Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1853-01-29
SCIENTIFIC.


= ~ - 7'fEl 'Fa "a 1913
Editorial Correspondence National Intelligenter
NEw YORK, January 12, 1885,
The great philosopher KEpLER,
wholaid the cornerstone of the grant
temple Of astronomy,is said to have
believed that the earth is a huge liv'
ing and breathing animal. Such 9
hypothesis might almost be said to dc.
rive confirmation from the lecture
g,yenin this city last evening, Messrs.
Editors, byyour own ,ownsman, Lieut.
MAuRy, the able and Industrious Su.
perin'endeut ofthe National Observ-
atery. ! do not mean to be under.
stood that Mr.. Maury called the earth
u living animal; but he certainly did
make it very clear that it has a life
. blood circulating through all its parts,
with as much regularity and obedi-
ence TO general law as the blood that
'isustains animal life. His subject was
the sea and its currents His theory
oi ocean currents was very plausible
and interesting. Sea wateris found
Ito DO the same thing. all over the
d earth. A drop from the Atlantic or
the Pacific, or any other, ocean orsea.
when analyzed, is sure to produce the
same results. Hence Mr.. Mapry be-
lleves that all these waters constantly
mlngle with each other and circulate /
IN harmony about the earth by means
OF regular established laws. ir,,.
The principal cause Of ocean cur
rents he believes to be the saltheld in
solution in these waters, which renders
them heavier or of greater specific
gravity than fresh water. The Tie i'm
mense amount of e~sse.pssaiaission con-
s.antiy going or. 70 Ssseially in the war.
Smer latltudes .seass up 5rfom the sur.
Flaee only water, leaving the salt
(Which q contained to increase the
isalttlsss ofIthe surface water not eyap.
o1ted. This increase of sadness
gives additional weight or specific
gravity to the surface water, and eau.
ses it to move in perpendicular cur.
rent downward. And as this water
descends the lighter waters beneath
must give place, oit, and move off in
lateral currents by whatever channels
they may find. Hence we find strong
undercurrents setting out from such
seas as the Mediterranean and Red
Sea, into the oceans. And hence,
TOO, in the great oceans the general
law is that Of under.currents from the
equator toward the poles, and surface.
currents in the opposite direction. A
striking exempliication of this was
observed BY the Grinnell expedition
when in search of Sir John Franklin.
The vessels became fastened in float
ing surface ice, and in this condition
were drifting south. At the same
time large iceberg, which of course
settled deep in the water, drifted by
them to the north.
The interchange Of waters from the
equator to the poles must have a ma.
tearial effect upon climates and the
equalizing Of the temperature of the
oceans. 1t might be very likely to
keep an open sea around tile north
pole, and may be the means ofpreser.
Vi wing Sir John Franklin and his COM
panions if they are yet alive.
l have merely glanced at the lead.
ing ne, point Of Mr.. Maury's lecture
There are other causes which affect
the. ocean currents, such as the secre.
ton, by shell-fsh, Of the lime, &c.
held in solution by the sea. But if
the sea were fresh water, or ifno eyap-
oration took place from the surface,
he believed there would be no such
thing as the gulf stream or othergreat
ocean current. In speaking Of the
rilf stream, he gave vivid idea OF
It's temperature, connected with its
breadth aud volume Of water, by re.
marking that the heat Of the gulf
stream, "if concentratedin a smaller
channel, would bo sufficient to melt
and keep in motion a river of molten
iron as large as the Mississippi"
This lecture was given inthe Broad.
way Tabernacle, to an audience Of
Two thousand Or more. 1t was one Of
the Peoples course a series of
lectures got up on the plan ofinviting
able and distinguished lecturers and
putting the tickets at twelve and q
bnlfcen,s, in order to enable all class
os Of people to enjoy the benefit Of
first class lectures.
Never before have lectures been in
sucl, vogue in New York and vicinity q.
ns during the present season. Their
number has truly been legion; that is
~ say, almost innumerable. They
~, l,,>Nnrv ,v;tl t1,a thor.