The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-03-04
''-olde thlnges pace,

And mold after the neWe world tne trace.
When the geologist tells his story of the
past the oft-repeated question is this "Why
are not these changes taking place now !?
Why do we not see more wonders, when
the ancient world was such marvel ~
Could the first Eocene man have had a
vision of the earth of to-day, think you not
he would have thought that he had seen
the glory of gloiies-a marvel of beauty
and vitality
Sir Charles Lyell was justly called lone
of the most philosophical of biologists, 4"
inasmuch as his object was to prove that
the agencies row at work are sufficient to
explain all past phenomena. That the
mighty machinery is in operation to-day
just as much as it was billions of years
ago. If the changer produced by it
were less constant, less sure if they
were brought about by some great cata-
clysm after which nature lapsed into re-
pose Tor long period of time, then there
| would be more reason tor the marked in
difference with which we look upon the
earth's vitality. Some biologists even blind
the eyes which they open. They lead their
students into such labyrinth of ages, that
they emerge from the maze with only a
sense that certain things have been, millions
of centuries ago, and certain other things
are TO be but not in their day. What is to
be one hundred or even fifty thousand
years after our death, does not exert very
potent influence upon us.
Is the earths work in one year so insig-
nifcant that it only shows nature to be q
slow toiler-too slow to satisfy the "hurry
spirit of our lives
Look at the rivers, which are at once the
workers and the beautifiers of the earth. Ii
the present condition of geographical OBJ
servations, exact calculations cannot BIT
given but enough is known to show one
most important fact, viz , that the annua
work of rivers is prodigious. We will take
the Nile, the Hoang-ho, the Pc and the
Mississippi, as their gifts or deltas arr
among the best known.
''lt is estimated that if all the mu(
brought down by the mouths of the Mil
was thrown up uniformly on the coast, tn,
latter would advance about thirteen feet
year" This advance would be much NOR,
rapid were 1t not that the Nile leaves tn,
greater part of its alluvium on the plains b,
the river side. The rich mud thus deposit
ed not only makes the desert to bloom il
try.
The Hoang-ho carries its great yellow
burden of alluvium down to the sea. 1t i
deposited in so great quantities that, &C
cording to Stanton, at the end of the las
century, it would be sufficient to form il
sixty-six days an island a square mile in ex
tent and one hundred and eighteen feet il
depth. Think of the work done IN thre
hundred and sixty-fve days
The best known river delta in the wOrl,
is that of the Pc. Nj. Lombardini, by loHI
and careful study, has established the fac
that this river annually enlarges the shor
of its delta 7G yards that it brings dow
1881 cubic yards of mud and ooze n sec
ond.
his seems ike an enormous deposit
enough to startle the tirmest believer in tn
immutability of the earth. We have, how
ever, river nearer home which is working
on a yet grander scale. The Mississippi l
giving liberal gift every year to futur
generations M. Thomassy has fixed tn
annual prolongation of her delta at l II
yards. 'Messrs. Humphreys and Abbott a
80 yards, Reclus considers that the calcu
lations of these parties surpass all others II
scientific value. We are therefore juslife'
In saying that her average advance is iron
SO to 10 yards year