The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-01-17
Climatic Change. on the Earth.


From DeBow's Revfewl
II Is now pretty well established that the earth
has two more motions than its diurnal and annual.
First, there is the diurnal motion ia which the
globe turns on its axis every twenty-fOur hours,
causing day and night. Second, there is its revo-
luton round the sun, which takes 365 days,
hours, 4S minutes, 57-7 seconds to accomplish.
Third the motion of the whole solar system in
space that is, the EARTH with all the planets aud
stars, moving round what is supposed to be cen
trail sun. Fourth motion in which, through a
long period of years, the poles of the earth are
changed, the equatorial region in time becoming
the polar region, and uice Uersd.
Through the influence of this motion we Of the
temperate zone are gradually approaching the
equator indeed IL can be shown, from history,
taking given zone, that it has become warmer
as time advances. Many trees and plants-the
vine and olive for instance flourish in places
were two thousand years ago they did not grow.
The change is SO gradual and so slow that the
longest-lived being cannot perceive it /; but that
the climatic change takes place is very evident,
nevertheless. Another evidence is adduced in
the popularity Of the animals, the remains of
which have been found in the polar regions which
only could have existed when that region had a
much more equatorial bearing than it has at
present The proof that tropical plants grew
there is also undisputed. The bearing of ancient
Christian churches, which were invariably built
facing east and west, but which now differ ma
terially from those points, is said to be another
proof of this terrestrial change.
The phenomenon called the procession of the
equlnoxes, IN virtue OF winch the hrst point OF
Aries recedes upon the ecliptc of about fifty
seconds in year, gradually causing complete
charge in the seasons and, counting from aay
given time, there must elapse at least 81 900
years before the seasons can return to precisely
the same periods of the year. Ii has been ascer-
tanned, so it is asserted, that up to the year 1913
of the Christian era, year in which the first day
OF winter precisely conceded with the earth's
passage through its perhelion. the temperature of
the southern hemisphere had been in constant
diIninutiOn il ma
plain according TO the calculation, that after the
lapse Of 10 500 years the seasons on our globe
will be exactly reversed.
therefore about 10, 500 years before the year
l248, or ii 900 years before the present time, il
was the north pole and not its opposite one which
was in its maximum Of refrigeration; our present
continents were then submerged, according to the
Mosaic account of the deluge-not, however,
chronologically considered, if we interpret the
Bible too literally, as many who interpret il for
themselves often do-there we're continents un-
known to us in the southern hemisphere" Aud
again, by the same astronomical and natural laws,
10 500 years after the last cataclysm, a new one
will occur which will again submerge the northern
hemisphere and allow q new world to emerge from
the southern ocean.
1t is with this motion of the earth we have to
deal when treating on the deluvan phenomena.
After having contracted for a large quantity of
iron plating for coast batteries. OF the pattern
known as the " Gibraltar shield,n and having
snlppeu supphes OF tnis Plaung 10 Malta, ulDral-
tar and Bermuda. the English ordnance authorities
were compelled, by the camor of the press, to
give the shield" practical trial. The resu
was eminenty satisfactory. The shield was com.
posed of three layers Of iron, Of an aggregate
thickness of twelve inches. One shell from a
nine-inch gun went entirely through the target on
the trial, and three other prOjectiles from
that gun, ard one from the American Rod
man, reduced the shield to q miserable condition
of wreck. The plates were Clipped and split,
the girders smashed TO pieces, and the backing
fssured. Showers of spnters, nuts, portions Of
projectiles and bits of plates were sent whirling
to the rear, and, as was generally observed, it
would have been far better for gun detachment
TO serve its guns outside such I" defense" than
within it.