The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1855-08-16
Che tDesterlp Gfbc,
Westerly, August l6, 1855.
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Pave aGwSk AIvcrtiser.

pa5- Is the center of the earth mass
Of fire The affirmative of this question
has been rather popular theory with
many of late years, and with the three
points they make out of volcanoes, earth
4uakes and the increasing heat as you
descend into certain mines, they have
got quite a respectable theory, particu-
larly if not examined too closely. These
theorists 50 further and say, that our
globe was once in state Of gas, that it
settled and cooled into solid
crust on the outside, and that in the
process, the center became a molten
mass of fire, which it now remai ips. The
Scientific American takesypp this gas
eous and molten theory, and presents
some arguments against it which are not
easily answered. 1t says: -
off the matter of which our globe
is composed was once in state of gas,
we do not know of any chemical law
whereby it could have become molten
mass All chemical laws are opposed
to such view Of the question. Matter
in gaseous state becomes fluid by CIV
ing out great quantities of heat it con-
tains less heat in fluid than in gaseous
state Steam gives out about one
thousand degrees of heat in becoming
water. If our globe was once in state
oi gas, what has become of the immense
amount of heat which must have been
given out when it became fluid. 1t
could not become hotter than it was in
state of gas excepting by compression,
the same a, air is compressed in con-
dcnser for experimental purposes" -
1t says further, what We believe will
stand the test Of scrutity, that
"Thcre is no positive evidence that
this earth was ever in molten state, or
that its central part is now mass of
ire. If this earth had been once a
molten mass there would be u homo
geneous Stag, composed Of all the known
metals and minerals, but such is not
their composition"
With regard to the assertions, that
the earth grows warmer as we descend
into its bowels, of the truth Of which hot
springs are given as one proof, ant
actual experiment. by descent ips EtcyI
mines, as an other, the editor asserts -
"Thcre is no positive evidence that tn
water in the thermal springs is heate'
by an internal fire in the earth, or tina
mines, from the same cause, becom
warmer as they increase in depth. Tn
practical scientific miners of Cornwall
attribute the temperature Of mines t
the decomposition Of min rails therein
The copper mines are hotter than tn
lead mines, and the former mines be
come cooler as the ore diminishe:
although they may be increasing i
!. depth. The waters of certain mine
once hot, have become cool as the or
diminished aud the shafts descended
Water flowing through mines containin
iron and copper pyrites, must produc
decomposition and generate great heat
this is proof against the internal heat {
the earth being the cause of hot watc
springs and heat in the mines"
! 1t is further asserted, that the ten
, perature Of mines varies according
s g the description of rock passed througl
f Thus, in descending through slate
: 56 fathoms from the surface, the he;
e was 81 degrees Fahrenheit; in grant
c 81 deg. 7 min, a difference OF mo'
. than five degrees.
: eve can easily account for min'
n becoming hotter gradual y as we descel
b by the supcrincumbcnt pressure of Il
t atmosphere and defective circulatio
S just as the atmosphere becomes cold
e the pressure dimiuishcs on asccndll
n high elevations.
q AS the question is now ehssis-5, ehgss-s,
. large share of attention from scienti
and religious men, the American co
cludes, we have presented some obje
G tons to the internal heat theory, whl
We believe cannot be easily answered