Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1860-03-02
Danse$of Another Dsluge.
The Northern Hemisphere to be submerged an
a aew trorld to be formed an the Souther
emisPhere-otteT actiie.

Dange%o of Another Delugs.
The Northern Hemisphere to be submerged, and
aew 1corld to be formed an the Southern
Hemisphere-ofter aOhiie.
From Galigani's Messenger, Dec. 25.
We have had occasion to peruse remarka-
BILE work, just published, by distinguished
officer in the French navy. The greater part
of the book is devoted to general 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 chiefly attracted eur attention is
d new theory on the inevitable periodical re-
turn of a cataclysm similar to that known un
der the name of the Universal Deluge, a sub
iect which the author treats with singular lu-
cdity, and of which we will here endeavor to
give an outline:
The author starts from certain facts, some
of which are generally known, viz: l. That
the isothermal lines Zines where the same de-
gree of warmth is observed Oil our glObe) of
the highest temperature are equally distribu
ted between Northern and Southern hemis-
pheres, the space they occupy South of the
equator, so that the Southern hemisphere is
considerably colder especially towards the
pole than the Northern one 2. That the
cumulation of ice at the Antanctie pole is
much more considerable thar at the Northern.
3. That the earth performs the shortest por-
ton cf its revolution, viz that nearest to the
perihelion, much more rapidly than the other,
and at that period of the year which compri-
ses the autumn aud winter of the Northern
| hemisphere. Hence it follows that the winter
of the latter is shorter (by about eight days.
| than that of the Southern hemisphere aud it
is during this long winter, when the earth is
| furthest from the sun, that the solar rays must
lose in strength what they gain in duration.-
To this cause Of diminution of temperature
must be added the loss of ca!oric by radiation,
it will then be easy to perceive the reason of
the difference of temperature between the two
! hemispheres. Observation, moreover, has
shown that the quantity of caloric lost at the
South pole in the course of year, is equal to
the surplus absorbed at the North pole. Now
let us, with the author, mentally represent to
ourselves the earth at the moment Of its crea-
ton, when its whole surface was covered with
water, and its centre of gravity conceded with
| its geometrical centre. From that moment
! its revolution round the sun commenced, and
/ all those causes which have led to an ineoluali-
! ty of temperature between the ito hemis-
pheres began to operate. In the course of a
| few centuries the ice at the South pole became
in consequence heavier than that accumulated
at the North pole, and the centre of gravity
was displaced southwards mathematiciaffs, in
fact. state the distance between the latter anc
the geometrcal centre to be about l 200 me-
tres Under the circumstances, what could
| the liquid surface Of the globe do but flow
3outhward, leaving all the continent we are SO
familiar with uncovered. Here NJ. Julien OBJ
serves that all the regions of the Southern
hemisphere bear unmistakeable marks of sub
mersion; that America, Africa and India end
in points, all turned towards the South pole 4;
that the islands of the Southern regions have
the appearance OF the submits of mountain
ranges and Lieut. Maury's soundmgs show
that the coast on that side all descended alb
SUPPLY into the sea. He further states the Gu
rious fact that going from the North to the
South pole at every parallel the ratio of the
extent of land to that of sea diminishes regu-
Iarly and progressively.
Let us now take into consideration the phe-
nomenon called the procession Of the equinox
es, in virtue of which the first point of Aries
recedes upon the ecliptic by about SO seconds
in year.
This gradually causes complete change in
the seasons; and counting from any given
time, there must elapse at least 10000 years
before the seasons can return at precisely the
same period of the year. 1t is ascertained
that up to the year 246 of the Christian era,
a year in which the first day of winter precise
= ly conceded with the earth's passage through
its pcrihelion, the temperature of the southern
Hemisphere had been in constant course of dt
intuition. 1t is moreover clear that after the
$ lapse of lo,5oo years before the year A24S, or
: II 900 years before our present time, it wa'
: the north pole, and not its opposite one, which
was in maximum of refrigeration; our presen
continents were then submerged, according tC
the Mosaic tradition of the Deluge, and there
, were continents unknown to us in the southern
hemisphere. And, again, by the same astro
nomicaI and natural laws, 10,500 years atte
= the cataclyism, new one will occur, which
+ will again submerge the northern hemisphere
and allow a new world to emerge from th
, ocean in the southern one.