Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-13

There Was Once . Real Atlanta. Abou,
Which the Gcoloxista Toll Ssories

rhere was Once . Real Atlanta, About
which the Geoioxists Toll Stories
IS TLANrIs - THE sUpposITTrIous
- continent In the midst Of the Atlantic
ocean, OF which so many remarkable stories are
told-is undoubtedly q myth, but il is entirely
certain that there was once a real Atlanta
said Prof. Magee of the geological survey TO
writerfor The STAR. During that ancient epoch
which we call the pAleozoic, nobody knows how
many millions of years ago. there was great and
lofty continent in the middle OF what we nov
know as the North Atlantic ocean II was about
1000 miles long from north to south, ard
nobody knows how wide IL was All
we can tell is that its mountains
were very high and that on its western
slope it had long and large rivers. II was
ing sure that il endured for ages beforerat the
close OF the paleozoic. it had slnk 70 the level
OF the sea. subsequently, thaoxth further
sinking il became part Of what is now the
level plain Of the Atlantic.
HOW IT rs KNOWN.
"How do We know all this, you ask? By the
traces Of its former existence which this
geological Atlantis has left behind in the shape
of sediments deposited by its rivers Where
are these sediments found? Well. the Apnala-
chan mountains are entirely composed OF
them. In that distant age Of which we are
speaking the eastern part OF the United States
had not as yet been uplifted above the ocean.
When this portion of the continent did emerge
from the sea the sediments / have spoken of
came up with it, forming the Appalachian
range among other features of what is now
vanished continent must have been long and
large, because no small streams could have
transported such sediment
INTERESTING STUDY.
'fou may well imagine how interesting il
must be to the geologist to explore, hammer in
hand, the Appalachian hills for fossil forms OF
life which existed upon this ancient and mys-
terious land mass SO many thousands of Gen.
turtles ago. or the climate of the geological
Atlantis this much may be said: 1t was very
warm and moist. the air probably so laden
with carbonic acid gas that mammals. Lad
there been any, could hardly have breathed it
with comfort Malaria and other miasmatic
diseases were afoat in the atmosphere. Con-
ditions were more unfayorable for human life
than they are now in that dreadful region
known as the Delta of the Gauges, where
Europeans are unable to survive.
IN THE PALEozoIc AGE.
The land of the vanished continent was
covered with rank and gigantic growths. not
ably with huge pines and giant mosses-the
coal plants destined to furnish fuel eventually
to mankind. These plants grew more luNurl-
antly near the 1t was a great time for IN
sects, especially cockroachcs. The paleozoic,
you will remember. is called the age of cock
reaches because of the enormous numbers Of
them found in fossil shape in the strata laid
down during that epoch. Ages were yet to
pass by before mammals could appear
upon the scene. In the seas around about
the continent gigantic sharks and armored
fishes disported themselves together with
marine reptiles, big and small The time
which has elapsed since then is SO vast that
science does not attempt to make any estimate
respecting Its duration. So many millions OF
years have gone by since the real Atlantis sank
out OF sight beneath the ocean that the period
is an eternity compared with the brief spcn Of
a single human life"