Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1870-06-17
Setsmtfae.
Tie narv,nlau Ene,h.

Tie DarwMlan Epoch.
A very conclusive proof has beer
furnished of the ineXpediency and un.
whrrantaDleness of some of those
sweeping conclusions, as to, the aqe OF
the world and similar matters which
we have of late been summoned i'm the
name OF science to make. Biologists
looking to the various strata of the
globe, and considering the length OF
time that would probably be required
TO form each, by deposition from LIQUID
matter, have been in the way of cal-
culating that to form the whole. mill
sions upon millions of years must have
been required. The supporters of the
Darwlnlan theory of the origin OF
species, who suppose that the various
orders OF living creatures have been
formed by varieties arising in the time
from lew primitive forms--perhaps
from u single folnl-haVe maintained
that these indsfinte geologic periods
of time furnish ample opportunity for
the slow progress of the changes in
which they believe But various thinos
have lately occurred to curtail sadly
the indefinite periods which the Dar-
winion and geologists have been wont
To claim. One OF these is, the result
of deep sea dredgings which have late
ly taken place. The bottom of waters
80 deep that the highest of the Alps
might be buried under them, has late
ly been explored. Drcdges have
brought up so much as a half ton of
mud from tho depth of IL, 600 feet, md
the temperature OF the water has been
ascertained where the pressure is so
enormous as 430 tons on any square
f.fa i fxyft, 4.
been found to exist at the deDth of two
or three miles. Though dwelling in
what seems to us absolute darkness.
they have eyes perfectly developed
apprehending light probably, whether
phosphOresccnt ar common, 10y Il pro-
cess, quite unknown to us. More than
This, and more To our present purpose,
III has been found that at one and the
same time, deposits of quite different
kinds are going on ut The bottom of
the sea within afew miles of each other
here chalk deposit, each with its
characteristic orders of animals. Ii
such deposits are going on contempo-
raneously now, they may have been
going on cOntcmporancOusly, at form
er periods of our earth's history; and
thus the theory that thcy were all
formed in successive ages, and that the
sum of these ages made up u period
long enough fOrnny Dauwinian changes
falls Absolutely To the ground.
While DarwInian time is thus get
ting itsslr rOduNvd by tLU ,ivup sea
dredging, it Is undergoing the very.
same process, Ia a. way still more rigid,
at the hands OF the iuathuuaticians.
Sir William Thompson, OF Glasgow
was led some time ago TO suspect the
correctness OF the iissuln ptiOn that the
arrangements OF the solar system have
gone ON, and may 90 on, for indefinite
periods without the slightest change.
1t would be unsuitable in this Di.,ve
To go into the details of the processes
by which that philosopher concludes
that present arrangements are but liin-
ited, both Us to the time during which
they have lasted, and as to the time
they are to last hereafter. Suffice il to
say that he reaches this conclusion by
three methods of prooG.-He finds, in
the first place, that through the
action OF the tides, n certain amount
of retardation is produced on the rota-
tion of the earth on her aXis-almost
appreciably small for any period
OF historical time, but rising To some
thing considerable ii the enormous
periods of geological time are consid-
cred. Further, he finds that when
the earth was in state of fusion
she must have revolvcd round lac axis
at different rate, and been of diff
forent shape, from now; and moreover,
he calculates, approximately, what
length of time the earth has taken TO
cool down TO present temperature
Thirdly, he fnds that from the naturo
of the sun, that body cannot 20 on for
ever dillusing heat and light through
the system, but must get exhausted
some day--or, as Addison makes Cato
say, probably without knowing what
ii meant, the sun himself will grow
dim with age. The researches and
conclusions of Sir William Thomson
have been somewhat snappiishly at
tackled by an Anonymous writer in the
ItH NAL GdsoHj Mr.. Huxley and
others have also questioned them. but
there is a calm force i'm the reasoning
AT the mathematician which it is not
EASY To set n side, ana which carries
with IL the assurance OF victory. 1t
seems likely that before Sir William
thompson is done, he viii have sue
ceeded in narrowing so far the time
available for organic changes on the
earth, that DarWinianism Will collapse
thro' shecrwant ofelbow room. Besides
given, that, rs the present order of
things is moving, however, slowly
To AN end, IL cannot have been eternal,
it must have bad a beginning, and
therefore u bcgmner. Further, il will
bo shown how unsafe IL is TO jump at
conclusions in science which resi- on
probabilities, and still more how un-
warranted 1t is on the strength of such
conclusions, To attempt TO oNerturn
the contents Of Scripture. THE hn-
mensc periods of geological times may
probably turn out 10 have been un-
warranted assumptions On this
ground wo obtain full Justification for
refusing 10 give up any part of the
Scriptures on the ground of the objec-
lions of modern science. We may
well crave permission 10 walt until
science shall have become moro sure
of her ground; and who can tell
whether, when that time arrives.
everything IN the Scriptures may not
he satisfactorily explained. Or. GUth-
fic IA Sunday Magazine.
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