Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1856-05-03
Physical Geography The History Of
the Earth.

Physical Geography is new science It's
! rapid developement during the last thirty wears
! has resulted chiefly from the untiring labors
of the great Alexander Won Humboldt. 1t lis
| intimately connected with, and indeed, strictly
speaking, is . branch of geology. Giving to
the latter science its true definition, geology
is a description and physical history of the
! globe-of the entire earth, including the his
tory of the animal and vegetable races of the
races that have once lived, but which have
! long since passed away, as well as of those
that now have being.
But employed in q more restricted and
practical sense, geology refers especially to the
/ interior of the earth, TO the description and
formation of those vast beds Of granite. sand
stone, slate, aud limestone that make I'D what
is termed the crust of the earth and also to
I the inuumerable fossil remains of animals and
plants which were entOmbed among them
/ while physical geography is usually under
stood to embrace the study of the earths ex-
terror, Of the surface the study of the land, the
sea the atmosphere, and of the animals and
plants which they support.
But how differs physical geography from
/ common geography" some of our young
readers may inquire. There is quite a wide
! difference between the two. Common, or, Us
il may be more properly termed statistical or
political geography, relates chiefly to man and
his works, to the arbitrary division of the earth
into states and empires, and treats of the land,
the sea, and the air only so far as they refer
70 mans interests whereas physical geogra-
ply treats only of the natural divisions of the
earth and man is there regarded ouly as
fellow-nhabitant Of the globe, in common with
other animals.
Scientific men are led to believe, from vari-
ous geological and astronomical observations,
that the planet on which We live was once in
l melted state-that it was in fact huge red
/ hot ball eight thousand miles in diameter
( While in this melted or fused condition. it is
evident that no water could exist upon its sur
F. face, for it would then instantly be converted
into Stesm and consequently the immense
I volume of The ocean must then have existed
in the state Of yapor dispensed through the
air
/ The condition and appearance of our atmos-
phere in those early times must have been sim
guIar indeed. Ii hung over and shut il the
! earth, ike q great white shruud. But gradu-
alv and very slowly the surface became cool
ed and hardened, and crust Of granite or Of
lava was formed, its thickness constantly in
{ creaSing. Finally, after the lapse of great
periods of time, hen the cooling had sufficient
/ IL advanced, the waterv vapor floating through
. the air became gradually condensed into the
liquid form, till at last the entire su-.sce Of the
! globe was covered By one continuous heated
ocean in which for long time, probably. 10
DRY land, nor even q rocky iSlet, was 10 be
found.
/ As the surface became hardened. it became
also cracked and broken. ami covered with
rugged elevations OF rock. upon which tue cur
rents Of the new-formed ocean acted with
great power. breaking them down. and grind
. iuc and wearing them into pebbles sand aud
+ sol. +: this sand and soil being deposited over
F the earth in great beds or strata, which finally
. bv the action Of great heat aud other causes.
+ were converted into beds of Sold rock, these
! in their ,ura being broken. ground. and worn
down bv the sea, for the formation Of other
strata. the sane process being repeated nsany
times. and indeed being still continued in our
dav by the same ed ocean.
How long the heated sea entirely covered
. the globe We can never know bat eventually
( roIkv islands and small patches Of dry land
! enc after another. emerged from the tepid wa
! te-S and new-be-u frmaReHtS7 were lifted
/ IN 10 gree: the sun. This grand event was
{ Ell -ccel Gv the agency of the eaTlh's Internal
eiCyatiu- fegceS the nature anI operation o
I which are IS yet not fully understood, baI
I which. daring probably the entire history Of
cur planet, have been aai are acting with
constant and tremendous power This same
+ power produces not only the gradual elevation
I 0: the land and mountain chajuS, bu! probably
EXPLAINS the existence Of volcanoes and the
I cause OF earthquakes,
0ne OF the graadeS. and most Interesting
truths Of geology Is that o. the great antiquity
+ Of the globe, Il most completely proves that
. the age Of the earth must not be Eec&oled by
. thousands but by millions, aG3 L NAV be BIZ
+ lions. OF years, DIrsEZ these immense periods
of time, lis coalition aud appearance were
c0a;jGsally changing What VAS dry laai ~
I the beginning q one period Of epoch. might
I 81 the end o. that ep0Sa o. lC some Succeeding
( one, be the bottom Ot 3 deep ocean, and again,
I in some subsequent psrsOd, &c upragSed ADORE
/ the waters Tie very loealty on which The
i reader Is BOW Evia- has n ali probability been
i uanv times covered by the waters Of the sea
( Bas during az the~e mighty changes. tie
amount Of arv land has been Slowly bu; Ger
. taiaIv Increasing, and beeoning gradually
( more ard more fitted for the habitatioa Of
I nan. the last created Of ST beings thar have
! Tired upoa the earth. The dry l2Hd at the
l present t;Ene coye-s sbo1. one quarter of the
globe.
! The cooling OF the earth has &dTancei with
( extreme slowReSs-so slowly, indeed, th2t 81
this tine the thickness Of the crust amounts
{ nraIahEy 10 not EoCe thaa thirty miles. while
al below i vet In = melted state. Daring :
loa-. lo1s period tacEc Vas no living ihias HEOu
che earth. ba: in the faIReSS o. time. When
the ssa ani land hsd become Sufficiently ccol
/ 10 sustain animal Efe, The Creator placed in
+ the world few small shelA6sa. together With
$ few speciss q PoiyPs aGi Sea-piG1ts, bslsling
them Be fruitful and ual;iplY.7 IL w2s the
h.s-in.,ine- c.f rs-reSt-ial IL. aEi ore Of ne