The Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1861-1862, 1861-11-09

Creation of the world.

The globe, in the first state in which the
Imagination can venture to consider it, ap-
pears to have been a fluid mass, with an i'm
mense atmosphere revolving in space around
the sun. '-''''
By its cooling, a portion Of its atmosphere
was probably condensed into water which
occupied part of its surface. In this state
no form, Of life, such as now belongs to our
system, could have inhabited it.
- The crystalline rocks-or, as they are called
by geologists the primary rocks-which con-
tain no yestiges of a former order of things,
were the result Of the first consolidation on
its surface. Upon its further cooling, the
water, which, more or less, had covered it,
contracted decomposition took place; she'll
fish and coral insects were created and began
their labors Islands appeared in the midst Of
the ocean, raised from the deep by the pro-
ductive energies of millions of zoophytes,
These islands became covered with vegeta-
bles fitted to bear high temperature, such as
palms and various species of plants, similar
to those which now exist in the hottest parts
of the world.
The submarine rocks of these new forma-
tons Of land became covered with aquatic
vegetables, on which species of shell-fsh
found their nourishment. AS the tempera-
ture Of the globe became lower, species of the
oviparous reptiles appear to have been created
to inhabit it and the turtle, crocodile and
various gigantic animals, Of the saurain Qiz-
zardI kind seem to have haunted the bays and
waters of the primitive land.
But, in this state of things, there appears
to have been no order Of events similar to the
present. Immense volcanic explosions seem
to have taken place, accompanied by eleva-
glove, producing mountains, and causing new
and extensive decompositions from the primi-
tive ocean. lp 3N'ai "i1Ii .'!l 3' o.' s'5N tE
a The remains of living beings, plants, fishes,
birds, and oviparous reptiles are found in the
strata of rocks which are the monuments and
evidences of these changes. When these
revolutions became less frequent, and the
globe became still more evolved, and inequali-
ties of temperature were established by means
of the mountain chains, more perfect animals
became its inhabitants, such as the mammoth,
megulomise, megatherium, and gigantic hy-
ena, many of which have become extinct,
Five successive races of plants and four
successive races of animals appear to have
been created and swept away by the physical
revolutions of the globe, before the system Of
things became SO permanent as to fit the world
for man.. In none of these formations, wheth-
er called secondary, tertiary, or deluvial, have
the fossil remains of man, or any of his works
been discovered. @. a. & 1
At last man was created, and since that pc
Rod there has been little alteration in the
physical circumstances of the globe.
In all these various formations, the corpo-
lftes (or the dung Of the saurain reptiles in a
fossil, state, exhibit scales of fishes and other
traces. Of the prey which they had devoured)
from records Of warfare waged by successive
generations Of inhabitants of our planet on
one another; and the general law of p ,ture,
which bids all to eat and be eaten their
turn, is shown to have been co-extensive up
on, our globe---the carniyora, in each period Of
the worlds history, fulfilling this destined Of
flee, to check excess in the progress Of life,
and maintain the balance Of creation.