Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-09-13
NATIONAL lNTELLIGENCER.
TO THE EDITORS.
sUBsIDING OF OCEANS, &c.


from his own observations and that he must therefore
ceve facts the observations Of those who have preceded
him. But let ask friend P the upheaval Of the de-
ses and mountains be mentions among the observed tae
or only among the supposons of our predecessors adopted
for the existing condition of planet I'm
doubedy among the latter As before observed, no person
mountain, desert, large island uPheaved
from the bottom Of the oceans bed and the theory Of up
hsava adopted for the existing state of things
as we see Them II Lieut. P. will please look again. he will
find that have pursued precisely the course be indicates
have taken the facts observed by my predecessors instead Of
mine own have shown that these facts exsng appearances
or efecs) are inconsistent with the by him and other
biologists supposed have produced those appearances
have assigned another cause series Of causes which
known to exist and the effects of which familiar every
phosophc mind, and which, it now appears to me- will
count consistently for all the existing phenomenon and APP
pearances or conditions behold on our globe.
Ihave only yet discharged my bundebus much at
dom tistrue trying avoid wounding friend My small
arms still remain loaded but not yet PINNED In posing the
lance have no experience and larger implements Of
would be dangerous only myself in the receipt Of
ammunition they safe only the hands Of those who
experienced in their USE and whose magazine we'll
Piled with ammunition friend Porters did not suppose
that Lieut. p would adopt my theory but had some hopes
Of receiving "galant" broadsde, and and still am,
waiting to witness broad breach in my castle, with deter
mination, however, to defend il, with my small arms,
should occasion require.
Nv theory has no percepe conne1ion with La
ory Of nebuous condensation only the former assigns the
same agency to the fitting up Of planets for the habaon Of
senten beings which the latter assigns the formation Of
solar systems. that La Places theory had
been SO fully exploded Lieut. asserts. Only year
two since some of the members Of the American Association
for the Advancement Of Science noticed confirmed by
the discovery of Kkwoods analogy Probably am not
we'll posted up the present time friend P, and do not
wish TO contend for non-essenias
Lieut. P. the deserts of Sahara, in Africa Of
Cobb in China the salt desert in Persia besides
sandy plains in Tssy and Peru and to these add the
deserts and saline plains in the western wds Of own
country bearing ndspuabe evidence Of having been for
ney submerged by the salty and covered with bar
rem sand by oceans rolling them during many
ages Again, he enumerate four great chains OF mountains
extending China and Russia Of which twenty
thousand feet high all of which he and all biologists suppose
have been heaved up from the bottom of aqueous Deep But
does not Lieut. Porter perceive that the Of the supposed
upheavals he enumeraes be increases the difficulties
and aburdes pointed out in my last article under which
the doctrine of upheava abors repeat few Of my former
yea, the continents themselves-now supported by
extensive arches covering vacant spaces Of the volume
beneath them, by solid matter And, if by the latter,
whence did this solid matter come, and how get under hem
without causing corresponding subsidng of the bottoms of
oceans seas planet becomes
and boa,ed and vacuous every day, like abandoned
dunkard in spite Of the almost omnpoen law of grava-
ton Is fact that the earth, in its prineva state,
fluid consequences of intense heat and that the
materials of which it is composed condense and consequently
when they lose raae heat Is evident
daylight that the snkings Of the bottoms of oceans seas
and lakes and the earlier and rapid condensation the
solid composing the mountains, would produce
precisely the same effects which friend Porter attributes
upheava Would it not leave temporary salt lakes, which
would become fresh water the barriers separating
them from the salt broken down. and the salt water
sufficiently diluted with fresh and carried of to the
while other lakes which have bottom of SALT drain
salt SOIL like great salt lake, have surface
subenanean outlet, would remain salt
Lieut. p. says The mountain chains 10 general moth
ing than multiplicity of ; and hence he would
have infer that they raised by Simultaneous
cessve upheavas joined together If this assertion could be
substansied would indeed furnish the only evidence he
has yet adduced in favor Of upheava but with much diff
dence beg leave question it, Do the Aleghanies, the
White, and many other mountains which, the vcnage Of
which, furnish not the slightest evidence of volcanic action,
consist Of succession Of cones hardly think Lieut.. p.
will contend that they do in the almost quite total alb
Of concal peaks their summs II is that on
the tops Of hs Andes, and parts Of the chain,
which about thousand miles long, called the Rocky
Mountains find volcanic cones because their submits
have been and now are volcanoes But rather strange
that these they SUCH and distinct to the bot
L. Eox.
great an Why they scattered promiscuousy
over the country, volcanic in parts
Oregon!.
Lieut. Porter has yet disputed that bodies receive
Duct and radae heat corresponding in some proportion
their density If any person doubt this fact let him set hi
bare foot first on porous earth and then stone pec
Of metal glass; both having been equally exposed to th
suns ardent rays and then go into cool cellar and repea
the same experiment. II the iron rails road made
to touch each other in cold weather. they would burst
tie to coufne them in summer Iron converted into
by exposing it intense heat with charcoal which has
stronger affinity for calorc than iron, and retains grea
Of diminished and bard as steel but If this steel is re
peaedy exposed beat and suffered cool slowly vii
retain it,le caoc every time it cools, and become
soft iron sgan, and the bars will be larger than when they
were Steel Even the of Bunker Hill Monument mater
ally expand in no, day the side facing the sun
and contract again during the following night Now il vel
known that large proportion Of the materials composn,
mountains consists Of the most solid matter Of our globe ant
this solid matter consequently aud rsdaes heat viii
greater facility ard spdy than the less dense materials
posing the strata Of valleys and palms. and the more they
- L.. .