The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-06

the sea Will accordingly be ~, ,OOOOUO ol lOuS
pounds. As the mind cannot properly cohPre-
bend the magnitude of this force, let us reduce
IL to q standard with which we nave Decollo
familiarized A horsepower is 33,OOO pounds
raised one foot high in minute or ooV pouuus
raised one foot high per second. DlVlulnS IhV
before-stated total energy by this standard OF
$50, the important fact will be established tnaC
to make good the loss of ots ot0d when inc
earth suffers demands constant expenditure Vi
30 1873 600 horsepower. -,
good this stupendous drag on the eartll rotl, rot,
ton? The waters precpltated on the NllsSlssipPl
basin come chiefly from the Guli OF heAicot
raised from its surface by the radiant neat Oh
the sun. The gulf being situated SCUM oil the
outlet of the river, the aqueous particles possess
at the commencement of the ascent SreaIeI
circumferental velocity than the basin, auu
hence tend to impart motion to the atmosphere
during their northerly course. On purely dy-
mamie considerations, that motion and the mo
tion OF the aqueous particles ought 10 restoIe W
the earth the loss of UiS UtUd sustained PROVIDED
solar influence be not present. But solar lnllu-
ence is present; the atmospheric currents 90 not
move altogether in accordance with static laws,
but are controlled and perturbed by the neat OF
the sun, an outside force competent TO disturb
and destroy terrestrial equilibrium. Hence, we
find that in place of an easterly motion OF the
atmosphere tending to restore, by its friction
against the surface of the basin, the
loss under consideration, the sun Is ire
quently eXpending n vast amount OF me-
chanical energy productive OF currents
which, by friction in contrary direction,
augments the loss 1t would be futile to at
tempt demonstration to pro0e that, owing to
solar influence, the friction and other resistance
called forth by currents of air and vapor, is in
adequate to restore the loss of UiS 0iUd sus-
tanned by the earth in consequence of the in
crease of rotary velocity which it must impart
to the waters Of rivers running towards the
equator. Nor would it be less futile to attempt
demonstration showing that the friction and
resistance produced by such currents passing
over the Mississippi basin from west to east, is
sufficient to restore the expended force OF
35OOOOO0 horse power eXerted in an opposite
direction. Those who imagine that Laplace's
theory of compensation relative to atmospheric
eurrentss is applicable in this case, and who con-
sequently will contend that the great disturb
ance which our figures have incontestably esta-
blished corrects itself by the means discussed
VIII do well to reflect on the precarious nature,
the obvious uncertainty of the forces relied upon
to restore the lost UiS UjUG.
RIVERS FLOWING TO POLAR SEAS.
Some allusion to the rivers which carry sedi-
mentary matter toward the poles is called for
before dismssng the subject. Let us consider
the River Lena, for instance, which, takes its
rise in the YablOnoi Mountains, in the eastern
hemisphere, latitude So deg, and empties its
waters in the Arctic Oceans, latitude 70 deg. 25
sec. Calculation shows that the effect of such %
great difference of latitude will be that q pound
of matter transferred from the source to the out
let of this river, demands an expenditure of
dynamic energy represented by 5000 foot-pounds
in order to eXtinguish the greater ots UtUd pos
sessed Mt the commencement than that retained
at the termination of the descent. The centre
of the basin, situated as shown by the tables in
latitude 60 deg. 55 min., rotates with n velocity
of 304 feet per second faster than the outlet
of the river, rate acquired by a fall
through 1444 feet. The basin of the Lena
covers SD, 500 square miles Assuming that the
annual precipitation reaches only thirteen inches
and that the discharge at the mouth of the river
is only OPS like Northern Mississippi, the force
eXtinguished and consequently eXerted in the
direction of the earths rotation will amonnt to
1883, 600 of foot-pounds per second-very
nearly balancing the retardation caused by the
waters OF the Mississippi. But the waters of the
Lena unlike the great Southern river, do not
directly enter heated caldron, to be mt once
converted into vapor. The previously chilled
masses of the Lena flow into the great polar
refrigerator, and from thence are trans
f0rred to the eVaporatOrs in the equatorial
regions. This transfer, evidently, cannot
be effected without a considerable retreat
from the earth's axis, so considerable
indeed, that before the required evapOra-
ton takes place, the waters are further from
that axis than their source at the foot of the
YablOnOi Mountains. Calculations are super
iluous. The simple fact that the weight which
impaired the motive force during the course
toward the poles has during the transfer to the
eVaporatOr, been removed to a greater distance
from the axis of rotation, shows that the i'm
parted UiS UiCd of IL, ,5S9 900 OF toot-pounds
| per second mas become more Gnan neuIranIeu.
| Thus, we find that the waters of rivers flowing
| into the polar seas, although impartlng vast
| amount of mechanical energy in the right dlrec-
ton, cannot possibly restore any OF the loss OF
| the earths UiS UiUd occasioned by the waters OF
| the Mississippi and other rivers discharglng into
| the seas of the equatorial regions.
now dismiss this subject the consideration
| of which | have entered upon with so much
diflidence, leaving it with those VINO deem
| Laplaces theory applicable to prove that the
|
earth by the vapors condensed on the Mississippi
basin, and not again evaporated on the same, is
adequate to counteract the continually retarding
force of 35,OOO,OO0 of horse power.
ABRASION BY THE FLOW OF RAINwATER.
Returning to the subject of abrasion and the
| retarding force indisputably eXerted by sedl
| mentary matter carried toward the equator, we
have now to consider that branch of the subject
| which relates to the recovery of UtS Utod result
ing from the lowering of the earth surface by
the abrasion caused by the flow OF ram water
| General Humphreys official report OF the Mis-
sissippi river shows that the annual discharge
ofsediment and earth (of a specific gravity OF
1.93 or 1908 pounds to the cubic fooD amounts
TO 7, 474 millions of cubic feet. The Red riyel
district of 90, 600 square miles, drained by the
FOnrcbe is not included in this amount, anC
| hence the stated discharge is contributed by
| | lar 600 SQUARE miles OF basin. Each square
mile accordingly yields up only 65l6 cubic lee
of earthly matter, and as TINS quahtlIy woule
cover only 7S 1913 square feet OF surface 70 tht
denth of one inch il will be seen that the entire
surface of the river basin only loses -0oo part o
an inch in depth per annum. lhls lacI, estlDllsno.
| by a careful examination OF river Dasln winch
covers a considerable portion Oh thG earth SUI y,
face is one of profound interest. III ehaoleS III
to determine with certainty that IL VIII require
1856 wears TO lower the surface OF the MISSISSIPPI
basin one inch and that the mighty laIher U
waters" must toll for 1872 years TO lower the en-
As Eg.