Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-04-08
AGE OF THE EARTH.
A FASCINATING sTucy THAT is ELu.
cIDATING A GREAT MYSTERY.

ClOATlNG A GREAT MYSTERY.
rhs Science of Geology shows TIn, the ,
Age Of the world Narics Isr,w-en ~. I
600. 900 aud ESQ. coo. .oon Y-ar- uow {
These Computation, Are Made.
At the recent meeting uf the British l..
Discourse was delivered hy
the president, Sir Archibald Grrki", on
one Of the most interesting problems in
modern science-the age IT the world
Over a century has elapsed since jaime,
Hutton wrote his Theory of the Earth,
which was the first attempt toformulaie
a chronology Of creation tn accordance
with the discoveries of science; since
then knowledge has made vast strides,
and his followers have access to mas.
of information which he did not possess.
Playfair and Kelvin improved upon his
work. and now Gerkie aud the school TO
which he belongs have gone beyond
them.
Biologists have ascertained that the
rate at which erosion takes place can be
measured; 10y applying their scale TO the
sedimentary rocks they have formed q
hypothesis as to the time which has
elapsed since erosion began. To put the
proposition in similar language, the sur.
face Of the globe is constantly wearing
away under the influence of water and
wind. The portions which are worn off
are carried down to the sea or into hol.
lows, where they are deposited and form
sedimentary rocks. II we can ascertain
how long it takes to form sedimentary
rock we can figure ont when the progress
of wearing away and redepositing began.
Sir Archibald states that on reason
able computation the stratited rocks at
tain an average thickness of l0O. 900 feet
The material Of which they consist was
all washed down from high planes, de-
posted and left to stratify. By the in
spection Of river banks 1t Is found that
In places the surface Of the land which
has been carried down as sediment in
rivers has been reduced at the rate of a
foot in $50 years, while in other places,
where the land was more stubborn or
less flexible, il has taken G 800 years 10
lower the surface one foot. The deposit
must be equal TO the denndation. Thus
we find that while some Of the sedimen-
tary rocks have grown foot in 730
years others have taken $500 years TO
rise that height. Thus the period Of
time that was required To build up l00,-
900 feet Of sedimentary rock has varied
according to locality from 73,0OO, ,00O
years to 6s0, 900, 900 years. 1t follows
that the active work of creation lasted
for cycle intermediate between these
two figures. The cycle varied with end
less succession of periods Of disturbance
by volcanic force and glacial action,
and the frequent submersion Of dry
land, alternating with the emerging OF
continents out of the seas. These may
have retarded the growth of sedimen-
tary rocks. but they cannot have accel-
Grated it.
i A study of fossils teaches the steady
uniformity with which the work OF
3! creation proceeded. Since man began
+ 10 observe there has been no change in
the forms of animal and vegetable life.
A few species have disappeared-not one
new species has been evolved. Not only
do we find the fauna and flora of ancient
Egypt as depicted on monuments which
are probably 5000 or 10000 years oil
identical with those which are found IN
that country today, but shells which in.
habited our seas before the ice age and
grew in an ocean whose bed overlay the
Rocky mountains are precisely the same
species that are found in the Bay OF
/ Monterey and the waters of the Chesa.
i peake. 1t is evident that there has been
! no essential change in the conditions o.
i life since these animals and these vege
tables were first created, yet how vast
the shortest period which we can assign
TO the gap that divides us from that re
mote epochl
Little by little the geologist is lifting
the veil which covers the prehistoric
record Of our planet. The era which
preceded the age of civilized man, with
its vast rivers carrying down diluvial
foods TO the ocean, and the bursting
forth OF mountain ranges from contrac
tons Of the earth's crust has been painted
to the life. But no one has exercised his
pencil on that preceding age, when the
forests made way for clumps Of stunted
birch and willow, ineessant snowfall.
coNtfcu tue pldllst EiaSteIh CTept uoNI
from the north, aud gradually a vast
sheet Of ice half mile thick drove man
kind, with the mammoth and tire rein
deer, to those fortunate regions which
like California, escaped the agony OF tia,
last ice age.
Nor have we any distinct perception
Of that subsequent age when the ic'
melted or receded to the pole. or dens,
tropical jungle grew mp in the morassei
it had left, swamps steaming with trop
ical heat swarmed with uncouth ba
trachian and reptile life, trees Of mon
strous growth shed their shade ovei
shiny pools and black ooze, and in tn,
distance long mountain ranges who's,
fontanel had not yet closed, poured {
never ceasing flood Of lava down theii
sides This is page of history which
is yet to I've written, but the materials
are accommodating. and the historian vii
not be long wanting.-San Francisco
. Call.
sweet simplicity.
A party Of guests from well known
New Hampshire hotel deserted the piaz
gas and wandered down into the mead