, often covering of twenty
thirty square miles, rendered green and even tubd
from the quantity Of minute anmalcule contained in them
These have been found extend down to the depth
of fifteen hundred feet ScoRrsBr thinks that would re-