The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-08-25

attention 70 North America and seek out NJ plan Of pro.
You have sotea he triangular sbrm Of the continent
and us simple ocean boundary and you should further
America, to possess this simplicity Of boundary and
therefore OF moulding forces it, highest perfection.
The other indicate approximately the relative amounts Of
force from she two directions, the southeast and north
west during the progressive ages Of the history that TO
the eastward the power comparatively moderate,
gently folding the Appaachians and 70 the westward
was strong and mighty TO tho raising OF the rocky
range and opening the great volcanoes OF Oregon We
thus learn with degree Of precision not 10 have been
anticipated the direction and efficiency Of the great organ
Glance now At the American geological history from
this point Of view and consider where the nrst GER
mnsnt spot Of The growing continent, and what was
thence onward e course OF Development under the in
The earliest spot or primal win be that Of the
area extend: rom Northern New York and Canada north
westto tho AIctic Ocean, lying between the line Of
small lakes taave, Winnipeg, &c) and Hudson's Gay.
self free from superncumbent BEDS and therefore,
In the Siluran age, must have been above the ocean
And ever since although subject Ike The rest Of the
then, not far above the ocean 3 level.
This area central to the continent; and what Is Of
ians and the Pacific border, thus proving tina,
the ss force came from ;Ss direction %oon
isins raised. Thus this first land, the germ
or nucleus Of the future continent bears IN itself
evidence with respect 70 he direction and strength OF the
forces at work The force coming from the Atlantic d
rection has left comparatively small traces OF it, action
stretching through Canada 70 labrador The dip and strike
OF the New York Azoc rocks In the direction Of the chan
mol Of the St lawrence and in the Of Lake
Superior, and probably also In the triangular form OF Hud
sons Bay. Against this primal area, a. standpoint
the up ftpg agency operated acting from the two dre
oDa the Atlantic and the Pacific; and the evolution Of
the continent place through the consequent vibra
tic OF the crust and the additions 70 this thereby
resulting; the ocean IN the meantn pursuing It's ap
pointed functions in the plan Of developement by
ing exposed rocks and strewing the shores and sub
merged surface with sand gravel clay else growing
shells, ais and cuDods and thus storing up the mate
of and bury ing the life Of successive epochs
These long secular vibrations movements by the age
rather than day, dipping the surface and raising again
IN many and varying SUGGESTIONS absolutely essen
al to the progress Had the continent been stable there
could have been history recorded OF changing
life and alternating depoeits-a would have been only
blank past These forces, therefore, working mainly
from the southeast and southwest actually organic
ing forces essential to the completion Of the continent to
the production OF its alterations OF hmestones shaee
sand5.ones and conglomeraes, and its sweeping caas
trophies burying the old preparatory for higher forms Of
life. The continent In the Of these movements
beng ~ one time IL may be- just beneath the oceans
surface and having beds OF sand and gravel accommodating
under the action Of the waves then somewhat deeper
or crinodal plantations the growth OF shells nep,
p+rhaps rising from the waves bringing death its
tribes universal desolaton; then, sinking
slowly IN tn, waters again. and varying in its accumula
items sandstones to shaes, pebble beds or lime
stones, u the depth ana renS, and
above the tides although destruction all the beauty OF
the ocs IN was 10 the movement and perchance, lying
in the open AR for 70 receive the miss and raa
ana sunshine and become iuxurant through new crea
tons, with broader prairies than cover the West
Alterations like these were again and again repeated,
geology has shewn.
Through these means the continent which was begun
at the far North region then opca but Afterwards 10
become inhospitable, gradually expanded southwark
area after area as time moved on being added TO the dry
land.
