The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1884-02-13
HOW OLD IS NAN?

as one Of our leading scientific men.
His special department is geology. He
is firm believer in the evolution the
DRY, and has in fact just published
new volume on this subject World
Life or Comparative Geology, the OBJ
Ject of which is to show how the worlds
were evolved in accordance with La
PAGES nebular theory.
In this work the learned author un-
dertakes to give an approximate calcu-
lation of the age of the crust of the
earth. This leads him into discus
sion of the probable lapse of time since
the glacial age, an interval whose dura-
t!on possesses great importance from
ats bearing on the antiquity of the hui
man race. Man appeared on the earth
at the close of the great glacial epoch
The remains of man found in the river
gravels of the rivers of Western Eu-
rope are post-glacial, and are the most
ancient traces of man yet discovered.
1t has been claimed by Lyell, Lubbock,
Dawllins, Geikie and others, as is well
known, that these paleolithic relics are
some 100000 or 100000 years old; in
deed other psychologists assign them
to an age much more remote, even
Lyell in the first edition of his Anti
guilty Of Man, suggesting 100000 years
as probable figure. Professor Win
helPs attempt, therefore, to ascertain
the approximate date of the close of
the glacial epoch is both interesting
and important. There are four at
tempts, he says, to solve this question
which may be fairly regarded as ap-
proximating exact solutions" These
are CD The rate of recession of Mag
ara Falls, as lately announced by Direc-
tor James L. Gardner, combined with
the earlier suggestion of Mr.. Belt in
reference to the old. pres glacial gorge;
(2) the rate Of recession Of the Falls Of
st. Anthony, as worked out by Prof. N.
i'll. Winchell; (3)Sthe rate of recession
of the lake bluff north of Chicago, and
the determination of the volume of the
upper terraces above the bluff, as calcu-
lated by Prof Andrews; (4) the age of
the Mississippi delta, as determined by
Humphreys and Abbot.
"These four attempts" he says, care
measurements of the time since the dis
appearance of the continental glacier
and the substantial agreement of the
results adds to our confidence in them
The results are as follows:
l. By Niagara Gorge. $3.50 years.
q By st. Anthony Gorge, 8,202
3. By Lake Michigan Bluffs. $500
A. By the Mississippi River delta, 5000 {"
This corresponds very nearly with
the accepted Biblical chronology, and
is a surprising modification of Sir
Charles Lyell's and Professor Geikie's
figures There has been a great let
down in the extravagant estimates on
this subject in the last five or six years.
The whole matter Of the chronology of
the human race hinges on the age of
the flint implements found in the Som
me and Thames valleys, and by conse-
.quence, on the date of the great post
glacial flood. Bible students will be
glad to have such high authority as the
Michigan professor of geology in con-
frmation Of the Bible chronology. 1t
is not strange that Lyell and others
who are familiar with the geological
position in which these implements are
found should assign them to very re
mote period. They certainly look very
old, for they are found a mile and
half away from the present streams in
undisturbed river-gravel thirty feet be
low the surface. They are also inva-
riably found in association with the re
mains Of animals now extinct, or no
longer inhabiting these regions, as the
mammoth, the tichorine rhinoceros,
the cave-lion, the reindeer the musk-ox
etc
We shall be glad to hear what our
friend Of the independent has to say to
his
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