The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1879-05-30
WORLD WONDER.
Eleven Thousand Years OF
WEnfeG assd aB Equally
Long Summer.

Mr. c. Hilton Scribner, ex-Secreta-
~ Of State for New York, has been
giving to the Troy Times bis views on
the momentous geological changes
through which the earth has passed,
aad is srll passing. Mr.. Scribner
finds ready solution of many of the
difficulties which perpIez the geoloeist
The epochs through which the globe
has passed are due largely ignot who'll
Is, he believes, TO tbc fact that the
earth axis describes j circle in the
northern heavens, and that the effect
Of this is to cause the earth to pass
through long winters and summers Of
II 600 years each. During its winter
says Mr.. Scribuor, leach hemisphere
is submerged under the ocean. its veg
citation compressed into coal beds, its
whole surface covered with marine De
posits and sediment transported and
scattered bY ocean currents; and thus
enriched it rises asnin after a long
winter Of II coo years, to be renewed
in life, clothed with vegetation aud
beauty, to become again the theater
Of activity through 4 vast summer IS
long as its season of repose Sixty.
five coal beds, in horizontal LAYERS.
have been opened in the British
Islands, which makes it probable that
at least sixty five Of .hese long years
have passed since vegetation grew up
on the earth" This wonderful change
10 the oceans level is brought about.
Mr.. Scribner argues, by change 10
the earth 5 center of gravity, aud this
again is caused by the vast accumula.
ton Of ice around the pole oft hem
isphere which is passing rough its
long winter, I'VE have supposed
this center of gravity the earth - he
says, "to be shifted southwark, by the
causes enumerated, about two miles.
or 10000 feet. This would increase
the depth Of water in the Southern
oceans 10000 feet and decrease the
depth of water in the Northern oceans
10000 feet, in order to keep their sur
faces equidistant from the earth's cene
ter of gravity, or upon a water level; |
but to increase the depth of the ocean
in the Southern hemisphere, by an ad
ditional 10000 feet wonld be to sub |
merge nearly all the lands in the
Southern hemisphere, and to increase
the depth Of the ocean by 10000 feet
north of the equator would result In
draining off vast continents in thez
Southern atmosphere. This is the e4 K
act condition of things which the ear
to day presents" Mr. Scribner cid
various facts which he believes ia
confrmatory of these views, and q
ly sums up as follows: First,
North pole is toward the sun wh
the earth passes slowly around IL =
longer portion of its orbit. Second
the south pole is toward the sun whitley
the earth moves more rapidly around5
the shorter portion of its orbit. Third,
this gives to the Northern hemisphere
about four days more of warm and four
days less of cold weather than the
Southern hemisphere receives of each
Fourth, this keeps the ice thinner and
with narrower limits at the North pole,
and produces vast accumulations of
ice about the South pole Fifth, this
changes the center of gravity of the
earth to the Southwark of IT'S center
bulk. Sixth, this causes the oceans to
flow from the north, draining off vast
continents, to the Southern hemisphere
and then submerging others of equal
extent; and, lastly, extending the linn
it of the banana, the vine, of grain
and of wood 800 miles farther north
than the same varie ties are found south
of the equator" All of which, if not
satisfactorily accurate, is at least an
interesting contribution on most
fascinating subject.