Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-12-26
RUTLAND HERALD.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1857.
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nomeua are Only equaled by the same 81
ensens nneongealed. Many OF tbs "a
rnuhuous descriptions that have occurred
since sha reflected light OF this globe;wss
hailed among the other planetary oroe,
have had their origin In the mighty
force OF water. Evidences OF Its awful
power are seen In the tearing away OF
the massive mountain range, In the
seoopipg out OF deep valleys where the
Arm hills once Allied the void, and In
the vast countries, now Inhabited by
swarming millions, formed by Its &C
tion 10 the rivers delta, where mountains
nom the far interior have been evenly
spread upon the shore, crowding the laad
far out into the depths OF the ocean bed,
and undermining, in other places, I'LL
continents are worn away and whoe is'
lands are buried beneath the element that
cannot be stayed in its ravases, except
by the Infinite power that ordained its
sgency. There are also mighty rivers
that course their way unseen, In the
dark bosom OF the earth, tearing
away and scooplng out by the force OF
their current almost limitless subterra-
mean caverDs, thus causing extensive
and-slides, and tremendous convulsive
earthquakes, that rock this globe In Vi
bratory motion like the shudder OF ex-
piring nature. The tidal motion o. the
ceaselsss sea, and the countless currents
and storm.driven waves that beat upon
the shore, alter and remodel the rocky
continent, submerge and destroy the fer
tile islsnd, altering In 8 wonderous man
ner the whole contour of the globe.
Countless ages have witnessed the
strange effect OF aqueous phenomena, in
the subsistence of one part of the earth's
surface and the corresponding elevation
OF another. Its uninterrupted action
still continues, and will continue, while
earth and water as antagonistic elements
can mingle and come In contact. And
huge crevices will be worn in the earths
rocky ribs and holes bored 10 vast
depths In the solid strata, hills worn to
valleys, and LOFTY pinacles toppled to
10 their base.
Marble formations, like the other
rocks, have been subjected to the action
of all the tremendous agents OF nature,
aud like the other rocks, portions have
been moved from their original position
in many places. 1t has been curved,
and twisted, and cracked, brought TO
light and buried and sometimes pushed
along for many miles by the slow, bat
resistless glacial motion. The question
less fact that the valleys and many wide
extended plains, and even some noun
tains, in places scattered to great ex-
tent over the surface OF the earth, have
once been, and for long period, GOV.
cred by 10Y glaciers, thousands Of feet
In thick ness, which bodies of solid ice,
In all parts Of the world, maintained
continuous motion, is hard to be un-
derstood and. believed, except by earnest
pkilosophic investigation. The ndis.
putsble evidences OF glacial action are
discoverable In most parts OF the habit
able globe, and are plainly seen In the
rending and removal Of rocky promoa.
tories, extending into valleys, by the
deep and continuous gashes ploughed, by
its motion, in their solid sides and bot
tom, and by multitudiuous Lateral and
terminal moralnes, now seen to exist In
most countries that have been ex-
plored. Many mountain chains are ter
animal moraines, and once marked
the limit, in that direction, Of an
almost boupdless aeld of solid ice,
within the body Of which, and
also upon its surface, was slowly borne
along the huge masses OF earth aud rock
that now form the mountains bulk, and
were dropped at the glaciers edge as the
termini was reached, TO lie imbeded with
the masses pushed along its bottom. The
limestone and marble were equally sub"
iect TO glacial action ss the other rocks,
and where elevated sufficiently to feel it's
force, were moved as the Others moved,
consequently many bodies Of marble
which now seem 10 the observer to lie
ia their original position, may have been
moved to considerable distance from
The place OF their savly deposition, by
glacial force. Such bodies of marble as
have been 80 removed, will present, upon
interior investigation a mingled and
confused mass OF unsoupd material,
while the deep underlying mass, in its
original position, will be found, IL STRAIT
lied, In continuous layers, except on
sharp curves and 1exures, cracks have
opened in line with the curvature, ad-
hitting ths bend 10 occur without
further fracture of the layer. There are
some other causes that account for uu-
soundness in deep deposits OF marble,
among which may be mentioned the &C
sion of water trickiiug through the crew
ices, the sudden lifting at the time Of