The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-02-14
LOCAL MATTERS.

| the subject OF geology, lahy =
scientific character of the speaker 11e 'ss'a.e
room YVES crowded to overhe"ing d sn carry
| hour. large number OF the gen'e'nen pieseS'
having IN stand during the entire ese0sps' "sns
were conpel,ed to return home ior WANT Oh suiis'
| -. recommendations The ladies took iui and I'M
a.u,,,.d possession of the comfortable seats, and
| Ir.,.a .,r,ed and chaited with such fascinating
rr..s ,hs, we were quite surprised that Professor
2 .o,,,d s,snd I'D before the battery of 60 many
hr;.L, exes unharmei. We noticed, however,
that the Professor manifested little trepidation,
and we trust that as he has proved himself to be
skiful and learned geoIogist he will extend HE in
| yesngstions a little further and develope some of
| the characteristics and peculiarties of American.
| particularly Virginia female beauty. But to the
lecture.
After abiding In very eloquent and pertinent
manner to the poetry CT the world-thst was de-
veoped in all of the arts and sciences-the lecturer
recspituated the chief points OF his first lecture
With regard to the action ofheat he had attempted
TO show that the interior CT the globe at this
time in state CT very exalted temperature. 1t
| was a general fact, without exception, tina. in
any portion of the globe where the earth had
| been penetrated to a coz siderable depth, after
| certain moderate temperature had been at.
| tanned, on descending. the temperature fur.
further increased. This was instanced in springs
found in the numerous mountain districts that
fsr.removed from active or extinct volcanoes
| and that brought water OF high temperature
from great depth TO the face of the earth. 10
some cases the hotto the degree of boiling
In these cases the water was found to issue from
| cb. nd in To
these springs was given the name of thermal
springs. The Artesian wells in France were OF like
| character.
| Furthermore he had stated that when they came
TO inspect tte side and base of immense clefis in
rocks, far down beneath the surface Of the earth,
the lowest of all these rocky masses were recks
| evidently deriving their form from the prevgsive
action of heat These were not rocks consolidated
from the dispositions of currents of water; but
rocky which had undergone consolidation
froni previous state Of actual fusion, and which
had been in the condition of Lava, but by slow pro
cess Of cooling formed the solid carbonsted masses
| Of granite and basat.
Lastly he had remarked upon the fattening Of
the earth at the poles, by the rotary motion of the
earth upon its axis. The great degree of speed
evolved in this rotary motion had occasioned diff
ference of IS miles between tie measure Of the
earth at the poles and at the eeuator-the rotandy
of the earth at the poles being the largest. Wehad
right. the lecturer said to conclude from this that
there was time when the whole globe of the earth
| was plastic mass, and that Its rotary motion had
| impressed upon it its peculiar spheriodical shape.
The lecturer concluded his re marks upon the &C.
ton ofheat by developing the fact that, at former
period of the earths history the pervssive influence
Of internal heat occasioned an equal temperature
| throughout the whole globe. This was evidenced
| from the remains of animals and inanmate things
found in strata in the Arctic regions, that were only
| found existing now in tropical chimes. This
| was bef,re the had attained its present
power, and when its rays exerted little or no
| influence upon the surface of the earth -
The internal heat was then the master and
| pervading influence TEE extent to which the sun
| had now attained controlling power upon the
temperature Of the earth's surface was only gu.
perhcia!. As general rule, where strata had or
| binary compactness, the influence of the sun did
not reach beyond the depth of fifty or sixty feet
| Below that, to certain extent, the temperature
| was the same all the year round; more extended
descent leading to an augmented increase of tenn.
| pera'ure
| The speaker then explained the difference be.
| tween rocks of sediment, formed by water, and g-
| neeus or fire rocks. Rocks Of sediment were com.
posed Of alternate sheets or layers of pebbles &C.
| mented together by sand. Igneous or FIRE rocks
| were found running like veins through the sedi.
| n1entary rocks binding them together. They were
composed of sand and clay, appearing in the forms
otrock caed sandstone. In the Blue Ridge these two
were abundant Diagrams were then used by the
lecturer to explain the disturbances in the strata of
the rock, and particularly the rocky strata occa-
| stoned by great and wonderful upheavals and
| movements OF the earth at former times He af.
hrmed that at one time, was evidenced by depo-
sitions OF matter, the United States was compare.
lively an island, and that vast sea covered nearly
the whole OF Virginia. washing against the cliffs
| ofthe Blue Ridge. Professor Rogers explained at
length the operations of the vast waters that once
flowed over our land, and which gave to it Its ne.
cuar formation. Portions of the EARTH he said
had been and were now continually emerging
| above and subsiding beneath the surface This
point was Illustrated in the character and formation
| OF various species Of coral reefs. He concluded
his able lecture with an exposition of the formative
action OF the atmosphere, which, he commended was
the CRADLE as it was the grave of all the earth life
and the materials out of which all living forms
were elaborated. Mineral coal and other mani.
mate Masses were undoubtedly consolidated from
| the ancient air of the carbeniferous time. The
wonderful mechanical agencies OF the air. were
fully explained by the Professor, and the lecture
| closed.
| THE AZTEC CHILDREN.-The exhibition of these
children still con tinues at the African Church dur
ing the day and evening In the notice of them Sa.
| turday we enormously ascribed to the exhibitor
| the statement that they belong to pigmy race of
beings nvingi the central Part of South America,
termed the Axtecs. This is the superstition of Ger.
tain persons who have examine the children, and
| not the exhibitors statement. The latter person
age has traced these children to San Salvador Gen.
tral America, beyond which place he knows moth.
| ing of their origin positively.
| This evening, in connection with the exhibition
select concert Of music will be given. Mad. Ro
| sale Durand an American lady, will sing several
favorits songs and ballads, assisted by Sig Antonio
Novelli Prentice, of the Louisville Journal, and
the Norfolk papers, speak of her singing In the
highest terms. Prentice says "thas nothing could
| surpass the exquisite sweetness of her tones.n