Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-06-07
MAN OF THE ICE AGE.
The SufferinGs of the InterglaciaI Adam
Was lie n Myth?
tWashInCton EVenIng Star.I

Mr.. Elmer II. Reynolds, in his lecture at
tine Catholic University yesterday after
noon on the subject OF "PaleOcosmic
Man" referred TO the different schools of
opinion founded on recent discoveries
in prehistoric archaeology respecting the
question OF the existence of the human
race upon the earth prior TO the glacial era.
He said that several glacial drift theories
have divided the scientific world. Accord
ing to Agassiz there was descent of ice
from the poles, forming hugo ice-cap,
which extended from the Arctic and Ant
arctic seas to within forty or fifty degrees
of the equator. According to some the
mass of Zee in the northern hemisphere
was quarter of milo thick. or. accord
ing 20 more conservative estimates, about
400 feet on an average.
The men who inhabited the circumpolar
regions fled before the great arctic erup-
ton and the tremendous field OF ice
ploughed up the surface Of the ground,
upon which their rude implements had
been strewn. filling up with the debris the
rivers which it met in t. march.
The second glacial theory, that of Sir J.
Dawson, Ia that the northern hemisphere
was depressed so abnormally as to form II
continental basin, something like that
formed at present by the Sahara desert.
This basin was then filled by the adjacent
-
carried toward the tropics by the arctic
currents, and these produced the mounds
and terraces of gravel and other indica-
tions of glacial action. This SEQ Is con-
sidered TO have been 900 feet deep and
covered nearly oil of Europe. Man, of
course, could not have existed under such
circumstances.
AN INTERGLACTAL EDEN.
According to o third theory. broached
recently by q well-known anthropOlOgist,
man first appeared upon the earth not be-
fore but during the last great secular
winter. which is variously cOniectured
TO have lasted from ten thousand to one
hundred thousand years. The speaker ob-
jected TO this on the ground of its discOrd
with what we would recognize as the eter-
nal fitness Of things" He appealed to tho
sympathy of his hearers in behalf of this
Adam bowed down beneath the icy heel
on interglacial despotism. Imagine, if you
can, that the glaciers are now within three
degrees of our old homes tead, the Mesapo-
tamian Eden. for such was the case.
Imagine this wretched forefather of ours
hustling about, waist deep in snow, trying
TO split kinding wood with rude stone
hatcbet that he might have cup of hot cof-
fee with which TO brace himself up before
going out TO plough and SOW his interglacial
oats-wild oats forus to harvest. Imagine
also that the Thermometer registers 500
degrees below zero and the woolly masto-
don is frozen as stark as Lots wife II
your imagination can wear such scientific
seyen-league boots as that, you can dimly
grasp the situation. for it is mildly
drawn chrOmo-lithograph of the intergla-
cial Eden"
PREGLAcIAL REMAINS IN AMERICA.
The lecturer spoke of the discoveries OF
DR.. Charles c. Abbott, of Trenton. the first
observer of preglacial remains on this side
of the Atlantic. The first ones discovered
by him were found projecting from an
eroded bank Of the Delaware river, and
they were subsequently found TO be i'm
bedded at intervals throughout the entire
mass of the undisturbed riparian ter
race forty-five feet in depth. These imple-
meuts were more or less of uniform size
and shape closely resembling in both
respects the drift implements of Europe
and ASIA. The observations of DIR. Abbott
wero verified by Professor Putnam and
other eminent, arch@ologists, and con-
frmed by the similar discoveries in the
glacial gravels of Ohio, the terrace grayels
OF the Mississippi, and the glacial mud of
the Missouri.
Altogether. Mr.. Reynolds said in closing
his lecture, tho facts would not warrant
one in coming to an absolute conclusion
regarding the existence of preglaclal man,
although he felt warranted in giving n con-
servative and provisional adhesion to the
affirmative side o; the question.
Mr.. Reynolds will lecture next Wednes-
day on the Prehistoric Mortuary Remains
of Maryland and Virginia"