Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-02-08

tFrom GaligI.aui's Messenger.l
We have had occasion to peruse a remarka-
bic work just pu 'lishrd, entitled "Courainis ct
Revolutions de PAtmoSphere ct da la Mer, by
Lieut.. julien, distinguished officer in the
French Navy the greater part of the book is
devoted to description Of Lieut.. Maury's
splendid theory of currents and winds, by which
he explains the recurrence of storms and other
meteorological phenomena; but what has chief
ly attracted our attention is a new theory on
the inevitable periodical return of a cataclysm
similar to that known as the Universal Deluge,
subject which the author treats with singu-
lar lucidity and of whiclwe will here endeavor
to give an outline -
The author starts from certain facts, some of
which are generally known, viz. /. That the
iSotlermal lines Zines where the same degree
of warmth is observed ON our globe) of the
highest temperature are equally distributed be-
tween the northern and southern hemspheres
the space they occupy in the former being
about double that winch they occupy south
OF the equator, so that the southern hem-
sphere is considerably colder, especially toward
the pole, than the northern one; 2 That the
accumulation OF ice at the antarctic pole is
much more considerable than at the northern
3. That the earth performs the shortest por-
ton OF Its revolution, viz, that nearest the
perlhellon, more rapidly than the other and at
that period OF the year which comprises the
autumn and winter of the northern hemisphere
Hence 1t follows that the winter of the latter is
shorter Thy about eight days. than that of the
southern hemisphere; and it is during this
long winter, when the earth is furthest from
the sun, that the solar rays must lose III
strength what they gain in duration. To this
cause OF dmlnution of temperature must be
added the loss OF calorle by radiation, and 1t
WIN then be easy TO perceive the reason OF the
dl11erence OF temperature between the two
hemlspheres. Observation, moreover, has
shown that the quantity OF calorlc lost at the
south pole III the course OF year is equal to
the surplus absorbed at the north pole.
NOW let us, win the author, mentally rep
resent to ourselves the earth at the moment OF
Its creation, when lis whole surface was COW
cred with lis geometrlcal centre From that
moment It's revolution around the sun COM
henceu, ana all those causes which have led
10 the Inequality OF temperature between the
TWO newspapers began 10 operate. In the
course OF few centuries the Ice at the south
poe became ID consequence heavier than that
accumulated al tue hofth pole, and the centre
OF gravity was displaced southwards mathe
matlclans, III tact, state the distance between
tne lat!er ana the geometrlcai centre TO be
ABOUT lioo metres. Under these clrcumstan-
ces what could the liquid surface OF the globe
uo pu' no" southwark leaving all the CONT
nehI we are SO iaullllar WIN uncovered! here
M. Juheh observes that all the regions OF the
southern hemisphere bear unmlstakabe marks
OF supmerslon mat America, Africa, and In
oia ehd III ponis, all turned towards the south
Pole tlat the Islands OF the southern regions
nave Tue appearance OF the SUBMITS OF noun
tdih ranges, anu tlat Lieut.. Maury souhdlngs
snow tnat the coasts on that SIDE descend al
fuptly INTO INC sea he iurther STATES the Gu
Tlous lact mat ID gong from the north to the
SCUM pole' at every parallel the rauo OF the
extent OF land TO That OF the sea dimlnlshes reg
uiarly ana progressively