American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-01-06
Surface Movements of the Earth.

Surface Movements of the Earth.
The old geological theory that from
time to time the surface of our earth has
been changed by grand catastrophes,
which, destroying plants and animals,
WERE on an immense scale, similar to the
local catastrophes produced by volcanic
eruptions and earthquakes, has been
: abandoned by reason of our more correct
knowledge and more careful observations
which Investigators have been making
for many years. These observations
have proved that sudden catastroshes are
always merely local. but that all the great
changes in the surface of our earth, as the
uphcaval of mountain ranges and the de
preston Of valleys and their ultimate
| changes into lakes and oceans, are grad
| ual and so always on, even at the present
day. The mountains bordering on the
/ Pacific Ocean--in fact, the whole coast of
/ Californa-are perpetually rising, and
have probably been doing so for half II
million years, while all the land contain
ing in its bosom our great American lakes
is slowly sinking, with Il probable CORE
spending upheaval of the State of Ken
lucky, of Southern Indiana and the sur
rounding countries. Geological investi-
cations prove that once our lakes had
their outlets south, till by depression at the
north new outlet was first formed about
forty thousand years ago, through Ma
CARA to the ST. Lawrence river. The di-
vision line of the watershed of the lakes
and the Mississippi Valley has been slowly
travelling southwark since that time; and
when the city of Chicago recently turned
the waters of Lake Michigan up the Chi
cago River into the Mississippi Valley,
she simply re-establshcd the old stage of
affairs, which, if the motion in question
continues, will he more difficult to main
tain in the future than it is now. For
tunatcly this motion is very slow, and
only a very remote postcrity, some thou
sands of years hence, will meet with the
difficulties we now foresee, when the bed
of the Chicago River becomes lower and
lower at its junction with Lake Michi-
gan.
Itappcars, further, that the State of New
jersey is sinking, and this is even partici
patcd in by the city Of New York, Brook
Ign, Long Island, etc, at the rate of some
sixteen or seventeen inches per century
This is insignificant, to be sure; but let 1t
only 20 on for thousand years and 1t is
some fifteen feet, so that the new stone
docks now commenced in New York city
at that time will be totally submerged; but
then they will probably not last SO long
and the soil of the lower part of the city
may be very easily raised half a foot
every thirty years. 1t is evident that the |
most correct data may be obtained III the |.
sea shore as the main height of the ocean
possesses Il perfect stability. This main .
height is, Of course, obtained by continual .
observation of the tides under different .
circumstances, and il anywhere the high |
est tides reach higher level than they /
did one hundred or two hundred years .
ago, it is a proof of depression or sinking
Of the land
This depression is going on along the
coast of Northern France, Belgium, Hol
land and Northwestern Germany, while
the coast of Sweden, along the Baltic, is
slowly rising, including the Capital OF
Sweden, the city of Stockholm.
The latest scientific journals report two
very striking contemporary upheavals in
Spain, entirely authentic NJ. De Botello
describes them in detail, and the most Gu
riouS fact is that the short time of scarce
ly a quarter Of a century was sufficient
to produce an effect which has surprised
every inhabitant who observed the cir
cumstances formerly and compared them
with the present condition In the pro-
vince Of Jamora, it is observed that from
the village of Nillar don Diego, 1t is now
possible to see the upper half of the churh
,teeple of Renifarzes, IN the province of
Nalladolid; whereas, twenV-three years
ago, the summit of this steeple could only
Just be perceived. The same thiig occurs
to the same degree and under the same