The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-04-01
WORLD WONDERS.
Eleven Thousand years of Winter
and an Eq u ally Long summer.

and an Equally Long summer.
Mr.. G. Hilton Scribner, ex-Secretary
of State of New Y ork, has been giving
to the Troy Times his views on the
momentous geological changesthrough
which the earth has passed, and is still
passing. Mr.. Schribner finds q ready
solution of many of the difficulties
which perplex the geologist. The
epochs through which the globe has
passed are due largely, if not wholly,
he believes, to the fact that the earth 5
axis describes circle in the northern
heavens, and that the effect Of this is
to cause the earth to pass through
long winters and summers of IL 600
years each. During this winter, says
Mr.. Scribner, 'each hemisphere is sub.
merged under the ocean; it's vegeta-
ton compressed into coal beds its
whole surface covered with marine
deposits and sediments transported
and scattered by ocean currents,
and, thus enriched, it rises again after
long winter of 1l,000 years, to be
renewed in life, clothed with vegeta-
ton and beauty, to become again the
theater ofactivity through a vast sum
mer as long as its season of repose.
Sixty five coal beds in horizontal lay
ers, one above another, haye been
opened in the British islands, which
makes it probable that at least sixty
five of these long years have passed
since the vegetation grew upon the
earth This wonderful change in the
oceans leyel ia brought about, Mr.,
Scribner argues, by a change in the
earth's center of gravity, and this
again is caused by q vast accumulation
of ice around the pole of the hemis-
phere which is passing through its long
winter. I'VE have supposed this GEN.
ter of gravity of the EARTH, he says,
to be shifted southwark the causes
enumerated, abouttwo miles, or 10, 900
feet. This would increase the depth
of the water in the southern oceans
10000 feet, and would decrease the
depth of water in the northern oceans
10000 feet, in order to keep their sur
faces equl-distant from the earth's GEN.
ter of gravity, or upon q water level
but to increase the depth of the ocean
in the southern hemisphere by an ad-
ditional 10000 feet would be to SUBJ
merge nearly all the lands in the south
ern hemisphere, and to increase the
depth of the ocean by 10000 feet north
of tho equator would result in drain
ing of vast continents in the southern
hemisphere. This is the exact condi-
ton of things which the earth to-day
presents Mr.. Scribner cites various
facts which he believes to be confirm.
atory of these views, and finally sums
up as follows: First, the North pole
is toward the sun while the earth
passes slowly around the lower por.
ton of its orbit. Second, the South
pole is toward the sun while the earth
moves more rapidly around the short
er portion of it's orbit. Third, this
gives to the northern hemisphere about
four more days of warm and four days
less of cold weather than the sourhern
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 of
bulk. Sixth, this causes the oceans to
flow from the north, draining off vast
continents, to the southern hemisphere
and there submerging others of equal
extent; and lastly, extending the limit
Of the banana, the vine, of grain and
of wood 500 miles farther north than
the same varieties are found south of
the EQUATOR All of which, if not
scientifically accurate, is at least an in
teresting contribution on a most fasci-
mating subject.
hn af n