First as the facts show the silurian deposits Of Canada
and the north ado ming the azsc were Zen above toe
and therefore, were not the sea bottom OF later seas
Next the adjacent Devonian added 70 the mainland
far south Southern New York and around by the
west for the New York biologists have shown, the
carbonerous beds which next do not reach Into the
State BY the time OF the Jurassc period the continent
had expanded IN farther 10 the southwark for the
carbonnerous rocks over the land were out Of water,
their beds having already been folded up and elevated in
the Appaachan. The red sandstone Of the Connecticut
Valley and Of the Atlantic States from New York 10 Ala
bama leave little doubt the water line OF that
eap.psed sopS Atlantic; 0H but IN The ME-
siyyi Valley the Mexican Gulf snl extended north
even TO the head waters OF the Missouri Next ~ tho
tertiary opened the continent had yet widely
arged It's bounds, s. and 8 r. add II the waters OF The
Mexican Gull for q white claimed place part
the close Of the period the continent in this direction
nearly reached It's full matury. Those steps Of progress
are indelbiy marked In the position and obvious sea
ceous ana tertiary beds Of the country.
Passing towards toc Pacific, We dnd evidence In the
ArDUuutfOuA
opened the mountains themselves yet unborn. Later
the cretaceous and tertiary periods - the rocks tow
ards the coast testify the continent had extended far 70
the southwest and nearly complete IN that drocton
AS well 10 the south and southeast.
Thus the enlargement went 70 the southwark, each
period making some addition TO the mainland, each
year gives layer Of wood "a the tree Mt that this ad
iuon tree from oscillations causing suomergences,
there continued long 10 occur but the gain, on the
shoie, WAS sain--a progress and the moving ages
made the and per nanenl gain The con-
.inent became more stable
But in The statement that the growth Of the continent
~ss 10 the f. and =. W., wo assert only the most
general truth ting Il The continent has is SPECIAL
features much any being Of organic growth, 40 The
elimination OF these features Is TO be traced 10 The anne
system ~ forces.
The Appalachian range on tho east, the Rocky Noun.
ins and the subordinate chains the west the lower
lands and tabor OF the interior, all 10 systematic rea
ZION, the marked OF these features AMI the
vast river system with the broad Aluval fats AMI tor
raced plains the wide spread dr the denuded heighs
and chanpeed rocks, subordinate pecuLariues Of Inc
face Of the continent
me Appalachian range Of heah,s as J explained year
since, commenced In the siuran age and even be-
fore. The force rom tho southeast in tho earliest part
Of the Pa sgoic era had made tho Appalachian region
generally sbalowor than the Mississippi valley beyond
vast sandhtone and shae deposits Of the region bear
~ paT O sso wS ss
indicate clearer and some hat deeper seas and the
afc Of azoc in northern New York points 70 anterior
fnge in the Of history 30 that, In early
me long before there mountains the future OF tho
ointment lis low centre and biz borders foresbad
owed. We can hardly doubt that me region OF tne
Rocky Mountains the IA condition. 10 the main,
with that OF The Appaisohians. Moreover, these Dor
ders, least the EASTERN for ages anterior 70 The
making Of the mountains subject 70 vastly greater
oscillations than the interior for The sluan and Dcvonan
osioDts that along rom New York 70 Alabama
are Of great thickness beng I've times thick the
associated osits q the " toe
sest limestone bed, moreover, Il OF itself evidence
u comparatively Little oscillation Of level during is pro
gress.
We hence learn that In the evortors OF tho conncn-
germ after the appearance Of the azoc sucles there
sere two prominent lines Of developement along
he Appalachian region the ether along the Rocky noun
ain region-one therefor, beng parallel with either
c.an. Inland beyond eah &C their deveop.ng areas
here great trough ehan1el OF deeper ocean va
tsrs, separating eth ~ fft 4 ule azgic area.
The szcc, has been Indicated, has something ofaV
shape with the Hudsor's Fay between is This
succeeding step Of progress the partial Development Of
argr outside Of and psTalcl 10 the azoc nucleus.
The channels alluded 10 lie betwccn the two VS..
The Mexican Gulf Is all that remains Of the larger OF
hesc channels. liza waters once stretched 20 the Arctic
ea and were In early Tine but the deeper part Of the
Continental ocean. Later, as the ages moved there
was and and line Of fresh water lakes In s course 70
he north and the Gull reached higher than the head
waters 81 the Missouri later AL and "a limits became