Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-01-11
Prehistoric Tides


At present the moon is 240, 900 miles
away; but there was a time when the
moon was only one-sixth part of this, or
say 40, 1000 miles away. That time must
have corresponded to some geological
epoch. 1t may have been earlier than
the time when Eozoon lived. 1t is more
likely to have been later l want to
point out that when the moon was only
40, 900 miles away, we had in it geologi-
cal engine of transcendent power. If the
present tides be feet, and if the early
tides be 216 times their present amount,
then it Is plain that the ancient tides
must have been GAS feet.
There can be no doubt that in ancient
times tides of this amount, and even
tides very much larger, must have oc-
CURED. / ask the biologists to take
account of these facts, and to consider
the effect-a tidal rise and fall of GAS
feet twice every day. Dwell for one
moment on the sublime spectacle of a
tide GAS feet high, and see what an
agent it would be for the performance
of geological work. We are now stand
ing, | suppose, some 500 feet above the
level of the sea. The sea is good many
miles from Birmingham, yet if the rise
andsfall at the coasts were 648 feet, Biz
mingham might be as great a seaport
as Liverpool. Three-quarters tide
would bring the sea into the streets of
Birmingham. At high tide there would
be about $50 feet of blue water over our
heads. Every house would be covered.
and the tops of few chimneys would
alone indicate the site Of the town.
In a few hours more the whole of this
vast food would have retreated. Not
only would it leave England high and
dry, but probably the Straits of Dover
would be drained, and perhaps even
Ireland would in a literal sense become
a member of the United Kingdom. A
few hours pass, and the whole of Eng
land is again inundated, but only again
to be abandoned.
These mighty tides are the gift which
astronomers have now made to the work
ing machinery of the geologist. They
constitute an engine of terrific power to
aid in the great work of geology. What
would the puny efforts of water in other
ways accomplish. when compared with
these majestic tides and the great cur
rents they produce.
III lu6 great pIlueNdi Ilu6S Will pLO-
baby be found the explanation Of what
has long been a reproach to geology,
The early pal8ozoic rocks form stu
pendous mass of ocean made beds,
which, according to Prof. Williamson,
! are twenty miles thick up to the top OF
| the silurian beds. 1t has long been a
difficulty to conceive how such gigan
tic quantity of material could have been
ground up and deposited at the bottom
of the sea. The geolOgist said: "The
rivers and other agents of the present
day will do it if you give them time
enough"
But, unfortunately. the mathematician;
and the natural philosophers would not
give them time enough, and they ordered
the biologists to hurry up their pine
nomena." The mathematicians had other
reasons for believing that the earth could
not have been so old as the geologists
demanded. Now, however, the mathe
maticians have discovered the new and
stupendous tidal grinding engine. With
this powerful aid the biologists can gel
through their work in a reasonable pc
riOd of time, and the geologist and mathe
maticians may be recOnciled.