Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1867-01-10
IL THE cENTRE OF THE EARTH
SOLID OR IN FUSION.

OF their oulk IN water. some nave az
tempted to explain this on the principle
of magnetism, supposing the centre to
be most intensely magnetic, and hence
attracting all things to itself with double
power. But others regard it as a proof
that our earth is solid, not fluid at the
centre, and composed there chiefly of
the denser metals.
DR.. J. Sterry Hunt, F. R. s., Of Can
ada, has lately been presenting this
view in n of physiological lectures
a view which, though contrary to the
opinion entertained by Humboldt,
Agassiz, and most scientific men until
quite recently, is entertained by Sir
Charles Lyell and others. That
earth commenced to revolve while in a
fluid state is held to be certain from its
very shape; but it had been generally
taken for granted, rather than proved,
that co~ngelation would commence at the
surface. No doubt this is the case with
water in cooling into ice, but this is ow-
ing to a well known and exceptional law,
by which, instead Of contracting in be-
coming solid, it commences rather to
expand at about seven degrees above
the freezing point, and continues to do
so until it becomes ice. But most bod
les become more heavy as they cool,
and hence, except where they give off
their heat with great rapidity, would
seem to have a tendency to solidify at
the bottom first; and the opinion is now
being entertained that this must be the
| Ease with our earth.
In favor of a liquid centre it has been
urged that as we descend into mines
and caves we find the temperature in
creasing at a regular and perfectly cal
| culable ratio, and which continuing, all
known substances would naturally be
in a state of fusion at the depth Of say
from eighteen to twenty-five miles. And
this must probably be the case prac-
tically but for the the effects Of pressure,
which is we'll known to be favorable to
qualification. Where any body ex-
pands in fusion, this last effect is al
ways at least retarded by pressure. We
know that the temperature at which wa
ter and spirit boils and becomes vapor
depends upon the quantity Of atmos-
pheric or other pressure, and it is only
under the usual amount Of this, or
about fifteen pounds to the square inch,
tina. water boils at 2l2 degrees.
A distinguished mathematician in
England, of the name of Hopkins, by a
series of mathematical calculations
based on the procession Of the equi-
no1es, has announced the conclusion
that the earth, if not solid throughout,
must at least be so to the depth of eight
hundred miles; while another series of
calculations, based upon the effect OF
the moon on the tidal system Of our
globe, has been made to prove that the
crust of the earth, if only a crust, is at
least two thousand Eve hundred miles
thick, and when that is once admitted,
it becomes quite as easy to suppose 1t
solid the rest Of the distance TO the GEN.
ter. About the same conclusion has
been reached by Archdeacon Pratt, at
Calcutta, from the height and vastness
Of the Himslaya mountains, the weight
of which would crush in any mere crust,
such as has ordinarily been assigned Of
late years to our earth.
These considerations all tend to show
how little we really know at present of
the interior of our globe. The substan-
tial similarity of the matter Of it with
that of the sun, and Of even the furthest
fixed star, has been demonstrated, or as
nearly so as the case admits, so that the
formation of our stellar universe from
nebulous mist is every way confirmed /;
but the various effects Of high degrees
of temperature in dissociating substan-
ces found in combination at lower de-
grees, renders US unable to tell precise
ly what metals would be separated and
precipitated first, so as to form the base
of a globe like ours. Nearly all the
metals that we know seem to have been
deposited more or less as oxides. But
at present we seem to stand only at the
entrance Of what may and will be known
on all these subjects. That there must
be at least vast s~ubterranean currents
of liquid matter, molted with fervent
heat, if the whole centreis not in a state
Of fusion, seems certain, from the vast
extent of many Of the phenomena con-
nected with earthquakes. and volcanic
eruptions. But what is truth, and what
mere conjecture, in matters deep be-
meath the inspected crust Of the globe,
who shall now tell?