The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-02-05
Dr. Ar tisen's Lecture on Geology.

The first Of the series Of lectures advertised 10 be given
the comprehensive and deeply interesting subject of
geology delivered last evening" in Clinton Hail. be-
fore intelligent and seemingly arprecative assem
blsge DR.. Anti.ell lectures well, and elucdates his
subject with much skill He commenced by giving 8
deduion If geology It may be termed Che saii) the
physical history Of eobsit Investigates the struc
ture Of the planet which live and explain, the
characters ard Of the various changes to which
its surface has been subject and gives account Of
the verious pecies Of animals and plants when have
tensned 1t previous to the appearance Of manit forms
the intermediate link between astronomy snd hstory
for tho former describes the FORM motions and size
Of the earth, and its relation to the other heavenly
bodies and the latter informs us Of the mutations which
1t has undergone since tradition began-of the
throw Of dynns!iesthe dissolution Of empires-the ad-
yances Of zation-and the mgrations of race
Of there alterations which accomplished anterior to
the production CT tho species Astronomy informs
from TIE fattened poles it was ct one period, If
1t js 70. new, yielding mass; rendered more
yielding BY hoing more heated; That I. IS, in fast
crust, but net 80 cool but that its heated and molten
interior low and then reacts upon its combining shell
half times heavier than the same bulk of water.
but ac The mot soiid rocks little th&n half this
inferred denti q not more than two aud half tines
heavie1 than t the interior must contain
more rcnoeious EGtter tLal the crust The grea,e-
shtress Ct the superficial cia Il ia. accounted fos: :
Zen nv. :, !. .Ae air. i forms red rust;
coTpsr green and lead white under tbs same cir
eumstances they have been altered by the mir, asi la
tIed portion o1 IL into their and By 50 doing
they lave acquired css density. When line plaster
i-ethy burned is brought Into contact With water the
latter g sbeotsd and becomes solid az the body weighs
specifically g. SOFT happens -lsn the interior melted
mass IA brought 70 tic surfce l. comes !ato contact NTH
an atmosphere City miles high and Ea water witch
covers thee ihs Of the globe, aud sced apyu BIZ boh
either Of there It becomes altered and lighter There
are many facts Thi'h 60 to prove heat cent:e; many
fFrirgs Hhoh bubble rp IN mount us districts are
vnt.n. When hori1gs fer wells maze great depth,
the water Is warni-the wRIm.r u Is the Deeper he
source u coes from the rate hein -egrea every
City est OF deptl Ia descending into mines tne nrlog
phtre een,iby warmer and 1t great depths the
rochs feel hot " the hand The average crease IS one
degree for fly elk feet o depth Voice c ectio1
everywhere sxhi its the effects q internal ha Ia the
WGter ahes cnae-e, and melted lava, which are poured
cut L the temperature increase thus ratedly at
mile cG depth the Temperature uiciept to boil water
and ct lily miles ctaiLs 10 hsas CT 1900 degrees,
winch IS sufficient g melt With even the most in
fu:ibs 81 rcChs This necessity lin its the crust The
earth to thickness Of fifty niea s1ingly thin
co'efi-e ssaint Inc upheayaA Ct The liquid mas within.
oGrgobe nay be looked upon % me,tt matter
surrounded BY hsi crust, and this hard cruSI in
no instance exceed hundred LILIES in thickness lt
cannot even amount to that, IL the calculations
rade are true a. TIE temperature Of four hundred de-
gees e'e'y rock would melt, and that temperature
wvuId he arrived at at the depth CT ffty.sx racs,
We ere accufttlnet 70 lock the earth as the most
seiid q ai thingS ard % call K 1a rma II /, very
chrent however il tropical l4ttudss whore the crust
10 often subject t. being broken by earthquakes ana
me water = Locked upon as the more stable element
No ceu0 e1ry - ~ minds iha conviction taat tho
earth - mass u r.sitcd matter only covered by q
crust slnndyed ries Thick though this thickness
nay &ppcr very srEe YET IN comparison 70 the ear5hs
diameter, which is eigh Thousand miles it is small
proportion TIE lecturer illustrated this portion Of his
subject By reference 70 diagram showing a circular
figure Geprstentiug the onrth) with dark narrow
ripg round its circumference, which was TO be re-
fsrdsd ns tho crust CT the EARTH surface You will
therefore, see Che ccntir ued) how unstable this cru,
nutt necessarily be IL liable TO be roken through Ia
several "sys one q these by The force exerted from
Ira NV enl,rl
attraction or the liquid matter of the earths surface
drawing i toward the SUMS equator aud the ear.hs
which are on the same plane The atmosphere which il
another fluid round the earth is also attracted by the
sun and moon and so there tides with atmosphere as
wen az tides with water Now the inner portion Of the
earth s ubject to this law Of attraction as well MS tho
exterior and the tide Of melted matter that continually
nons up II sso dfaTn oTards the equator, and theirs
- therefore, constant attempt Of this matter to break
through the crust 1t this tide which produced the
hat,ening OF the poles in the FIRST instance This is still
working and every nov and then have eruptve INST
tr tnIoWn cut at some points which is caused by the
attraction Of the and moon overcoming the con.
densing power CT the ouede and for this reason
volcanoes occur ose frequently about the equator than
anywhere elfe Another reason why the crut should |
s De looked upon q, unstable is, that It was ORR
Rlnahy heated matter which has cooled, and as
pooes in cooling shrink, the mass itself must
shrink and carry the with III and in order to ac
crack and thus the alterations and inequalities in the
surface Of the earth are caused net BY upheayng
causing depresion Of one bart and rap@ m Of tss
otber He mentioned this TO show that the outside
hfnking OF the crust was sufficient to produce openings
by which the melted matter In the interior could escape
Ihe temperature Of the surface is due, not tho
elect of the interior melted matter which has no effect
whatever on the crust bat solely to the atmosphere
mated by tho SUMS rays There is steady poat Of tenn
peratuIe few feet below the earth which shows that
me interior mas rever aeoa IT, that all thu heat Is
que htogeiher 10 what receive from the sun. This
coo crust IS sometimes presented to in it's natural
uEeeyateo portion AS II cooIs 1t comes ia contact with
'ho ar ana water which produce on II the effect
they do on heated iron, copper CT otner metal and
hus The cool crust oxydes and Is ordinarily Known "a
siahe ara this granite, which he sre const tites the
rust OF the globe s wdeyspread in every part thereof
lhe lecturer illustrated this pozt b reference 10 az
ofed Geoloeicu charts OF strata, showing The pronor
Is nate extent q rccks Of granite formation damn
aNaJs occupios me highest portion in the r,ountain
Vercappirg al the other strata Granite nav thes
gre oe sad 60 bc oImsd by are IL ig net simpIs bn
3 COMPOUNDED CT three mnerals--auartz mica swl
ga gaI-each Of which Is very ycufble @aa
Sleined The qualities Of these minerals ana tb %
oItons Rlth which they enter into the comnosit;op NJ
rante, row, geology does not recognise anv sndI.n
nsoge OK catastrophe having happened in the worla
~. on inc contrary the change has been silent and
ey eVident 80 that is only to be noticed by tak
u or9 ntefvab CT time between the two surveys which
2 II axe OF the condition "A he