The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-07-26
Agassiz,s Glacial Discoveries.
From the New York World.


Agassiz to Professor Benjamin Pierce,
Superintendent Of the United States
Coast Survey, gives succinct account
of his observations of the geological
phenomena of the southern portion OF
the South American Continent. The
chief of the Hassler expedition has
turned his previous experience in the
Alps to good account. 1t could hardly
be expected that in a fly ing visit
Agassiz could have made measurements
and descended into the details of glacier
motion and magnitude, as did Forbes
and himself in their studies OF the AL
pine glaciers. But though the PROBES
sor had not been able to make any OBJ
servations bearing upon the rate of mo-
ton or the exact size and extent of the
South American glaciers, he has sue
ceeded in adding many new facts to our
previous knowledge.
Agassiz followed the east line around
from Montevideo, on the Atlantic, to
Glacier Bay, on the Pacific coast. He
has carefully examined the ground
previously gone over by Darwin
and other celebrated travellers. He hes
found traces everywhere-in the ser.
ratio" pebbles and boulders found on
islands as well as the mainland, in the
rocheS mo1tonaeeS, in the polished hill.
sides and the moraines as well as the
glaciers even now existing-that ice
action has been very promineet factor
in the molding and fashioning of the
surface of this portion of the world.
Indeed, Professor Agassiz is prepared To
90 further. He claims that, as fire and
water are now universally acknowl-
edged as great agents in the creation OF
the world as we know it, so at no dis
tant period will ice be added to the
number. Very much of the denuda
ton usually attributed to meteorologi.
Cal agents and TO submarine iceberg
planning, the Professor confidently
claims for ice spread over the surface of
the land. We are inclined to accept
this view We think too much has
been said about Plutonic and Neptu-
MAN action, and too little attention has
been paid TO the other great agents
which have aided them in their task.
Agassiz is well aware that this view
will not pass unchallenged, and he
therefore proceeds to make it as secure
as possible. He draws distinction be-
tween glaciers, however ancient and
however large, and coating of ice
which he is positive covered the greater
portion of the earth's surface-the
equatorial limits are not yet settled
during what is vagely known as the
"glacial epoch" He rejects with some
heat the view held in many quarters
that the phenomena of the drift pc
Rod, upon which the supporters of the
glacial period more especially rely, can
DE explained by "A supposed enlarge
ment Of the ordinary glaciers. Agassiz
shows that while the glaciers Of the
South American continent, both an
cient and modern, have acted and still
act in all directions, the action of the
ice in the glacial epoch tended from
the south northward. This is one of
the most important discoveries made
during the expedition, and in describ.
ing the observations on which this in.
ference rests the Professor corrects
some of Darwin's statements, though
he eulogizes that traveller as having
been almost alone in carefully observ.
ing the phenomena.
The Professor calls the attention of
Professor Pierce TO the complete fulfill
menu VI Ills PlophHOy Us W tIc MUM =
of :" drift ana adds his belief that
when the southern portions of Africa
and Australia are examined as clear indi.
cations of an extensive glacial epoch
will be found there AS have BEEN for.
merly discovered in Europe. and are
now known TO exist in South America
as the result of Agassiz's labors. In
this connection, he says, he finds nc
reason to believe that Adhemars no
ton of the complimentary character o.
glacial phenomena-that is, that while
one hemisphere was enjoying temper
ate climate, the other was buried under
a thick mantle of ice-has any founda
ton in fact. This ingenious mode o.
, connecting astronomical and geologi
. cal phenomena may be considered as ;
; brilliant scientific vagary.
There is one point on which Agass
grows eloquent. He compares the Swis
. glaciers with those of South Americ,
IN the neighborhood of the Straits o
Magellan, and finds them and their ef
:. fects very similar The polished hills
e the rocheS moutonneeS, the moraines, ant
the rest of the scenery forcibly re
minded him of his native country
The Professor does not give us mucl
o information on his dredging operation:
, but he is constantly adding to his co
y lections. He made discovery Of
!. salt lake more than one hundred fee
|, above the level of the soa-a cles
= proof of the upheaval of the coast
e which he found some shells living, an
O Others fossil of the same species {
@ those on the shore. He obtained spe
- linens of both.