The New York herald., 1868-04-28
paYc1oLoaY OF THE EARTH.
New YORK, Dec. 20, 1851.

th inst for an explanation Of the physical distur
tauces which have for some time been reported In
the columns of the HERALD, / propose to give
answers 10 some OF the questions propouuded. In
doing so however, intend TO confine myself to the
laws that govern the phenomena, because have
not at my disposal sufficient data to enable me to
trace the operation OF the forces to q connection
with the disturbances which are the immediate SUBJ
Jects OF inquiry. II regard the work Of creation
In It's origin 1t does not make any difference II the
epoch be located at point OF time say six thousand
years ago. or at the beginning OF period embracing
ak thousand ages II the former the operation was
quicker II the latter slower; but In either case both
origin and results were equally possible. five remove
the event Of creation TO period never remote,
arriving there stand face to face with the
difficulty that we encounter by placing it at any
point Of subsequent time. In the case in the
other, we must admit the necessity OF intelligence
above and superior to nature, from whence nature
derived Its life law and system. The power, there
fore, being conceded the question narrows itself into
these limits Did the Creator OF nature proceed by the
slow method Of ages the quicker one OF days TO
give those laws matter by which the existing state
Of things was produced espouse the latter alter
native Of the proposition, and for the following
reasons
The evident end Of creation was the propagation
Of an intelligence for some ultimate purpose into
which 1t Is not my province to inquire. Without is
object creation would have been whm, a freak, an
absurdity; and as man is the representation Of
this intelligence for what purpose would the Creator
extend His preparatory works space Of time
compared with which the advent Of man is mere
point in an all but infinite hneY But there is no
power to human understanding visible compe-
tent to organize matter within O period OF time
equal 10 six revolutions OF the earth. To this
answer that removing the time to a remote period
does not In any way lessen the difficulty. The power
that would be required in would also be
required in the other and since traces pro-
auced OF q creation being accompllsheu by degrees
from imperfection TO perfection tho power that
would be competent to organize matter six million
years ago would be competent To organize 1t six
thousand years ago and would be equally competent
to make those days OF creation six consecutive days
instead of dividing them by long spaces Of iIne
But IL may be objected that we have in the devel-
opiaent, sysiem and construction OF rock forna-
tions ample evidence tat IN their order OF success
son they covered those long periods. answer no;
there is no such evidence. Because If wo suppose a
po ton Of the globe, say Africa, to have emerged
from the water while al the other portions
creation ha6 been efected the different orranizatons
would have been adapted TO the wants of the
sucee sve emergencies IN their various states and
formations, ana would exist and nave their being,
perish and be covered up, 10 give place to other
g2nizatons just in the same manner as " each
alton succeeded each other IN point OF time. And
then the organizations would be found TO be lew, but
vigorous and robust, IN the beginning Of their adj
vent, but numerous and GeterlolGted towards their
close; md the more perfeci systems would be found
70 antedate the more Imperfect ones as they and
do in point OF fact.
Here then, is the real question at issue:-Is there
power In nature competent TO account for the vari-
Strata of rock formation within the historic
period2 Water and hear the agents by which all
physical changes are effected On our planet, and
omy OF nature in six distinct sates-viz., ice below
aSdeg, Ice above 10 deg water below 80 deg, water
soSse % % DEG ~ ie OF yapor or steam and IN
below 13 deg. Is a transparent crystalline
rock, and is an electric, having the properly
sequently collecting 1t about it. Water above l3
deg and under 80 deg. is a transparent crystalline
not collect itabout it. Above 80 deg. wa.er ceases
20 be sod but on arriving at 80 deg before liqulfy
100 deg. of heat. From 81 deg to 80 deg. water is
llqnd that Increases in gravity 1t combines with
Rravty. From so deg. TO 2l2 deg. 1t decreases in
gravity as 1t combines with heat; at 2l2 deg. it
Qers latent 1000 deg OF heat. To generate vapor,
however, 1t is not necessary to raise water to 2i2
deg, as at all Temperatures sufficient VIII be gene
rated to saturate the atmosphere above IL TO the
amount of TWO per cent; and whatever be the tenn
rated, the latter viii always contain the fun quantity
OF heat-1 22 deg-2l2 deg free heat and LOCO deg.
Sa d e 9 @ q ngg 5 So @ dgreeas
the supsrlned%oent air Up to, to this point
gree OF heat with which II Is combined, until in its
host powerful STATE no substance in nature resist
Its solvent action In the nth state water is an III
visible, elastic body, combined with an amount of
heat equal to Ii DO deg and called seaIn Under the
pressure Of an atmosphere it win not combine with
more heat ana remain stcam but decomposes into /
tts original clements, the oxygen combining with one
portion Of heat and becoming oxygenous electricity
AID the Hydrogen combining with another portion !
hnJ becoming hydrogen0us electricity And steam Is |
always giving OF electricity IN the same manner that
water gives OF steam lot In the proportion TO the
heat applied, but In pr portion tire condnctng
power and electric saturaon Of the surrounding |
tue with any amount OF heat without vaporiziDg In
the Grs decomposing IN the latter f they
cut OF nom "A conducting medium. In the siXtii !
state water may be said TO lie IA state OF primitive
disunion and therefore not water 1T all. But |
colnponents combine chemically with any other I,
substance while they solve and carry In solution I,
them all; and although the same absolute particles /
may not ever again unite The same definite quaint.
ties VIII combine and reproduce the original body OF
wafer w any OF It's primitive states.
TO understand the economy Of nature as mani
Tested on our planet it s necessary TO understand
e poWe1 e1 AID ad PgropITas 81 water IN IN rs vaous
Gear, harmonious anu consistent; without II every
thing Is misty, confused aai contradictory. 1t Is
change; but water Is the custodian vi heat the great
storehouse IN which tbs vast power Is retained until
MsasuIed Out % meet the requsitions of nature
The progress Of the earth since the epocn Of
tlon may be divided lno three ares--the primitive
teSohdsry ana current IN the primitive age the
mass of the earth vet COOL and the whole sup
ples OF heat were derived iron the sum- the cmpera-
Iuie Vas Uniform Throughout the whole atmosphere |
nom Tue equator to the po es and the operations Of
nature were carried on without any violent con-
Sulson. The earthquake hurricane and volcano |
mere unknown IN the primitive aye. In the prini.
tive age, ~ In AL sue 'eeiing lime, the atmosphere
constituted an enormous electric battery which he
ing enerbHed by the heat despatched its cur.
rents through us iNo great conducting planes the
earth its oxygcnOus or negative ud the upper air ts
Heterogeneous, or positive. IN SO two currents unted
in the remote parts O the globe. and there lb rating
their heat gave throughout "A high and uniform tel.
perature. During this age, with the circulation and
equilibrium uninterrupted and Harmonious, the first
operations OF electricity To arrange the upper
stratum OF matter into layers by cementng the par
fcles together with foreign substances, Iva the same
manner that metal Is transmitted and deposited IN
eleClTOplattnI, when the WdIrrS nnllug their
opposed by hard cemented bed deposited thereon
ayer OF debris 10 be again cemente and converted
into stratum, when q c1ange IN some other pOr-
tiOn OF the crust altered the trend Of the electricity
and the stratum became perneated by current
hNlinn In llL.ll.. col