The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-03-01
Major Van Worries, Lecture.

| AOlOurUeU iii l-ZF. M.
t,r4 --r
Major Van vorhes' Lecture.
The Lecture of this gentleman on Friday
evening last, was an exceedingly able and
learned vindication ofsthe theory that the
centre of our earth is a mass of fire. His
subject was entitled "The Physical Reyolu-
tions of the Earth )" but the discourse was
not confined strictly to the proving of the
favorite theory of the lecturer. He took oc-
casion, very properly we think, to explode
with volcanic force, most ridiculous theory
in regard to the causelof the Noahian Del
uge, which was reyamped and gravely pre-
sented in one of the lectures of this course
some weeks ago. Tha lecturer of Friday
evening last remarked that the theory allu-
ded to was something nike this: '-'..'-.
"The Earth was suddenly arrested in her
diurnal revolution; that the waters prevailed
exceedingly-that is: refusing to stop, rush
ed on furiously up the mountain sides, and
prevailed exceedingly going down the
other side, were at length enabled to COM
plete the circuit of the Globe, and SO made
Umioersal Flood. Tradition says that the
author of this theory died (before he had an
opportunity of testing the practicability of
his theory by actual experiment) from apo
plexy, occasioned by determination of blood
to the brain. induced by extraordinary men
tai exertion. This theory has lately been
galvanized and brought to life after long
and quiet sleep. and u may not be ont Of
| place to notice it.
eff the revolution of the Globe on it's axis
#ere suspended, the centrifugal force must
necessarily be suspended also, and the form
of the Earth change from an oblate spheroid
to perfect sphere.
s'This dare not be denied If, when the
Earth's motion is suspended and the water
from its previously acquired momentum is to
flow on-and this will not be denied Git is
the gist of the question-thc major PROPOSE
ton in this sublime theory;) the result can
with tolerable certainty be determined by
the common rules of Arithmetic.
'The velocity of the whole body of the
Ocean under the Equator would be 1.048
miles per hour; and in the latitude of Mount
Ararat, 82O miles per hour, or IA miles per
minute, or about q miles at every beat of
the pulse; % times greater than the velocity
attained on our best Railroads; more than !
greater than the velocity of a ball leaving
the cannon's mouth. An the result:-Be-
tween the Arctic and Antarctic circles, every
hill, every mountain torn from its base; every
rock, every metal and every mineral broken
into fragments ground into impalpable pow
der. No sturdy oak or yielding twig, no
unfretted olive-leaf for the Carrier Dove to
bear home as an earnest of subsiding wrath;
no Ararat, no Etna nor Alpine Peak is left
on which to land this precious frieght-Na-
ture's last forlorn hope; but on-on she
dashes, tween falling hills and crushing
rocks, and boiling waves, and " ten-fold
darkness,"- ,"-and froth and dingy foam, that
commingle with the clouds-she dashes on !!
"When will she land?
sT answer; the laws of gravity and law of
compound forces will determine the latitude
and longitude of her landing. Bear in mind
that if the centrifugal force of the Earth be
suspended, her form must change from an
oblate spheroid to perfect sphere, and her
equatorial and polar diameters made equal;
and to accomplish this, matter to the depth
of four miles at the Equator, must somehow
be transported to the poles; for it can be de-
monstrated that that must be her condition
when in a state of rest. The centrigugal
force being suspended, the direction of the
current would be the resultant of two oppo-
sing forces, viz: Gravitation, acting in lines
parallel with the Earth's axis, and the mo-
mentum of the waters, acting in lines par
allel with the Earth's Equator. But, as the
momentum would constantly be decreasing,
and the force of gravitation increasing, the
resultant force would in the same ratio be
DETECTED from the Equator and approach a
parallelism with the Earth's axis. The above
positions are incontrovertible; are founded
on the known laws of Nature; and conse-
quently the Ark could never have rested on
Mount Ararat or the ancient site of that
mountain,-but on with the velocity the
newly galvanized theory pre-supposes, was
urged forward in constantly progressive de-
hections from the Equator, would, in 25, OF
at most, 80 days, have reached the Polar
Circle, and would finally come to rest at
the North Pole.
"But have not yet done with this theory.
If the diurnal revolution of the Earth was
suspended, when was it again put in motion2
Whether at the end of 40 days or the five
months, it is certain that second food
must have occurred; for so soon as the mo-
ton had reached its maximum velocity, the
centrifugal force must bring from the poles
sufficient material to elevate the Equator 4
miles; not,,. indeed, with the fury it had
left the Equator, but with the same certain
Ity. Thus, instead Of proving the certainty
Of one Universal Delnge,' this errant gal
/ vanizer has bx inevitable consenuence nrso-