Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-08-16
TO THE EDITORS.

the earhs surface and deduce rom them plauuo
theory; be therefore receive facts the observations
those who have preceded him. particularly whom their obsr
vaions and facts agree with his own. To discard wholly
theory hypothesis simply becsase it does mot sgee
whole with ones own observations aad when too they
made in sphere would be ct least unsafe and pro-
badly lead one into labyrinth Of sss If not absurdies
therefore not yet reckless enough to launch my fa
barque into new unknown, and heorec ocean, psefenng
to cruise along the shore Of my theory until find the land
marks well defined, and my coasne correct Your CORE
spondent will therefore, that II probable would
have continued this discussion upheangs and cors for
nations had be fully buckled his armor and poised his
ponderous lance, is likely my fragile reed and defective
would have not withsood his onset. But like him.
am humble searchsr after knowledge, seeking the truth
If il Is only to be found at the bottom Of welr and satis-
fed If End valuable grain in bushel Of chat It is
also pleasure to on these grounds 90 pleasant
learned chase, and able correspondent Mr. Schetey
should differ separate wide apart as the anti
podes, both, like the blind SOW" may each find an
acorn"
With these few preliminary remarks as an excuse for oc
cuPying space which could be filed by moro valuable matter
than my ucubaons resume the subject Of upheavnes sni
coral formations.
One is somewhat asonihed the present day to find th
the theory Of nebnous condsnsaons should be again revve
when these airy no,hngs have been fully exploded unr
the observations Of the scientific apparatus Of the present day.
We we'll that the advocates OF nebula formations
and condensngs advance hypothesis that has yet ben
sustained either by sound arguments facts Ip bsneb-
usr Hypothesis sstvss considered as npsses thrown off
from their primaries, exactly the prmsps had previously
been from the sun" With this Of die theory this earth
in nebuous state extended the moon her satellite
after throwing of she suddenly condensed 4S2 900 miles
the distance Of the from the earth. Jupiter have
extended to his outermos satae. This would have made
him at least sol miles in circumference. He then
densed from bis nebulous matter into solid and became
only 80, ITO miles in diameter The must have extend
ed in nebuous the planet in the solar
system. How rapidly have been his condensation from
Lavsrer who requires years hs orbit Under
this nebulous theory would have required for the earth
rotate and half days. instead Of twenty-four
hours Let any calculate the density Of nsbuous
when it occupied the largest volume, he will find
il will be than rares gases And how then, could
such airy substance be converted into solid In
this gaseous would be impondeabe and be lost in
immensely Infinite space besides, it would be impossible
for light and airy nothing this nebulous substance have
sufficient cohesion gravity to hold together and revove
Ross large telescope has completely thrown overheard the
whole theory of nebula formations all which have been
carefully observed have proven be opaque bodies
wel-defned stars through Lord Ross instrument.
have dwet this much longer than my intention,
but your correspondent appeared make point Let Us
turn attention to the next ques.on-hdt Of up
heavings Here there are many facts prove this inn
portant point that find it difficult to select from the mass
without giving this article undue length Let examine
the face Of the eah and if is index to upheavings
The first great fact which in the face the great
desert Of Africa the Sahara bed Of oceanic s,nd 5000
miles long and 1000 wide touching the Atlantic for 800
miles, containing of nearly twice that Of the Medter
ranean, and greater in its length than the width the At
anc The is the great desert of Cobb in the interior
China miles in length, showing the characteristics Of
sand the great salt desert of Persia besides numerous
sandy plains deserts in TartaIy and Peru We fnd
China the Kuensun mountains and Than Chan the chain
sixteen thousand feet the other twenty thousand feet above
level the Nell and Aay mountains forming separate
chains and distinct ridges the Empires of China and
Russia. From these mountains rise innumerabe rivers,
formed BY evaporation from the Pacific waters and again
turning them yet the great desert Of Cobb remains sandy
plain We here find that the whole surface of the earth i.
diversified by high elevations and sandy plains Valleys &c.,
which doubt either composed Of sand solid rock
In many Of these basins large salt lakes e and have
since been filed by fresh the evaporation from oceans
and lakes, condensng among the high elevations M
ing overfowng these internal lakes, which finding the
the ocean, the salt water displaced by fresh
but in many instances where the adjacent elevation
this the lakes continued salt only the fresh particles
evaporate This the with the sea Of Aria into which
empes the Amor and Sihon and the Dead sea- which re-
ceives the Jordan There is doubt the Persian Gulf wa
formerly Of these internal lakes but the Aow Of th
Euphrates caused rupture the neck of land nea
its mouth and form the straits Of Omus and minsle its
with the Arabian sea- The Red Sea and Mediterranean COM
within the range Of inland salt lakes filing with wate
supplied from crcumjacen elevations and forcing oper
mouths into We have already shown that grea
beds have been laid BARE and have lost their water
either by evaporaons becoming elevated the pon
to prove is the these upheavings have been accom-
Plished In all upheavngs depressions the simple
natural form the in the latter s merely inverted
Mountains in general, in ranges lines are nothing
than multiplicity Of cones. In instances they form
the great back bone Of continents in others they merely
fringe their borders.
We also find mall geological examination the great
the rock crust is thrown upwards and outwarl and sci
dom assumes horizontal position except on the surface
Nowhere do find the depesons downwsrds and inwsrds
This fact alone would show that some internal cause ha
work to throw up the great mass which forms cont
nens and islands the earh surface the idea Of conden
saon Of the ears surface BY any facts be subsan
ated is weknown principle in hydraulics that waite
90 little compessible that its compessbliy could not
calculated, and this principle its power Of hydraulic fore
applied to mechanical purposes While on this subject
!. permit dgress moment Black the WELL dis