The Tombstone epitaph., 1882-02-27
Pre- Historic Tides.

rol. Dall, ol Englanu, lh a recent
 lecture, spoke as follows
 At present the moon is 240,000
 miles away, but there was a time
 when the moon was only one-sixth
 part of this, or say 10000 miles
 away. That time must have corres-
 bonded to some geological epoch.
 It may have been earlier than the
 time when Eozoon lived. It is more
 likely to have been later. I want
 to point out tLat when the moon was
 only 10000 miles away, We had in
 it a geological engine of transcend
 ent power. If the present tides be
 three 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 an-
 cient times tides of this amount, and even tides very much larger, must
 have occurred. 1 ask the geologists 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 tide GAS feet high, and see what an agent it would be for the performance of a geologic al work We are now standing, I suppose, 800 feet above the level of the sea. The sea is a good many miles from Birmingham, yet if the rise and fall at the coasts were GAS feet, Birmingham might be as great seaport as Liverpool. Three-quar- ters tide would bring the sea into the streets of Birmingham. At high tide there would be about 150 feet of blue water over our heads. Every house would be covered, and the tops of a few chimneys would alone indicate the site of the town.
 In few hours more the whole of this vast flood 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 in literal sense would become a member of the United Kingdom. A few hours pass, and the whole of England is agaln inundated, but only again to be abandoned.
 These mighty tides are sths I'll which astronomers haveti:n1l to the working machinery & logist. They constitute fe z : of terrific power to aid in e19 < .a work of geology. Whatl lw6uIG s<Ke puny efforts of water in other ways accomplish when compared to these majestic tides and the great currents they produce ?
 In the great primeval tides will probably be found the explanation of what has long been a reproach to geology. The early paleozoic rocks form stupendous mass of ocean, made beds, which, according to Prof. Williamson, are twenty miles thick up to the top of the silurian beds. It has long been difficulty to con- ceive how such gigantic quantity of material could have been ground up and deposited at the, bottom of the sea. The geologists said; "The riv- FITS and other agents of the present day will do it if you give them time But, unfortunately, the nathematicians and the natural phil osophers would not give them time enough, and they ordered the geolo- gists to hurry up their phenome- la." The mathematicians had other 'easons for believing that the earth could not have been so old as the yeologists demanded. Now, how ever, the mathematicians have dis covered the new wand stupendous tidal grinding engine. With this powerful lid the geologists can get through heir work in reasonable period of ime, and the geologists and the ma ,hematicians may be reconciled.
 PROF. JOHN A, CHtRCU. superiptendent