Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-01-18
B1RTH AND DEATH OF WORLDS.

memory.
BIRTH AND DEATH OF WORLDS.
1t has been shown that had past geological
changes in the earth taken place at the same
rate as those which are now in progress, l00,-
900, 900 of years at the very least would nave
been required to produce those effects which
have actually been produced, we find, since
the earth's surface was fit to be the abode Of
life. But recently it has been pointed out,
correctly in all probability, that under the
greater tide raising power of the moon in past
ages, these changes would have taken place
more rapidly. AS, however, certainly lO,OOO,-
900 of years, and probably much longer
time. must have elapsed since the moon was
at that favorable distance for raising tides,
we are by no means enabled, as some well
meaning, but mistaken persons have lmagln-
ed, to reduce the life bearing stage OF the
earth from duration Of 0O,OOO,OO0 OF years
to minute fraction OF such a period. Inc
short life but extremely lively one, Whlch
they desired to see established by geological
or astronomical reasoning, never can be dem
onstrated. At the very least, we must as
sign 10000, 900 years to the life-bearing stage
of the earth's existence. If we now multi
ply this period by seven for Jupiter we get
period of 60,000,000 years longer. Rut take
the stage preceding that of life on the earth.
From the researches of Bischoff into the
cooling of masses of heated rock, it seems to
follow that period of more than 30O, ,OW,O00
years must have been required for the cooling
of the earth from temperature OF 2O0Oo cen
tigrade to one of 2000, a cooling which has
certainly taken place. Suppose, however,
that these experiments, or the calculations
based on them, were vitlated by some error
so considerable as to increase the real duration
of the fiery stage of our earth's history more
than ten fold the real duration OF that period
being only 3O,0OO,000 years. Multiply this in
turn by and we get a period of 2lO,OOO,OOo
years, or 1S0,00 600 years longer. We ought
next to consider the vapor0us stage; but the
evidence on which to form an opinion as TO
the duration of this stage of a planets history
is too slight to be the basis of actual calcula-
tion. Here as Tyndall has well remarked,
''conjecture must entirely cease" But by
considering only two stages-tne hery stage
and the life bearing, or rather that portion OF
the life bearing stage through which the earth
has hitherto passed-We find the TWO mon
strous time differences-1S0, Goo, 900 and Co.
600. 900 years in all. They mean that if our
assumption as to the effect of Jupters supe-
rior mass is correct, then, supposing Jupiter
and the earth to have started into existence
as distinct or as at the same or nearly the
same time, 240,000,0O0 years must elapse be-
fore Jupiter will reach the stage Of planetary
life through which our earth is now passing.
Whether the assumption be correct or not.
the time differences between the stages OF
Jupiter's life and the earth's are of this order.
They must be measured by tens OF millions II
not by hundreds of millions OF years. we
must note however, that the 24O, ,OO0 OF
years correspond with only seventh part OF
that time in the earths history so that we
may say that, if our assumptions are correct,
Jupiter would now be in the state in which
our earth was 34,000,000 years ago, or nearer
the beginning than the end of the fiery stage
Prof. Proctor IN Belyaria.
SUNK LANDS OF ARKANsAS.-The Sunk
Lands, in southeastern Missouri and north
eastern Arkansas, are sort OF terra l'lcogn,td.
The average newspaper reader knows more OF
either Central Africa or Central ASIA The
country was formerly as beautiful and fer
tile plot of land as any OH the globe.
Rolling prairies were shaded by heavy forests
and traversed by two beautiful streams, the
Little at St. Francois Rivers. The rivers still
exist, but the general face of the country was
marvellously changed by the great earthquake
in 1S11-12. These streams, instead OF meader-
ing through rolling prairies and prlmeVai for
ests, now keep their tortuous courses by
chain of lakes and swamps OF cypress and
tupelo gum, draped artistcally with elk vine
and gray moss. 1t is paradise OF lowland
scenery, from which millions OF Photographic
views might be taken, leaving millions more
of equal beauty untouched.
The Sunk Lands proper are 12O miles long
and average 60 miles wide They are diversi-
fed with beautiful lakes, rolling prairies,
and dense forests. The lakes contain much
open water, and vary in depth from five to
thirty feet. Some are covered with forests OF
cypress and tupelo gum, festooned with moss
and vines. While canoeing your way over
these weird timber-grown lakes long Vlstas
meath oyerarching trees and vines open up to
view. and in the dim distance, seemingly
miles away, so marvellous is the prospective,
the waters Of open lakes are tremulous with
SunbeamS.
These timbered lakes are a favorite resort
for trappers and hunters. They annually cap
ture thousands of dollars worth of furs. Ot-
ters, beavers, raccosns, opossums, and musk
rats are trapped by the hundreds. Fine game
fish are also caught here. You can take the
black and Southern bass on ty, the trout
and silver fish, the sun perch, the silver SIDE
perch, the last the prettieSt and gamest hsh L
ever saw. l have caught them weighing two
and half pounds, and black bass and trout
weighing from five to seven pounds. Catfish
have been taken weighing ninety pounds, ana
gars eleven feet long have been killed III these
lakes.
The land is unusually fertile. Large farms
under cultivation yield immense crops OF
corn, cotton, wheat, rye, oats, sorghum, po-
tatoes, and other vegetables yet to stranger
the country seems like an unbroken forest.
The timber includes the most valuable timber
known to commerce, black walnut, ash, white
oak of the finest ship building quality, post
oak, cherry, maple, hichory, hackmatack,
cypress, catalpa and sassafras.
The Moon IN JANUARY.-The January
moon fuls on the 23d at thirty-one minutes
past 9 o'clock in the morning. The moon IS
in conjunction with Venus on the 9th, pass
ing 80 s. south. Planet and crescent, If not
very near, will be fair to see on the morning
sky. On the Sth, the moon is near Mars, but
both are invisible. The new moon on the
9th pays her respects to Mercury on the 10Th,
and draws near Neptune and Saturn on the
18th. She passes 90 north of Jupiter on the
18th. and is at her nearest point to Uranus on
the 9th The moon is in perigree or nearest
the earth on the 18th, and the moon runs
high" on the 10Th. The Winter nights, says
the Scientific american, will be superb about
this time, for the moon, rising high in the
heavens. near the full, and near the brilliant
Jupiter, will on cloudless nights, flood the
forest bound earth with silvery light.
THE RICHEST NINE IN THE WORLD.-To
the westward of the Surry hills, in TASMANIA,
in the county Russell, and at distance of
100 miles from LauncestOn, lies Mount Bisch-
off, and here few adventures found tin III
1872 a company was formed and workings
were commenced. An eminent mneraloglst
reported that the mountain was almost solid