Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1854-02-10
Hints on Geology.

ci-,y directed offered to the columns Of the
Palladium Tor publication
Hints on Geology.
Wh-n the Inni Is broaght cop. with tn. wonders
that Geology presents. wh-n directed towards the
mighty changes that have prsvadst this changing
sphere II see rs at oae, trsn.po't- Al oncs TO leave
the 3fn-nta-S o. .rt ninyis with the
n.i WORKS OF D-lty.
In G.olog.t hs gax.s With scrutiny tn. s,rik-
= records oi CEettloa. 10 at once conhrmsc in the
belief that tnauneraoi- ages must have rolled by
since oar eatn called eAstsnce that the pill
srnag- of ~ an here Is bat day-an hour. whea
ptrei wt'h th- inmease daraton of the Earths sxs-
tenc- ""h se d-scens into III. bowels Of ths rih.
- = !" ii'=t ~ dTroiaIea On All saes oy nhofe
truthful history of able ages almost bevond
ths pp"e OF mad to comprehend Here every rock
every ebo- presents 10 view some historical account
OF the evenu past; but in vain does no enieavor Ia
bring to ght. IN van toes he trv to d-cipher there.
some nonu n~ntt structure soms fabric OF art to prove
he former existence Of his eph-msrsi and
n wisely concuie th,, potsnce reserved this
rain. which .lsp}ay hs power choosing ra,he,
10 have 1t f:ee from, and unPout-d by the works u
man.
biologists find striking proofs that globe
vt>i ocean OF lqua fire Hence must b, o
ia. 4 niab- antqa.ty They lm,gin- is te -r,'urt
y have grrinaliy decreased. and nf~r Indefinite
Prrn1 70 htv- he-n alapi-d 10 th- gr,wih Of animal
aaI vrge sole life Ih- earth h,> ever been eh
and >tI3t continues :nc-. Wan H. ctnn4t. be
ttnr uni' tor ths OF Of aIimtl- II
gradually became extinct and auoi-r b-tter.ai ,p,tn
s?raHg up To I'll II, place So III II th-y hnf from
clos- observation Of the different Of rocks IN At
s-vrrht -ntrr oil animals thus s ani de
Called The tag- of acton IA ,rch 10
pture, 10 tli evidences of th- hv p,-s
OF tn great changes Which have b--n going on for
lar remote. which he doubts pre-
10 the existence of gorou.. happy anI btautltuI
world i-sl g1ei tor his abode
IL fin Is mat former ages the world teemed with
ihhamrraO- species Of ANIMALS reptiles ami birds. Of
"hrh no sprces now exists. Were these but called
out from -tr resting places. an endowed with their
form-r g'g'nte di".nston~. they wonid os"r"helm
with terror even tl- taTis of creation Imagine for d
NOM Mt IN. pon erou, Meg ,th- rum rowing the
ptnpas OF South America; or, picture in yohr n'n Is
the hlgr Nyolon gri>rlng the forest king, and hur
ing hn To the groun and YOU I'VE before you
a;Hp!- OF the scenes of aatqnttv.
Nor los Geology tell only of tho former greatu-ss
of th- Al, but also ,h- vegetable king ION If n
created an 'nteigsnt b-ing from Other sphere.
htt fitgh- on thlr go5s during that remote period
WIN v-g-tation, tn constitutes extensive
coat hrd~, vas IN lis gigantic growth he might have
tr!t that thare waste Of creative ast for
ests of tree ferns woa have waved his he ad and
he must have enqI,red why > i, so' to what
those vast forests be applied But let ages roll by ani
til It ame being world at the present TIM
the words OF another, 'i. hn go 10 the little is,n OF
Great Britain. and there 1000 steam engines
moved by coal dug out of the earth and produced by
tt-e sie ancient forests, to the coal fields of the
United States stretch ng 900 square miles. de-
sishea to pour out their wealth through all coming
time. long after the forests shall BE- leveled to the
ground. and his mind be impressed with the beau
tiui example OF prospective benevoience on the part
But before these forests converted into coal the
must sink b. meath ths and bs buried bsneath
deposits Of rock thousands of feet thick which must be
Isrus,1y oeea s.ncs me world
began Such the volcano aud the earthquake.
