The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-12-09
Cy Gle. In Enrlh,s History.

Among the most popular of Prof Tyn-
dails descriptions is his history OF a drop OF
water. He traces il as it is lifted by tho
suns heat from the surface of the sea car
ried aloft as an invisible vapor; wa TED over
the land; cooled by and precipitated upon
some mountain peak, possibly in the snow
and ice OF glacier, nr perhaps sinking be-
low the surface as rain, and reHppearing IN
the spring that bubbles up in a valley; and
at last, through rill and rivulet and river,
finding It's way back to ocean again. Some
thing IKE this has been done for other SUBJ
stances than water, by Prof. Pumpelly, in a
discourse before the National Academy of
Sciences. IL has long been recognized that
all the materials of which the earth is
formed, are In course of being gradually
washed into the sea. Modern discovery has
thrown much light on the processes by
which they are transformed into the rocks
and minerals OF good dry land again. The
cycle of these changes is, of course, enor-
mously greater than that which Prof. Tyn-
dali described. 1t requires eras of time in
which mountains must wear away and ocean
floors rise to the surface; compared with
which the whole known history of the hui
man race is an affair of yesterday. But though
so slow, 1t Is continuous, and is going on at
this hour all over the globe, just rs il has
been ever since there was any land lifted
above the waters. Ii that excellent lady OF
science, Mrs. Mary Someryille, was still
living, she might add notable chapter to
her instances of the connection of the phys
ical sciences. The geologist, dealing with
the formation of dead matter-roCks and
stones and dry land-is suddenly furnished
with answers to his problems by students of
natural history, who are busy with animals
and planets living in the sea. The chemists,
too, have helped largely in the research; it
would have been impossible to get the facts
of the story without their aid. They have
found in the ashes OF sea plants and animals,
not only the alkaline eaIths, but the heavy
metals, lead, copper, zinc, iron, and
even silver These were secreted by the
vital processes Eventually, when the plants
and animals are dead, they fall on the
oceans floor. The naturalists have ascer
tanned, to some extent, what vast quantities
of these plants and animals are concen-
trated in quiet etdies off the edges of ocean
currents. In some future age, when the sea
bottom of those localities shall have become
hard rock aud dry land, another Comstock
lode may be found where the precious met
ais have thus been slowly garnered from the
sea. One of the most curious results Of
these investigations is the theory that mans
work in mining and burning coal, so far
from deranging the scheme of nature, will
help in the preservation Of life upon earth.
1t appears that carbon is, when deposited in
the form of coal, too slowly soluble by the
winds and rain to be restored in time TO the
air and sea. In the course of untold ages
since the first crctaceous seas were formed,
this carbon had been quietly tucked away
under ground. The plants of the sea anu
land were beginning to need l.. II the
plants could not live, all animals must die.
The only way TO bring the carbon to the
plants Is To convert it into carbonic acid,
and spread that in the air, where forest
leaves Can decompose it, or rain drops can
carry it down to the weeds OF the sea. Man,
digging the coal from the mine, and burn
ing it under steam boilers and on the do
nestle hearth, is really restoring the lost
balance to natures work. The colliers of
England and Pennsylvania are helping to
prolong the existence OF every creature on
The globe. II is a very comforting doctrine
TO the apostles of labor, however it may
stand the further tests Of science.