The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-08-20
READING ROCKS.

For an infant science, geology exhibits
little of the diffidencs and hesitancy pecul-
lar to the modest and unassumiDg youth.
On the contrary. it boldly strides to the
front and demand audience. 1t def
antly assails the Mosaic account of creation,
and presents to the world its record of rocks,
and challenges Moses to the debate. Instead
of six days to build the world. the time re-
ouired, according to the rock testimony, ex
pands into centuries beyond the grasp of
mortal mind, and still the antiquity
of the world is as far from
being settled as when geologists
first attempted to interview the rocks for
the purpose of ascertaining their age. 1t
will not be denied that biologists have con-
t-ibuted largely to the wealth of the human
family by their explorations, which have
enabled men in search of the precious met
ais of iron, lead and coal. to know where to
invest most profitably their money, time
and labor, and in this way add largely to the
sum total of mans happiness by compelling
the earth to yield up its hidden treasures.
If this we're all, the science of geology would
occupy an enviable place in the
books that seek to widen the area
of human knowledge. But this is not all.
From the practical geology enters the do
main of fiction, and is forever striving, by
reading rocks, instead of the Bible. to set up
theory of the age of the world which is not
only beyond all human comprehension, but
absolutely defies the most robust imagina.
ton. This fact is brought out by a paper
lately contributed by Mellsrd Reade to the
Royal society of England, in which
he endeavors to grapple with the
world by employing the limestone
rocks of the earth's crust as an index of geo
logical time. 1t is held by Mr.. Reade thai
Imestones have been in course of formation
from the earliest known geological periods
but it would appear that the later found
strata are more calcareous than the earlier
and that there has In fact been q gradually
progressive increase of calcareous matter
The very extensive deposition of carbonate
of lime over wide areas of the ocean bottom a
the present day Is sufficiently attsste,
by the recent sourdings OF Che Chal
Ienger. According to the author
estimate, the sedimentary crust of the cart
Is at least one mile in average actual thick
nsss, of which probably one-tenth consist
of calcareous matter. In seeking the origi
of this calcareous matter, it is assumed tina
the primitive rocks of the original crus
were of the nature of gigantic or basalti
rocks. By the disintsgration of such rock
calcareous and other sedimentary deposit
have been formed. The amount of lime sal
in waters which drain districts made up
GRANTEES and basatts is found, by q compar
son Of analysis, to be on an average abor
1913 parts in 100000 parts of water. 1t
further assumed that the excessed areas ,
igneous rocks, taking an average rhroughor
all geological time. will bear to the exposur,
Of sedimentary rocks ratio of about one
nine. From these and other data, Mr.. Read
concludes that the elimination of the ca
csreous matter now found in all the sed
msutary strata must have occupied at lea
600.000.00O Of years. This. therefore, repr,
ssnts the minimum age of the world. I'll
author infers that the formation OF the Tar
rentian, Cambrian and Sllurian strata mu