The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-21
THE WATER STAYS THERE
Why 1t Is Piled Up Around the
Equator Thirteen Miles
High.
Interesting Facts by DIR. Swallow
in His Bible and Science
Series.
New Points brought Out in His Argument
That the Great Book Is
Inspired.

NEW iOlnts brOusnt Out IN HIS Argument
That the Great Book Is
Inspired.
During the later geological ages vast
changes were made in the continents and
oceans of the earth. Nearly ell of North
America west Of the Mississippi Was raised
above the Pacific ocean, Its great mountain
ranges were formed. and it's northern por-
tion was once depressed below the Arctic
sea and again elevated to its present posi-
ton. During the same period very impor-
tant though less extensive changes took
place between the oceans and continents Ut
the eastern hemisphere. But since the ex-
listing species of plants and animals APP
peared upon the earth, the continents and
oceans have become much moro fixed and
permanent. Still many important and de-
sttuctive changes occurred during the early
ages of the human species. Of these Noah's
food was by far the most disastrous to the
human race, ms clearly shown by the
many records and traditions which have
come Town to US from those times.
Accounts of this deluge are found more
or less in detail in the traditions. inscrip-
tions. poems and histories of all prominent
peoples ancient and modern of the four
quarters of the globe. The Greeks. Iio-
mans and d uids of Europe, the Chinese,
Burmese, Hindoos and Accadians in Asia,
the Egyptians, Phnnicians and Arabians Of
Africa. the Aztecs of Mexico, the Incas of
Peru and the Esquimo of Greenland, the
natives of Cuba and the Sandwich islands
are a few OF the many aboriginal peoples
who had records of the deluge more or less
complete. The most ancient and complete
are those of Berosus of Chaldea and those
lately exhumed from the ruins of Nineveh,
received through the Babylonian library
from the Accadians. the near descendants
of Ham. These records are almost identi-
cal with those of Moses in Genesis, and are
probably quite as ancient.
We might multiply authorities and fill a
book with ancient records of the deluge;
but the above must suffice. No event in
ancient history is better established than
Noah's food. But the clear and detailed
account of this disastrous event is given in
Genesis. and which was read to the conRte-
CATION of Israel every year, together with
the personal recollections and traditions,
which were handed down from generation
to generation, must have created vivid ap-
~prehensions that the fearful disaster might
be repeated. But God. the loving Father,
made ample promises and provisions to
quiet all such fears. As soon as Noah had
returned thanks for his preservation he
received the promise, II will not again
curse the ground any more for mans sake.
n = While the earth remaineth, seed
time and harvest, and cold and heat, and
summev and winter. and day and night,
shall not %cease." (Gen. S-12.) And lest
these personal promises should not be
enough, the Father made a personal cove
nant with Noah himself. that neither
he nor his p!osterIty should ever
be cut off by another flood.
But Notwithstanding the weakness of poor
human nature, the father gave as a token
and everlasting pledge that his promise
would be kept, the rainbow, the most beau
tlful object in the physical universe.
Though it spans the heavens all dazzling
and glorious it inspires no fear. The todd
ling child stretches forth its tiny hands to
clasp its bright beauties, and deorepit age
accepts it as a faint reflection of the light
IF that home whose glories ''eye hath not
seen nor ear heard, neither have entered
into the heart of man" to conceive. And
Job, in his poem, declares that God had
made special provision that this promise
boundaries of the sen. who shut up the
sea with doors? y \ x = and estab-
lished for it my decreed place, and set bars
and doors and said, hitherto shalt thou
come. but no f luther; and here shall thy
proud waves be stayed?' dob, SO, 81
But the Jews often forgot these promises
and the ever reappearing rainbow. They
murInured and went after strange gods. 10
bring them back and hold them, these
promises, with others. were often repeated
Though David and the long line of
prophets: Thou hast set a bound that
-. .-t -.~- ,1r &t-A kbo- t--,, 80
again to cover the earth" (Ps. 1861
After speaking of the flood and the
waters above tho mountains the psalmist
gives this assuring declaration that the
loving Father would not again permit them
to overflow the earth. Among the many
promises Of this kind was that uttered by
jeremiah: who has placed the sand for
the bounds of the sea by a PERPETUAL de-
cree that it nno pass der. 5-22.)
These precious and often repeated prom
Uses and the continued stability of CONT
nents and seas has SO removed all fears of
another f1ood that the teeming populations
of the world now build their cities down
where the tidea and waves sometimes SWEPT
away their treasures. But as the knowl-
edge of astronomy advanced, and the COM
plicated movements of the various members
of the solar sy stem were more carefully
observed, it wns dlscoveE ed that the moon
had been for countless ages coming nearer
and nearer to our earth, and that the tides
caused by her attraction were rising higher
and higher az the ages rolled on; and it
appeared that the time would come when
oceans proud waves" would no longer
''be stayed:" they would break through all
bars and doors" and sweep over our many
%populous cities and towns built by the sea.
1t seemed inevitable that by the working of
Gods u%nchanging laws, his promise often
repeated would be violated and that the
bow of promise" would become u bright
emblem of promises broken, faith DESTROYED
and hopes weakened. But fortunately
further investigation has shown that this
motion of the neon towards the earth will
in the near future become retrograde and
that it will as gradually retire and Cod
bars and doors' will stand Il oceans
proud waves be staysd."
But there is another and far more fearful
source of floods pending over the earth.
Should the revolution of the earth on it's
axis cease and the centrifugal force be de-
stroyed, then the waters now piled up
around the equator thirteen miles high,
would rush back towards either pole. sub
merge all the lower portions of the middle
ATTITUDES and all the polar egions, and
fully thfee-quarters of the population of
the earth would be swept away, and the
destruction of life would be a thousand
fold greater than that i'll Noah's food.
Fortunately this one motion of the earth
seems to be fixed and absolutely inyarinble:
ns iJ has been ever since God promised
a,oah that he would not again destroy the
world by a flood. The most accurate caicu-
lations have been carried back over 5000
years, and II has been ascertained that the
time of the revolution of the earth on its