Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-12-14

forms 81 life
3 me.tzi.c Time, o. the era of medic
val f3rgis Of life.
T. Caa, z1ie Time, or the era OF more
rsesat fosms OF life.
Is Eszsie Time the earth had cooled from
fusion; The vspors had settled over the
solid hsd bot stiii hot crust. there TO make
OCEANS. The rocks exposed to the heated
aad seid waters were becoming ero3ed BY
the chemical seton Of these waters. and
over the regions where there were sus .
merged rocks, the work Of the Waves 10
making gravel, sand and mud was being
sdied 20 that OF the chemical action. xn6
by this me ans the original rock Of the
cooled crust was becoming nearly or en-
tireIg concealed BY new deposits; therefore
the 4 zoic rocks are the rocks made out
Of that crus'. Lot those Of the origional
ernst Itself
Eminent biologists affirm that the Etz nc
rocks Of North America cover large surface
over the northern portion of the continent,
also SONS narrow areas along the courses
Of xj..ieg mountains. The largest extends
from Lake perior. N. W, to the Arctic
seas ase N f to Labrador. From Lab.
rsdor peniBsular x;ends down into north
erp N. Y. including there the region Of the
Aditondscks 0.her ranges are the High
lands Of N. J portions of the Blue Ridge
Of Pennsy lyanis snd VHginix and the re gion
farther southwest; small areas in New
Er and and on the Atlantic border south
OF New York. large ares south OF Lake
Superior and the crest range of the Rocky
Mluntsln region Including the Wind River
IN ountaius aid the eastern range in Colo
rs6o. The original pucleus Of the CONT.
nent are parallel to the Atlantic snd Psciti :;
cost line the narrower areas follow the
courses of great mountain chains and are
parallel 10 the same lines,
Geology thus affords q demonstration that
even 10 Eozoic time the great outlines
Of the continent were defined, and that
all future progress was carried for
ward by working on the plan 30 early
laid down. The res. Of the continent was
under wster. | ut probably to no great depth
The f zoic rocks comprise gneiss and
granite. syenyte, syenytic g,eiss and other
horn blende rocks, with chloritic rocks,
qusrzste ard some other kinds. A short
de seription Of the cons.itusnts Of these
rocks ms, b, OF interest: Granite IL com
passed Of cry slaIline grains of three minerals,
quartz lslspsr and mica mixed promiscu-
0usly together, all having been rendered
crys,ailit by process in which b At vas
concerned. The qusriz grains are usually
arAyiah Ia color and have no clesrsgs; the
graias of felspsr have clearsgs and show
sps, king surfaces in the sunlight, lis color
Is Usually white or fiesh-red. The mica is
much sofssr than fslspsr and may be Ovid
ed lHio thin scales, its color is white. bro W.
b or black.
9neis. bss the same Ingredients as
Qr mite, but they are arranged more or
le "a ia plsnes, and owing TO the NJ ca
the rock splits int, thick layers and on Q
cross frsc'ure appssfs banded On account
Of It's splitting into isyers 1t IL called
sehistose roGk and this 10 the only means Of
iisrins uishing it from srsuite. Syenyte is
: grsnise ike rock containing hofnblends
IN place Of III ca; the horHblsnde is grsyish-
black gteeuish black or black it Is 8 brittle
minersl, and csnaos bs split into leaves
like mics; /, makes very heavy rocks and
,oaetiDes i, resembles an ore Of iron.
Limeetoues are Of dub shades Of coicr
from white through gray. yellow. red and
brown to black, and are of sll degrees Of
Il x.ure from that of flint to coarse granu-
lar texture. Thus showing tia; these
.ueisns rocks were made of very tough ms
terisl, we'll fued for this hfst place. They
noluisd immense beds Of iron ore in New
Yo,k, New Jersey and Canada and the
re zion in Missouri where there are Whist
are csiled the Iron Mountains some Of these
beds are from 100 to 200 feet in thickness.
o~irg to the ,aYgs amount OF iron ore the
e. nc vas termed the iron sgs in the
tri.
naiiy sedm ntsry deposits laid down in
snr 1a:sl beds. but are now upturned at
ali angles. showing that suesf qient TO their
deposition ihfy underwen. the great distnr-
bsnes thst attended mountain Dlskirg The
ssrIisst pars s.f Eezaic tina wss necessarily
without hfe; Tor until the rocks and seas
had cooled down 30 the temperature OF
boiling water IFS. was hardly possible.
Plants Of the lowest orie,s can bsar high.
er /. moers nee than the lowest Of suimsls
aud we're probably the arst living species
TIE esidencs however, 10 not conclusive
ssat eiJhsr pants or animals we're living ii
toe ega.;if there we're fossils in the rocks
they have been CELEBRATED by the cri stsli-
z ..i0n Of the beds.
Tie re- niasulsr Of Eozoic rocks which
extend from Labrador down into New
FORK crossed he region now occupied By
our State. ard gives to Us our ancient focks,
tn. metsmorphic predominsting, and in
clusss tse siads already mentioned; the
nest important deposit Of gneiss Is near
the caElr ext n6ise from Wssibrook east
wstdiy accoss Penohsc1t hsy; the sec md
deposit i, - 10 in the northern part of
Oxford toamy. uish sUsller pstchss in the
ou'h~aster TT part Of the Sssse. The mica
shiss esn,iss of alternate layers Of mica
xnsi auSriz, bat pass insenslblv int, the
other shi.ts: when the quartz Ia 6sfciens IL
verge. to .ar6s clay .ls.es; snd ~hsn the
mic. 10 Dc icisns is passes io.n quar- ro@k;
.hs 50 rocks are sbund.nt all over Maine
Tbs limestone srs rumerous, occurring in
xlrue.s every coun-v. those OF Tho nss-
ton and Rot klaod .re nesrly pu.s csrba nate
81 Hma. consisting only tso per Can't. Of
mt utities. They range 10 color iron, pale
ray into TIE deep tlos gays Q ,arz
|. the moss C mmon m,terisi Of
our rccs.. Is Is % various colors ard
liaes; Il 10 often feun' in delicp e shades
II ra.e. purple, blue ard green; il int ludss
he finfs and horastoHes ard the smooth
,urfsced stones Of the roads, and pebbls-
bank whether = hi.e W liov brown or black.
There 10 Q large smouns Of granite in
Maine; sccordirg 70 the ob'e-vasions OF
DE-. Holmes i, /, the prevailing rock ia Or
'ord and Yosk counties. Patches Of greater
II less size, are fou ID Ia the counties sdjain
M the Kennebec river; there are immense
,snees OF Il in Hxreeck and Washington
!. mates. The Ksahcin region Is also gran
ic. Uadi metamosphic states sre inciu-
led . variety Of hn.ustoae, isspar and
Ill cious states. The largest mass OF
hesa roeks 10 in thu STU bern psrt IF
W sai- ston county AT d Ap oarensly u,dsriie
10 immr nse an oun. Of jasper which IL very
Palesx nc tine followed. and hss 5tea
liviied into thr sges. The silurion, the
Devoniaa and he Csrboniferous. The
silufian 10 divided mo two eras
The Lo ser 81 urlx, and the Upper 81 ucisa
rhe rocks OF the Lossr SilariAa are most
II sand stanes, smaller, eonslomsfases SGD
imesror.s the rene Is ffu. for eli ,ucceet
az erss i, g.oiosicA history; for ssnd |
BEDS, mud beus nd hmestoaes h I'VE alvays
,asn ia a, y,~ss iran this time on rad in |