The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-01-29
THE SEA GROWING MORE SALT.
Additions of Mineral and Vegetable Matter
Not Balanced.

Modern research has shown that the ocean
contains IN solution nearly every element
that exists upon the earth. and that these
elemepts exist in the water In proportion
nearly corresponding 10 the mean solubliy
OF their various compounds Thus gold and
silver and most OF the other heavy metals
are found TO exist there. Sonnenstadt. says
the Detroit Free Press. found about fourteen
grains OF gold To the ton Of sea water, or
dollars worth In less than two tons. As thu
ocean covers all the lower valleys OF the
earth. IL receives all the drainage from the
whole Of the exposed land. This drainage -
the rain water that has fallen upon TINS
EXPOSED surface: has flowed down It's super.
dcial slopes or has sunk into porous land
and descended underground In either case,
according to Science, the water must dis
solve and carry with II any soluble matter
that It meets, the quantity Of solid matter
which Is thus appropriated being proportion
ate to It's solubty and the extent OF IFS
exposure to the solvent. Rain, when 10
falls apon the earth. is distilled water near.
" pure dts small impurities being what 10
obtains from the air.. but river water, when
II reaches the ocean. contains measurable
quantities Of dissolved mineral and yege-
table matter. These small contributions are
ever pouring I'm aud ever accommodating THIS
continual addition u dissolved mineral salts
without any corresponding abstraction ~
evaporation, has been going on ever since
the surface OF the earth has consisted q
| land and water.
An examination OF the composition Of
other bodies OF water which. like the ocean.
| receive rivers or rivulets and have no other
outlet thin that afforded by evaporation,
| confirms this view All Of these are more
| or loss saline. MANY Of them more 80 than
the ocean itself On the great table land OF
| Asia. 1.-THE roof OF the world" there 10 null
titude OF small lakes which receive the
waters Of the rivers and rivulets q that re-
/ giOn and have no outlets 10 the ocean. On
the map they appear like bags with string
attached the bag being the lake and the
string the river. All these lakes are saline,
many Of them excessively SO, simply because
they are ever receiving river water Of slight
sallnity and ever giving of vapor which has
no salinitv at all There Is no wash through
these lakes as I'm the great American lakes
| or those Of Constance. Geneva, etc. The Sea
| OF Aral and the Caspian are lakes without
| any other outlet than evaporation ana they
are saline accordingly. The Dead Sea, which
| receives the Jordan az one end and multi
| tude Of minor rivers and ryulets az iis
| other end and sides. Is noted example OF
| extreme salinlty. IL Is, as everybody knows,
| n sea or lake OF brine The total area or
land draining into the great oceln does not
| exceed one fourth OF its own area, while tho
Dead Sea receives the drainage and soluble
matter OF an area about twenty times greater
than it's own. and thus il fulhlls the demand
Of the above stated theory by having far
greater sainlty than has the great ocean,
According to this view the salinlty OF the
ocean must be steadily though very slowly
| increasing, and there must be slowly pro-
ceedlng corresponding adaptation OF eyo.
tuition among it's inhabitants both animal
| and vegetable.