National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1872-02-09
Surface Movement Of the Earth.

The old geological theor, that from
time 10 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, founded on careful observa-
tions which Investigators have been max
ing for many years. These observations
have proved that sudden catastrophes
are always merely local, but that all the
great changes in the surface of our earth
as the unheaval of mountain ranges and
depression Of valleys and their ultimate
change into lakes and oceans, are gradual
and go always on, even Mt the present
day.
The mountains bordering the Pacific
Ocean-in fact, the whole coast of Cal
ifornia-are peipetually rising and have
probably been doing so for half million
of years, while all the land containing in
its bosom our great American lakes is
slowly sinking with corresponding up.
heaving of the State of Kentucky, Of
Southern Indiana and the surrounding
countries. Geological investigation
prove that once our lakes had their out
lets south, till by depression at the north
a new outlet was first formed, about for
ty thousand years ago, through Niagara
to the st. Lawrence river.
The division 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 Mich
igan up the Chicago river into the Miss
issippi valley, she sillply established the
old mode of affairs, which, if the mo-
ton in question continues will be more
difficult to maintain in the future than it
is now. Fortunately this motion is very
slow, and only very remote posterity,
some thousands 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
Michigan.
1t appears, further, that the State of
New Jersey is sinking, and this is even
participated in by the city of New York,
Brooklyn, Long Island, ETC., at the rate
of some sixteen or seventeen inches per
century This is insignificant, to be
sure but let it only go on for thousand
years, and it is some fifteen feet, so that
the new stone docks now commenced in
New York City at that time will be total
ly submerged but then they will prob
ably not last so long, and the soil of the
lower part of the city may be very easily
raised half foot every thirty years.
1t is evident that the most correct data
may be obtained at the sea-shore, as the
main height of the ocean possesses per-
feet stability. The main height is, of
course, obtained by continual observa-
ton of the tides under different circum-
stances, and if anywhere the highest
tides reach higher level than they did
one hundred or two hundred years ago,
it is proof of depression or sinking Of
the land
This depression is going on along the
coast of Northern France, Belgium, Hol-
and, and Northwest Germany, while the
, )ast of Sweden, along the Baltic, is slow.
ly rising, including the capital of Sweden,
the City of Stockholm.
The latest scientific journals report
two very striking contemporary upheav
ais in Spain, entirely authentic. M. de
Botello describes them in detail, and the
most curious fact is that the short time of
scarcely a quarter of century was suffi-
cient to produce an effect which has sur
prised every inhabitant who observed the
formerly, and compared
them with the present condition. In
the province of Jamora, it is observed
that from the village of Villar don Diego,
it is now possible to see the upper half
Of the church steeple of Ransfarzes, in
The province of VaIladolid; whereas,
twenty-three years ago, the summit of
this steeple could only just be perceived.
The same thing occurs to the same
legree and under the same circumstances
in the province of Alva, where, from the
village of Salvatlerra, the whole of the
village of Salduende can now be seen,
while in 1S47 the vane of the church
'teeple could hardly be perceived. These
our points are on line parallel to the
'ystem of the Sanserrois Mountains,
while the extreme points are one hundred
md forty miles apart. ,
All the movements we speak of here
lave nothing to do with volcanic erup-
ions they are, of course, caused by
hanged conditions of the interior of the {
'arth's mass, which by these facts is c
proved not to be solid, the opinion of I
ONE i.odern geologists Notwithstanding; I
he earth if not liquid inside, must at !
east be soft and elastic, in order to make :
lepressions in one place with simulta- |
Ieous elevations in another. '
One other interesting fact we must 9
nentiou in this connection it is that t
he highest mountains are not the oldest, +
s one would naturally suppose, but il
'elong to the system last elevated so t
he high Swiss Alps are much younger c
han the lower Jura, ard the Catskills il
than the lower Shawangunk d
fountains. s.-Manuacture1' and Builder. n