Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-07-26
MISC ELL A N Y.
vo,ennces.--T.,eir Causes.

The theory embraced by some leading
men Of science, (says the Scientific Amer
lean, in reference to the cause OF voIca-
noes, Is, that hey are the smoke-pipes OF
the great 6,e IN the nterio. OF thiS earth.
They believe that we live on the top OF a
huse white hot cauldron, and that yoica-
noes in diJereut parts OF the world are
merely vents of this internal fire. The fol-
lowing are the views OF Piof Sil.imaa, OF
Yale College, on the subject, embraced IN
a lecture recently delivered IN New York
city:
The internal heat of the earth is proved
by direct experiments. a gentleman l.,
still living in Paris, who first called the at
tenton Of biologists aud philosophers 10 this
subject He was one OF the scientific men
who accompanied Napoleon to Egypt, when
he went on that expedition ou-for Napoleon
took with hlm not only the weapons OF war,
but he took a much more important cohort
that is, men OF science, and art aad lite
ralure able to explore aud examine all the
antiquities OF that most Important aud vea-
cradle country. A great literary work re
suited from this expedition. which proved
to the world that the Interior of the earth
was in a heated state, bringing together
facts already known, in regard to mines and
springs. This general principle announced,
has been followed up repeatedly by deep
borings, called arteSlan wells. The very
deep well ia Paris had been worked upon
Tor seven years, without reaching water
when Arago came forward, aud gave the
Government assurance that IT they would
continue the work aud 90 through the beds
Of chalk they would, in all probability, find
water. They continued their work till they
got through the chalk, when the water rose
up in a great volume OF twelve feet. This
water stIil llow> there, and doubtless will
continue to flow till the end ot time. This
water was, likewise, found TO be very hot.
Many other artesian wells have been made
all over Europe, Tor various purposes, aud
the uniform result has beea, that W find
the earth Increasing in heat the lower We
90 down. Add To this the testimony OF
those wlo work Ia very deep mjueS, and we
ascertain the fact that the rate of heat iu-
creases about one degree for every fifty feet
OF descent so that II we were to 20 down
tuo mtles, We should fad boiling water.
and at ten miles we might reasonably ex-
pect to find i5nied rocks. Is all, thea, be-
meath us on fire | am not prepared to
saw. with some, that this is the case, al
though there is Strou5 evidence to Justify
such a theory. Witness the GeySerS Of
Iceland, where hot waters are gushing up
from the earth aLe after age aud century
after century. The result of all obSerya-
tiJa on spiu5s goes to show that they are
tberual-that l., Ot hisher temperature.
The Azores present a very important fact
in example re hot sprln.> OF Lucca, in
the A2peniuc MJuutdns,are large ypoulng
springS, of high temperature, so copious
that they may b. relied upon for hot baths
all the wear r,und. Another case is the
hot sp.Iu.s Of Bath, in England. These
are the more remarkable, as there are 10
volcanoes in the BRITISH Islands. We know
that, from the time OF the Romans, these
waters have never ceased to guoh up in
vast abundance.
the hot SprinIs in Virginia are very i'm
Rocky Mountains /, also very hot. Taking
the arteolan welt, and the thermal, We have
from these sources the best evidence OF the
heated temperature OF the internal portion
of the earth, aud this placed beyond all
question, by the great volcanoes in the
world. Aad here We have decisive evi-
dence that the heat which will melt the SOL
id rock is not connected with any external
cause for among the cold, icy mountains
there are volcanoes bar>ling up to the
height Of 10000 feet.
I'm Spain and South America we dnd
Great volcanoes burstuL ont The fact Is
the world is on fire, II was kindIed at the
time of its creation, and has been burning
ever since"
DR.. Antl,sl, yr New York, recently de-