New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-10-05
SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE.

during the glacial period. He says: The excavation
of Harbor and the trough OF the Hudson seems
10 have been effected in late Tertiary times During the
portion OF the Tertiary age-the Eocene-tne Coast
FROM NewYoIk southwark was low, and the sea Wssheu
the baso Of the Allegheny Mountains covering thecoas
plain and deposGu eupou il the uppermost and most
recent OF the marl!beds OF New-Jersey. But in the
middle and later Tertiary epochsthc Mioccne and Pho
cene-al the northern portion of the continent stood
higher above the sea than now, for fluid there no
marine deposits Of that age and the immense numbers
OF ords, submerged valleys which fringe the coast
are, Dana long pointed ont, the re-
suits OF suhaGrial erosion and proofs OF elova-
ton genial climate then prevailed TO tue
Arctic Sea, and all the continent was covered with
more luxuriaut FORA and Inhabited 10y a more varied
fauna, than he found anywhere on its surface.
This was indeed for America, the golden age OF ami
mails and plants aud in all respects but one-the alb
sence OF mau-the country was more interesting and
picturesque than now. We must imagine therefore,
that the hills and valleys about the present site OF New
York were covered with noble trees and dense under
growth OF species for the most part different from those
now living there and that these the homes and
feeding -grounds of many kinds OF quadrupeds and
birds. which have long since become extinct The
broad plain which soped gently seward from the high
lands must have been covered with o suo-trcpical
forest of giant trees and tangled vines teemng with
animal life. This state OF things doubtless continued
through many thousands of years. but ultimately a
change came over the dll race OF Nature uorc Copoo
and terrible than we have language TO describe
From causes which not yet fully understood,
and into the discussion of which cannot here
enter, tue climate of the northern hemisphere
became gradually more severe and that OF Greenland
from being what IL had been for ages like that OF our
Southern States became arctic, as we now fnd H. ana
is uxurant forests replaced ny fields of snow and
ice Bu the change did not stop here for with lncreas-
ing cold the ce-shees spread southwark and covered
successfully the mountains OF Labrador, the CANADIAN
highlands. and the hills OF New-Engand and Ne"-1OrK
At the elimination OF the glacial period the ice reached
sOutlas Staten Island and Trenton and all the
country north OF this line buried under great
moving mass OF ice in places several thousand feet III
thickness At this time the present climate OF Green
land had been transferred 10 Newfork; in the strong
est possible contrast TO that earlier time when Tue
present climate Of NewYork prevailed In Greenland
In the of the ice period not only were all KINDS OF
animals and plants externinaed or driven southwark,
and thus what mad been paradise was converted
into a bowling Wilderness hut even the topogra-
ply OF the country greatly modified Inc
cesheet moving the north ground down or rounded
over all projecting rOck-masses, and filled up valleys
places and Accommodations IN others until me whole ace
OF the country changed. In the vicinity OF New
York the ice moved from nOrth-nOrhwest TO south
southeast and Of such thickness that crossed he
trough of the HUDSON diaSOnaly and probably because
this had been filled with transported material was by
little DETECTED from its course In other ocanues me
old ver-yalleys were sometimes completely obtrated,
and drainage of the surface gwen new channels ana
even new TO this may attribute tie
blocking up the old line of drainage from the lake
basin through the Hudson and its diversion TO the pres
ent course OF the ST. Lawrence. Now that the
glaciers have left this gOn aud have reeated again
To the far north, we everywhere evidence Of the
stupendOus changes they wrought III the country over
which they moved: North OF the line winch marks ihe
margin of the glacier find the coDtour-nes rounded
over and SOftened, ridges OF granite converted into
domes and the hardest rocks grooYed and stlaied or
ground smOOth and even polished Ihe whole surface
of NewYOrk Island, where the rock Is exposed SHOWS
marks OF glacial action, the uptuIned edges OF gneiss
being ground oft to form nearly PLAN surface OF where
rounded to form rOcheS m0Honh(eS Fine examples
OF the latter be IN central PARK, ana on the
east side Of the island near Harlem"
QUARANTINE FOR YELLOW FEvER.-SurgeOn
General John NJ. Woodwork does not believe in the
necessity absolute quarantine 10 prevent the spread
OF yellow fever In letter to The Medical Record he
claims that evidence warrants the assertion that yellow
fever poison is transported by things and not by per
sons considered apart from their clothing. He gives
several illustrations Of this, and cites weiknown
fact that unaccmated attendants upOn the yellow
fever patients at the NewYOrk Quarantine never con-
tract the disease The dsnfecton OF clothing, baggage
In boxes trunks valises etc. should be done, he
Just outside infected city, at the commencement
rather than the end Of Journey When the yellow
fever breaks on: among the resident population Of
city town, all unaccmated persons should be pro
hbited from entering the Infected place. ana the unac
cmated residents should be removed To temporary camps
on the highest available ground at least miles
side OF the infected locality But there should be estab
other effects of the fleeing people shall he thoroughly
dsnfeced before they are permitted to enter the camp
How THE EARTH WAS MADE.-MOns. H. p.
Male French scientist discusses, in Land Water
the perplcxing question Of the earths age and origin
He rejects the Putonic and Neptunian theories con-
trovoIsa and deceptive emanatlOns from false and I'M
natural data" and evolves theory of his own, which be
expresses the following series of postulates a.
There was vapOr floating and gravitatng III
I hig he Of
elements. (3J As the elements susceptible OF light
now, so their bases in the beginning. a. The
light Of heaven ftll upon this vapOr (jJ The
Vapor mass susceptible Of light o. The action Of
fOtation converted into rotation on its axis. ca
The action gravitaton converted into revolution
around the OF attraction. THESE actions OF at
traction are demonstrated by the radiometer; and
der actions the entire became subject to the
great law OF attracOn 81 The entire surface OF the
mass came slowly under the influence OF light
o. Under this influence the hghtest gases of the
mass attracted from the surface to the light QOJ
The gases, which highest became air and formed
the atmosphere envelope. u1.) The gases which be-
came condensed into liquid formed the water envelope
our ocean. G2.l The residue of the vapor be-
came solid molecules, and Gravitating to their
centre gradually consolidated into the solid body of this
earth. the silcious rocks NJ Malet contends that
these pOstulates were demonstrated by the lique-
faction ana soanG"n Pc,o OF gases S NJ CAL
the inevitable results of the effect OF light
the the great womb OF time. This ght,
saws fell in ts wavy streams the wandering vapOr
and reduced 10 obedience TO harmony, and to love
There phenomena upon earth that do not follow
Oh in their natural course from this beginning"
GLYCERINE AS AN ANTI-FERMENT.-It is In
teresng for those who manufacture articles liable to
decomposition know that glyeerne has the power of
arresng fermentation TO remarkable degree. 1t is
stated in The chemical Journal that gycerne retards
both Tactic and alcoholic lamentations. One-ffth of
gycerlne added to milk temperature Of l5o TO 20o
C. prevents from turning for eight ten days
One-half Onehird Of glycerne, at the tempera
ture retarded the fermentation of milk for six