American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1856-09-06
rs THE CENTRE OF THE EARTIj
A MASS OF FIRE?

our globe were once III red hot, mol
ten state, and that the interior Of the
earth is now fluid mass of fiery raat-
ter. 1t is hypothesis which is taught
IN our colleges, and found to prevail
among those who have been termed
"the learned in the speculative scienc-
es. Those who teach this hypothe-
Sis, have calculated the globes crust to
90 only about sixty miles in thickness.
In describing the primitive condition
OF the earth, they assert, that at one
time all its matter existed in state of
gas then, there came physical and
chemical action (loose cxpressions) in
the nebuious mass, producing light and
neat, causing q general contlagration,
which resulted IN the formation Of the
mineral lI4I' mass that compasses our globe
lt IS goneraiIy admitted says the
hcV: 1ohn ". Means, IN the Bi6tiotte-
@! 'o"c,a, Tor Aprii last, by geolo-
siS'S, ,hat inc result OF these chemi,
eai combinations producing combus-
li1n' was q mSitea .lhcandescent body,
wfich, Dy radiation, became solid in
VIC exterior c only thus a solid crust
was ioflnou covering q burning fluid
:nass: Inc proofs adduced Tor this
interior e.I nre are V2Icanoes, hot springs,
ana an inc increase OF heat in deep mines.
ihosc VINO teaoh TINS hypothesis, also
assert that the sun, on account OF its
immense siZc, has, not yet cooled down
70 'ne oonultion OF our globe, but it is
passing slowly INTO that condition !;
hehce Pcfloo must arriye--if true
"ieh inc sun VIII cease to give light,
al anu Nheh IL VIII become a dark body
strange as 1t may appear, however,
the heV. d. y. Means, who believes in
lii,s theoFy so heartily, contutcs him
sell IN stating what he believes is the
cause OF the solar light, by attributing
1t to an atmosphere of burning gas,
inc sun itselt beng a dark central be.
~. IL DC tIuc thot the sun has an
"'mJSPncr9 0! burning luminous gas,
anu MS Dooy IS a dark ,o0Ject, no stron-
ger argument could DC presented a
s s"'liS' NC sun sun ever pcih9 q molten tery
i''"Ss' IS !, ,.,..l....
oo.,,, -, I', sne ''a.'cr @ Oh Which our globe IS
composed was once IN a state OF gas,
We uo NO. hhow OF any chemical law
Wherepy 1t could have become molten
u.l o. n'aoS. ~. clieit,ical al ,i laws are
i " Ppooeu ~ suoil = view OF cue question,
IAI.oi ~ I H,a gaseods 1eaeez zeaeoiaes Hal
hag ~ ~ NInS ou' great quantities OF
snl;J .,sa II eo','",i'S iess iicae IN nnid OF
% @.;roa e,t sm.'n !" sasseouS @ @state; steam
% hoo oe' "0H"1 H.o!, one l''ouSaho degrees
81 oioho re"o a., ~ ,,.s' oe'onllhg wafer. II our
Fac o boonn' was o,,Fo e III sta1e oi gas, What
l""t ' "sg;nI ,,I;y " 'aG iill'Giso amount OF
WIZ, :. ~ Gn,o ,~.'S' di"'1 'Jeh gwen OUT
Eonnr,d ~ hopt" opt",nG n ilu;,'' 10 cou!d not
a'osEV' '''nii IL was IN q state OF
o. g., ~ o"oop'tne oy colnPreSsion' the
S"r f., "n ooi', pIesseu IN u c0hdeh-
''' ~, WI 0Np'''''0"'a' purposes
mere ,, IS, no positive evidence that
this =, earth was eyer IN a molten state,
or. Una sha' lt5 g, central part IS now mass
Iol nre. Inc granatlc rocks do not
oAliioiG aI Vne MARKS OF ire: II this
earfh had been once molten mass,
Iney wouia DC homogeneous mass,
uon'poIco pose OF al the known metals and
minerals D"t such Is not their compo-
'''iUh. iE, r., ~. -. ..,
mere is also no posltlyo evidence
I lilat the water IN thermal springs is
noateu .S py an internal tlrc in the earth,
Ia =. oI.l" .nN' iI'lheS' IRON the same cause,
9eoolno 9ol WA warmer as they increase III
oe oePSn. G .. lne practical scientific miners
of oe worn~aii ';pa attribute the temperature
W. oa,p ".',es ., 70 inc ,n decomposition OF nine
/ ,"i9 ohcIelh' Ihe copper mines are