both of which even since man was cail.d into SKIS
ience have spread terror nj on every nan
Look for instance the fall of Antioch. On calm
and quiet iay while she crowded with visitors N"
earth suddenly openei aud momen at thousands had
sunk rise II
Think Of the ,srr bic destruction of -bon in 755
The bright had Il-t dis persed the fog of warm
morning, WHEN the quiet nh .bants aroused from
their security By snb-ran-an thunder aud in SIX short
minutes tn c'ly vas hap OF runs amt D. 10 OF ITS
inhabtants ..rs m nb-r-d with the deaf Hundreds
cfa 81 n?on Inc wharf n hrin'ht tn earth OPEN
II bsnrah them al went down together the gulf qii-
ey closed over the sc-n-, and not man. not SHIP
vesiage Of th- wh .rf TO III. surface
SUI terrible. generally less Destructive
The erupDns nf The voicano Imigin for instance the
4c-ful NH tt ,t.ts Of one the --v plains
u NJ xco enloving quiet far from III. fear OF
F"tcanos Ih- Earth s-gtns to quake--and alarming
sub:rrrtan noise admonshes them OF mighty power
".ilin II, @tr h Th-v become terrified and flee TO
ne >arroun!in mn9lttln-, and on looking back
tn-ir one" iprrjy plla thrown like cone 10 the
h~i-hl of $40 feet. vh,e i-ry streams Of lava how
tro rs top, spre adng destruction with terrhc hhnj.
tni rendering lorever desolate, what once In II
quiet Dom"s.
The Papln4avauy in lava surrounded by fo-ty
villages reposug peace. In l772 In nous cloud
aveiopea stop. at once II b-gan to sink and IN fe"
minutes nothing but oeso!a'e plain marked the spot
- winch It lai stood STU! NOR striking was 'h-
Eruption IN Lunbano. in 1915. Th- exp io-ion W .s
arard nearly 1909 m-s, AL so h-avv was the fall o
,il-s tn ct-tauc- tina, hons-s
rushed ath II. weight: floating cin i" the
-an injured OF n,i-s distant. we're two feet thick
Fn- darn mss At lava. three hundred miles distant
80 .-rp-r uin tn blacklist night and out OF II go
But i W. con tLe our vews TO such fact. as ,h---
s-arc- r-t:an fron o-i'eving, that ih- G-s-
of surh uti1n, bat spread destruction. Bn
show that Tho volcano to the earth that tn
>af-ty-Va'vr j. to the steam -hgins acting as pre-
v-ntatiye rather than destroyer For i, IS the
frn-d OPINION Of most Goo ogi-ts. that tn interior
the OBJ vast OF neii-i nt't-r. h-nes W.
that If th-rr w-r- no means bv which the gr.a
OF gases produced BY internal heat could
csp-. thy would accumulate power enough TO rend tn
glob- into fra ragm-ut-
Con--G 1aut,y ahtl- comparatively fe fall victim
- th- yocauo fiery streams, its v-nt prevents pe,h ,p
tn total exurpttion OF cnntaeot. tn giob
ii,-s!. such Ne behold SON. Of the mighty change
Of .no:ern times ~h {. those Of antiquity b-comIn
every cav aad tn"r- developed, through the me
.t1n of ta- La! Gus Geo ogst.
In accordance With tn i.~s Of action and reaction
uot footprint OF man auirna - marked upon Tn
earths surface. that does not permanently change
causing Qf its countless atoms to retain
exhibit ~ inhndaDfnai, but real change through a
coming time. Nor is this ph-nom-n Of reaction
huei 10 earth alone bu, every tn Al made
th- ar or the ~atrr ss vel as the earth produces
of changes that will continu till mat.Yalism
more. On this subject, Prof. Bsbbage remarks
The ar is vast library whose pages are forev'
written ali tn has ever said woman WhisPe
ed
The true Of the waters 40, wave has swell.
on their slrface, no, keel has Plowej their orI IN
bosom, III al mas Infu renee TO every oe-A
modified every tina, rolls upon the farthsfe
W find that minute SO exact are these change
that h. Go oyst u not only the wovks Of Il
volcano and the earthquake but be plainly distinguish
Of h- sioneys that pelted the dsssats san
Of thou. ages
Yet millions OF have et.iven all their iIves
stamp th-i- leeds ,h- history Of future world
mnortaiiz- their nafn-s, to gain laurels N time
come bo, the aid. wave of oblivion broke ever ,her
and their DEEDS y 1 Their bodies have sunk to earth
rise no more. ". g. l..
HAlSE-The Legislature Of Maine is a, last fl
IL organized. aud parties stand as follows: