Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1894-05-17

which the early races of men could fee
from the gathering cold of the Northland
The estimate of time We make as follows:
The Eocene period. 100000; the Mo-
Gene period, 1900. 600; the P.iocene period,
2,o00,0Jo; the great Quaternary epoch,
1000, 600. Total Cenozoic time, 100000.
The Glacial Period.
This brings US down to the great glaci al
period OF the earth. which is reckoned as
belonging to the qualernary" period by
most biologists.
We show the earth at the beginning, or
near the beginning of that time. Our poor,
tortured earth has been tried b. fire. by
alter and by earthquake shocks for AGES
upon ages But now she must pass the
ordeal OF the air. For the air now con-
spired with all the others together to bring
upon her the most extraordinary series OF
experiences that could be conceived
First, we ask you to dismiss from your
minds the idea that the glacial period was
brought about through extreme cod Cold
could never have done it alone, nor could
heat but combination of the two could.
What is needed to make enormous quanti-
ties of snow? Plenty of steam or water
vapor What is needed to generate this
vapor? Plenty Of heat
So we have, as so ably shown by Prof.
Donnelly, the conditions for glacial
epoch: ~ A place where much aqueous
vapor could be generated; ~ winds to
carry it to a colder place on the globe; (3
cold air to turn the vapor to snow. ALI
these conditions came when the air above
the poles became colo through the<s hu ting
of or Sue Internal heat of the earth by the
thicksning Of the polar crust and the less
ening of the suns effectiveness by reasol
Of it's diminished size and the polar angle,
Of the earth to the suns rays.
During this awful period. life, both vege-
table and animal, had u hard struggle for
existence 1t was driven first to the north,
then to the south, in waves or vibrations,
corresponding to the "great astronomical
year" of the, earth. But the work Or evo-
luton went en- slowly, step by step, TO more
perfected forms. as the environments
would permit While this tremendous work
was going on. P1u.O had not ceased his la
bors by any means, for We ind that our
continent was lifted bodily. and again
dropped down beneath its load OF ice, sew
eral times
After the "Champlain epoch" came the
great period called the Terrace epoch
(SteeD during which period the land all
over the earth Osciilated up and down, like
a ship at sea 1t was during this time hat
the gigantic terraces CT Star-lfke ridges
were formed. such as those we see at Mack
mac and elsewhere L his feature is es-
pecially noticeable In the West OF Rocky
Mountain region, where the great lakes
are shown in the engraving. The Atlantic
continent is seen almost submerged, TO
again uprise. while its mate Sinks on this
continental teeter.n The mouths Of the
Mississippi, Amazon, aud Bio de la Plata
are still several hundred miles inland from
their positions at later period The State
of Michigan and part of Wisconsin are un-
der alter, forming one large lake.
We next come to the period called the
@Post Glacial and give view of the
earth during that period The Americas
have assumed an appearance nearly the
same as the present. yet there is great
difference In details, too small to be shown.
The river systems have changed a great
great DEAL also the lake systems. At
lantis, the 4gem of the ocean, has be-
come well defined during this period,
while the Atlantic continent has been
broken up and partly washed away. leav-
ing numerous islands Greenland has re-
treated farther northward, leaving the
place where the Atlantic continent stood,
with lis millions OF beings. to become the
great submarine ocean plateau of our day.
The Beginning of Man.
There has been much controversy had
over the question as to the particular
point in geologic time when man first be-
came a development hfch could be dis
tingutshed from the Quadrumana. Scien-
tifc authorities differ very widely upon