Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-01-31
IN OLD EARTH.s BOWELS.


Tho Great Caverns in the Earth from
Which Hot Rivers May Flow
Has it ever occurred to the reader
that the earth is not solid, IS We COM
monty say, but @honeyeonbed' with
enormous cavities, or caverns, Of all
dimensions? asks the Boston Journal.
II SO, why should the caverns not be
numerous everywhere in the crust of
the earth, some ca. lily di 5coverd, as the
Great Mammoth Cave of Kentucky, and
others never yet seen by mortal eye?
These huge cavities, originally formed
when those portions of the earth's crust
we're in melted state, and results Of
the unequal cooling of different materi-
ais of the composition and of other
causes, If so situated may form the
basis, Of very interesting theories. For
instance, they may be generally filed
with water, and there may exist great
underground inland seas.
The source of the gulf stream has
always been disputed que stion. This
great body of warm water Is nothing
more nor less than stream or river in
the ocean, flowing through the colder
water. 1t was formerly thought that
this stream was formed in the equatorial
regions, where the surface water Of the
ocean was heated by the sun, and then
began to flow northward. Bnt of late a
theory has been advanced that this
stream, which Is just as well defined off
the Florida coast as off the Grand
Banks, is a stream of hot water which
oh l%lt+ar, ,of
the sea somewhere among the Florida
reefs. Recently the photographic office
of the Navy Department has been en-
deavoring to determine If it is SO, and
efforts have been made to find this
orifice by the use Of the sounding line.
But if stream of hot water of the pro-
portions of the gulf stream does issue
from an orifice in the bed of the sea.
then what a mighty boiler there must
be somewhere in the bowels of the
earth, and whenever these enormous
fires burn through the rocky walls of
the boiler, and the water rushing in is
instantly converted into steam, no Won
der if explosions ensue that cause the
everything waters and the earth's crust
to vibrate in great waves, which We call
earthquakes. Very probably this is
the case, for abundant evidence Of these
explosions caused by the contact of fire
and water when the earth's crust was
first commencing to form, is everywhere
apparent, only the effect of atmospheric
changes has covered the hardness OF
the face of the earth with kindly soil,
aud vegetation has clothed this soil with
the smile of Ii e. But wherever the
mountains are we see the evidences of
these steam explosions.
There IS one great rock IN the Yose-
mite Valley several thousands of feet
high, standing alone, from which some
great CONFUSION of nature has split up
a huge fragment and hurled it no one
knows whittier. But in the course of
time the earth's crust has grown thicker,
and we at present know little of these
subterraEean explosions, except when
the solid earth trembles in an earth
quake. Or, perhaps, it Is the forma-
ton of steam that raises the lava to the
mouth of the volcano and forces it out
upon the plain. until another wall has
been built between the fire and the
water III tut uepbA Vi Tile ehfbH. HSH,
too, the hot SPRING may show the ex-
istence OF the SUBJ erranean waters.
There are numerous other peculiar
circumstances which seemed to be ex-
planned by this theory. For instance,
it is aid that a great storm on the At
lantic coast of the United States is &C.
companied by the action Of the geysers
of the Yellowstone Valley, aud this
might be explained if it could be proved
that subterraneous water way from
ocean to springs existed. 1t may be
that this saltwater protects the sur
face of the earth from a great heat
However, ii the earth be not sold, as
we generally suppose. but peymeated
with seas, channels and passageways Of
various kinds. it gives a reasonable basis
for some of jules Verne's stories, and
probably explains many occurrences
that at present are only mysteries. 1t
remains for the future submarine veFsel
to solve this problem.