The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-03-09

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An INTERNAL MOLTEN MAss.--The geolo.
s;s,s are in trouble. They cannot settl
the foundation principles Of their favorit'
science. After long and hard struggl
between the aqueous and iGneous theorie
of the earth's formation, it was general
Supposed that the igneous had won tho da.
az least so far as relates to the order o. thc'
worship. II anything was snpposea 10 o.
settled In gcolorv, it was that the centre
the earth has been, or is, in molten state
auSthst the granite rocks arc unstrat'tied
and give evidence of being formed unde'
great pressure and intense heat. Earth
ouakes and volcanoes we're referred to a.
nroofs of this great internal heat, and th'
protrusion of trap rock AZ a proof OF th'
molten state. On this granite as sol"
foundation. the stratifed rocks were sup
,ascd to rest. though of necessity the orde'
IL generally disturbed by the long action
suhtryrancan forces.
But the foundation seems at last tallin!
through. The aqueous theory has won +
new triumph, and is driving its rival from
the field. Granite ia found to be not of ig
ncous, bnt of aqueous formation. Some
wears ago Mr.. Evan Hopkins, Of England
broached new theory, and attempted tt
Prove, on scientific principles, that grant,
was formed not horizontally, but vertically
end not by heat and pressure, but by solu'
ton md magnetism. His specuSations al
first attracted little attention, and cxcitec
indeed much derision, but they have gradu-
ally attained the assent o! many masters IL
the science.
Professor Thompson, BY rigid mathemati
col reasoning from wcll-known physica
laws, also proved that the existence OF
LIQUID ocean in the interior OF the cartL
was simply impossible. lie declared 1t t'
be & physical necessity that "the interior
must be even more rigid than the superb
ciai PARTS"
Leading biologists ore frankly surren-
lering the old theory, and Professor An
s,ed, in paper read before the British As
sosiation in 1860, sGys: "Geologista, unit >!
recently, have spoken of granite SIS print,
tire ,cck, as the ncuclcus Of the earth ano
US having been from time to time crupted,
ulayins an important part'in the general
disturbances by which the general frame
work Of the earth is supposed TO have been
constructed. The observations OF Daubree
and Sorby show that all true granite has
been elaborated with water, under great
pressure, at temperature below melting
heat: that it has neither been elected no.
has II formed q framework. There arc
s,anItes Of all ages and OF many KINDS.
hume, ous observations show that granite
alternates with and passes into strauhcC
rocks, and must in such cases he strauhed
rock, and that It's production does not ne
cessarly involve destruction and oblitera-
ton of all the stratifed rocks with whl:b
!. is associated. This view of the nature
Of r'aujye will greatly affect the theories OF
geology"
This is no longer q matter Of theory. but
o. dcmous;rat on. Granite cannot have oil
;rncous origin. Chemists testify that the
l, ws Of chemical action disprove Il. The
presence of black lead in granite and gnelss
il inconsistent with melting heat, Tor black
lead is lure carbon, and would have been
rcducet to ashes by heat. and in turn
would have also reduced the mica aud horn
bleilc, a5 ca,toD always operates on s'h'
ca;.s IN blas, furnaces. The chemists also
tcciiiy that If the GRANTEES we've once i'll
melted state the magnetic iron ore III them
would have united with the si!icates, form
inp 4 yit!ccus iustee'! Of crystalline rock.
Aticm,t + have been made 10 resolve gramte
BY lcat iuio what WIGS regarded as ITS
original stute, but they failed utterly. Ii
vcG.d rot melt. lis crystals gradually de-
co,u;ts2L 0" turned into black glass, con-
fiIn:u- the Opinions OF the chemical critics.
Tie laws OF gravity also bear wltllesS
ero:nst the :cncVus origin. AS the df's'!a1
D; &r;t;;ii:c Uiscoucrq says: "lf granite
r.-e opcc in a molten condition, then, US 1t
II, x,lrn
crvstal;75d ont. and would have sunk down
t;,rouoh the still molten mass, while 1eld-
spar Ind mica must have crystallzed ut
much later stage of cooling, as the neccs-
s.,rv CONSEQUENCE of their different deg ces
CT lu3.Dility." .f
Asnlost and conclusive stage OF proof
thet ~ranite is of aqueous and not OF lgueous
o,iri6 chemists have succeeded III produ-
c;n- feldsnar, the base of granite, IRON
snIHt;ons OF kaolin and alkaline silcatcs in
heated water, and az it is generally con-
ccdead that mica and quartz, tue other
PRINCIPAL ingredients, are aqueous deposits,
the demonstration may be regarded ls
complete. -,
The science Of geology, therefore, viii
need thorough reconstruction. If the iS-
neoI,s origin of granite is given up, the
idea Of molten mass ut the carth's centre
viii also be abandoned. If this intense
central heat be exploded, the argument for
o gradual cooling of the earth from fire.
mist will limp badly, and the Laplace the
DRY Of physical development will lose all
probability. And still further, ii the
GRANTEES are no, the most ancient foCma-
tioas, but are often of modern dates, inter-
mingled with rock of the secondary or even
tort AIRY period, it may be necessary to make
long deductions from geological timetables.
On the whole, we may safely conclude
ttqs il is not wise for biologists to discredit
MoSce, or to cavil at the credulity Of Chris
tians till they have built some foundation
tor their science on which it can rest Sc
curcly. We may add, also, that faint
hearted theoloSians, who have lost their
faith in inspiration because of &c cutiflc
difficulties, may take heart again, anu be-
. leve that Moses is more reliable teacher
than Lyell OF Huxley Hem. Lincoln.
An ISDlGSAST LADY GOES FOR LAND
1osp AND HOTEL CLERK-THE BooT Of THE
OTHER LgG.-Quite lively sensation was
created in and around the B. owning House,
in this city, yesterday morning, accustomed
L., hnt ,ynpn M INDIGNANT female.