The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-18
lead to subterranean commissions in North

America"
The old theories were that earthquakes
were the result OF internal ares, which, gen.
Grating steam through ocean leakage, would
produce explosions. Proctor says, in regard
to this matter: "While we still recognize in
ternal heat IS the Immediate cause of sab
terransan movements, We recognize as the
cause of this heat the energy pervading the
earth's mass. It is the esrth'a attractive en-.
ergy, steadily acting upon her crust, which
generates the heat by which that crust ia dis
turbed." The philosophy of this principle
may be thus briefly expounded for the general
reader. BY the loss Of the earths internal
heat, and the gradual contraction of its
masses OF solid substance, ''room ia left"
according to this philosopher, 'for the move
meDt inward OF the rock substances of the
crust with crushing grinding action. &C
companied By the generation OF immense
heat" Thus, he adds, 30 long as the force
of gravity continues to have matter to set
upon efficiently, the earth's vitality will
continue. According to this theory-which
Mr.. Proctor Gays is an established fact''-
the tendency is toward diminished NANTES
tatioa of earthquake energy; but the. ten
dency $50 slowly developed as TO practically
amount to nothing in any one century.
THE esrth's vitality is apparently the same
now as 1t was thousand years sgo,
and as it will be 8 thousand years
hence" 1t seems slight process this
slow, steady and insensiDle ooptrsctiou of
the esrths crust and psopls can not see
how it can generate force lin the form of
heat that produces earthquakes. "But,"
says the astronomer whatever am 5unt of
heat is required to expand a given mass in
such and such q degree, the same precise
amount Of heat will be generated by the con-
traction Of the mass in that degree. When
We consider what tremendous hsst would
be required to expand the globe of the earth
SO that its surface should be messurably in
creased, ne see how processes of contraction,
altogether too slight to produce measurable
dimunition of any part Of the esrth's sur
face. correspond to most effective local ac-
cessions Of temperature"
The condition of matter inside our earth
is largely, If not exclusively, subject of
conjecture. Many Swans begin to suspect
than even modern biologists will admit,
The old idea that the earth is only 6, 900
years old has been abandoned by more ad-
vsnced thought, and now one seems
ready to accept any theory t-hich will
express in almost fabulous long periods
of time the age of our planet Yet in all
this time, mankind never have learned the
real condition of thinge even one mile be-
low the surface OF the globe on which their
endless generations have arisen and van.
| isbed. Mr.. Proctors assumption of uni
versal molten interior may be right or
wrong. One of the most ingenious reasoners
on the laws of volcanic action, Mr.. Judd, an
| Englishman, does not believe the earth's
| great interior is Q mass of molten matter,
but that it is extremely solid. consisting of
magnetic iron. He explains this unquestion.
able heat that Is encountered near thesurface
| by very possible chemical reason, and assigns
to the heated belt only limited vertical
| area. However this may be, Mr.. Proctor
takes what is perhaps more tenable ground
in turning from the earth to the sun, and
ascribing the source of solar heat to the
sums contraction. Thus does gravitating
energy -Newton's still mysterious Law
generate the bee. that originates and main
tains all the forms of life in our world, as in
the rest OF the solar system. 1t seems in
deed to be, as Mr.. Proctor believes. the source
of oil life, and of all forms OF movement, in
the universe for what is true of our sun is
true of the countless other suns which we
| call the stars of space. This view of the
subject does indeed ''seem to present CRAWL
tation ss in sense associated directly with
the great First Cause"