Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1884-05-29

The Bermuda lSianQS are SlCuatcu
about the same distance from the United
States that the Azores are from Spain,
and are likewise surrounded on every
side by great depths Of water. The
deepest water in t61sNoftk Atlantic is
about twenty thre bousald feet, being
lgfound4boE four hGhdreds miles south
of Bermuda Bermuda is fifty described
by Captain Mares, of the Challenger ex-
| pedition, as being - solitary peak ris-
Ling abruptly from q base only one hun
fdred Snd twenty mifes in diameter.
Fifty miles on each side of Bermuda the
depth of the water is about fifteen thou
! sand feet. .-----------
A section of the Atlantic extending
from the Strait of Gibra tar to the coast
of North Carolina would be about as
I follows: For sixty or seventy miles a
depth of about six hundred feet; for
the next fifty, about three thousand
| feet:- fer the next AHRdred, six Thousand
| feet: for the next two hundred, twelve
thousand feet; for the next hundred
| Tin the neighborhood@ of the Madeira
Islands), six thousand feet: for the next
/ three hundred, about twelve thousand
| feet; for the next six hundred miles
(past Azores), six thousand feet; for
the next eight hundred miles (to the
| Bermudas), from fifteen to twenty thou
sand feet, which depth continues from
the Bermuda westward for six hur-ared
or seven hundred miles, where shallow
er water is reached along the coast OF
1 the United States, corresponding to that
| upon the European side. -.e7
From this it appears that were the
| whole bed of the Atlantic elevated six
| thousand feet, it would not increase the
land surface sufficiently to afford any
natural communication for barbarous
tribes to pass from Europe to America.
Furthermore, it is altogether impr0b-
able that there has, in recent geological
| times, been even so great an elevation
of the sea bottom. Whatever may have
been the changes of sea level in the
earliest geological epochs, it is pretty
certain that since the beginning of the
tertiary period, which far antedates the
appearance of man, the relative rela-
tons of continents and oceans have re-
manned substantially the same. This
inference does not rest wholly upon the
mere improbabilty, from natural causes,
OF the occurrence OF SO great a change
of level in recent times as would bring
any considerable portion Of the bottom
of the Atlantic above. water; but the
.permanence of the continents is shown
positively from the fact that they
are mainly built up by shallow
water deposits, - proving that
since the earliest emergence of our con-
tinent from the primeyal sea, it has
never been very greatly depressed be.
meath the water The repeated occur
renee of conglomerate sandstone, shale
and limestone in successive series over
the larger part of the land surface OF
the earth shows that, while the present
continents in their earlier history were
subject to considerable oscillations OF
level, these changes of level were still
very limited in extent, and the land
surface was never depressed to any
great depth. The sand from which
sandstone is made settles of necessity
near the shore. and the fine sediment
from which shale is formed, settles be-
fore it is carried far into the sea; while
the forms of the organisms from which
the most of our limestone is made do
not flourish in deep water. If, as is
doubtless true, the continents are, as a
whole, gradually rising, and the ocean
beds gradually sinking, we must still 90
back an enormous distance to find the
time when the Atlantic plateau, now
submerged. six thousand feet, would
have been above the surface of the
water; and it would be entirely out OF
| the question 10 connect such continent
with SO recent an event as the advent OF
! man , - 49,. s..Fs7 y
Furthermore, the higher species Of
animals and plants occupying Central
America and Northern Africa are so di-
verse in their character that it can not
be supposed that. there has been any
recent land connection. Even the ami
mails upon the ISLANDS in the Atlantic
fare so diverse from those upon either
continent as to forbid the supposition OF
recent land connection with either.
Nor is there any direct evidence of
any consequence requiring u lost At
lantis to explain it. The few reports
by the early Spaniards, of the existence
of tribes sof negroes in Central and
South America are of doubtful author
ity, and, if credible, the presence of
negroes among the Indians might be
accounted for from the chance trans
portation of an African boat by an
equatorial ocean current setting toward
America. Indeed. Columbus, upon his
second voyage, found upon. the island
of Guadalonpe fragments of wrecked
vessel that had been drifted across the
Atlantic, and it is probable that the
coRspiring force of ocean currents and
-trade-winds would makesuch' accidents
not infrequent. But the physical effect
OF a chance shipwreck, where the sur
vivors were usually men, would be
tritiing upon the population of coun-
try already occupied; and the inhab-
itants of America are. certainly not
affiliated with those of Europe and
Africa. either by their anatomical sor
linguistic. or tribal characteristic. We
may rest, therefore, in the conclusion
that the American Indians were emil
grants from Asia. <Sx',-s. -
We should state, however, that the
Eskimos are Of race entirely distinct
from that of the Indians. e..
Frederick Wright, IN Chicago Aduance.
Snow.Shoes Worn by Horses.
Last Mon day. on the line of snow
shoe travel between Del No tie and