San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-04-06
Prehistoric Tides.

Al present the moon is 100000 miles
away but there was time when the
moon was only one-sixth part OF this,
or say 10000 miles away. That time
must have corresponded to some geoio-
eical epoch. 1t may have been earlier
than the time when Cocoon lived. IL
was more likely to have been later 1
want TO point out that when the moon
was only 10000 miles away We had IN
il a geological engine of transcendent
power. Ii the present tide be three
feet. and if the early tides be ZIG times
their present amount, then 1T Is plain
that the ancient tides must have been
64S feet.
There can be no doubt that in an
Gent times tides of this amount, and
even tide very much larger, must have
occurred. / ask the biologists to take
account of these facts, and to consider
the effect-a tidal rise and fall OF 64S
feet twice every day. Dwell for one
moment on the sublime spectacle OF a
tide 64S feet high, and see what an
agent it would be for the performance
of geological work We are now stand
ing, I suppose, some 500 feet above the
level of the sea. The sea is a good
many miles from Birmingham, Yeti TIE
rise and fall at the coasts were 64S feet,
Birmingham might be as great sea-
port 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 COW
cred, and the tops of few chimneys
would alone indicate the site of the town.
In few hours more the whole of
this vast flood would have retrated.
Not only would it leave England high
and dry, but probably The Straits of
Dover would be drained, and perhaps
even Ireland would, in literal sense,
become member of the United King
dom. A few hour pass, and the whole
of England in again inundated, but
only again to be abandoned.
These mighty tides are the gift which
astronomers have now made to the
working machinery of the biologists.
They constitute an engine of terrific
power to aid in the great work of geolo-
gy. What would the puny efforts of water
in other ways accomplish when COM
pared with these majestic tides and the
great currents they produce?
In the great primeval tide will prob
ably be found the explanation of what
has long been reproach to geology.
The early paleozonic rocks from stu
pendous mass Of ocean-made beds,
which, according to Professor William
son, are twenty miles thick up to the
top of the silurian beds. 1t has long
been a difficulty to conceive how such
q gigantic quantity of material could
have been ground up and deposited at
the bottom Of the sea. The biologists
said: "The rivers and other agents of
the present day will do it if you give
them time enough" But, unfortunate
ly, the mathematicians and the natural
philosophers would not give them time
enough, and they ordered the biologists
to "hurry up their phenomena" The
mathematicians had other reasons for
believing that the earth could not
have been so old as the biologists de-
manded. Now, however, the mathema.
ticians have discovered the new and
stupendous tidal grinding engine.
With this powerful aid the biologists
can get through their work in a reason
able period of time, and the mathemati-
clans may be reconciled.- by
Prof. Bali.