The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-12-31
WHY THESEA ISSALT
1T HAS BEEN SO EVER SINCE TIE
CREATION or THE WORLD.

The sea a6 present contains 90, 0OO,-
600, 600, 000, 600 tons of salt. If this salt
could be gathered in a solid form and
compressed into the shape of q cube, it
would contain 10, 173, 000 cubic miles.
Each edge of such q cube would meas
ure somewhat more than 200 miles.
This is enough to cover all the land on
this globe with q uniform layer of salt
to a depth of 1000 feet.
This statement as to the saltiness of
the sea is interesting enough in itself,
but 1T is also suggestive. The questions
may well be asked, Whore did all this
salt come from, and what is the use of
it2 Several scientific gentlemen have
attempted to answer this first question,
and their efforts are not entirely salts
factory. The second question is not SO
difficult.
According to the history of the crea-
tion of the world, as told by Moses in
the Genesis, it is implied that the ocean
existed before the land, for, Oh the
third day. the water Under the heay-
ems" was gathered together and the dry
land appeared.
This statement has bothered a great
number of able philosophers, who, in
their effort to stick to tho letter of the
Scripture and at the Same time to rea-
SON out everything on perfectly natural
principles, have been puzzled to know
how such n grand transformation could
be accomplished in one day. And their
perpleXity was not relieved when learn
ed biologists announced that it must
have required ages for the waters that,
enveloped tho earth to subside and re-
veal this land hat lay beneath.
But when it was suggested that the
word "day" as used by Moses meant,
not a period OF "a hours, but an era Of
thousands OF years, the difficulty was
removed. This meaning of the word
ebay" is at present generally accepted
by devout scientists, who now declare
that there is nothing impossible in Mo-
ses' account of tho creation.
This description, to be sure, is la
mentally brief. 1t was hardly adequate
to pass over such n huge event as the
creation Of q world in a few lines. That
was q big story from q newspaper point
of view, and all thoughtful persons
must acknowledge that Moses did not
take advantage of his opportunity.
Accepting the Mosaic account, Dr.. II.
S. Hunt, a learned writer on tho phys
ical history of tho globe, supplies what
Moses left out, and in SO doing he gives
a very good reason for the presence of
the salt in tho sea. Having arrived at
the point of Moses meager narrative
where the earth was in a molten state
and surrounded by AN envelope Of Eases
and of water vapor, Dr.. Hunt says:
"The ~earbonates, chlorides and sui
pilates chemical combinations of car
bon, chlorine and sulphur with oxygen)
were changed into silicates. Tho car
bon, chlorine and sulphur, being thus
freed from the oxygen, separated in the
form of acid gases. These, with nitro
gen, vapor Of water and a probable OK
cess Of oxygen, formed the atmosphere,
which was very dense (and also very
unhealthy.
"The surface of the earth was cover
ed with lulnps of motion rock (probnbly
resembling furnace slag). The depressed
parts Of tho surface were filled with
highly heated solutions Of hydrocli loric
and sulphuric acids, which ate into the
surface and decomposed it. In this way
the silicates were changed to pure silica,
taking tho form of quartz as The atmos-
phere cooled, and the condensation Of
the vaporous atmosphere produced sea
water, holding in solution salts Of sodi-
um, calcium, magnesium and ammoni-
um. Tho atmosphere, Thus freed Of it's
noxious clements, became pure and fit
for man."
1t is therefore evident that the sea
has been salty from tho creation Of tho
world. The salt does not come, as il
generally supposed, from friction Of the
water against salt ''rocks" in the bed
of the ocean. This, then, answers tho
first question. Where did tho salt como
from? The second question is pretty
well answered by Mr.. G.. w. Little
hales i'll Appleton's Popular Science
Monthly.
cit sconls," he says, "that the sea
was made salt in tho beginning as a
part of tho grand design of the Creator
to provide for the system Of evolution
which has been going on since the crea-
ton. Many distinct species of living
organisms exist III tho sea as q result of
its salinity, and their remains have
largely contributed to the growth Of CON
tinents."
The minute creatures that have lived
in the sea for ages past have left endur-
ing monuments in the shape of islands,
rocks and continents. If tho sea had not
been sally, these marine animals could
not have existed and secreted tho hard
substance known as a "calcareous skele-
.ton," which has largely contributed to
the growth of continents. Among these
early inhabitants of the sea were %corals,
crinoids, sea urchins and starfishes.
h saltiness Of tho sea has also much
to do with the ocean currents, which
distribute the heat Of the tropics over
the colder regions of the earth. Currents
are largely due to the difference be-
tween the specific gravity of sea water
and the fresh water Of rains. Thus,
when rain falls ON a certain part of the
ocean, the effort of the heavier salt wa
ter Of the ocean to establish an equilib-
rum causes a current. - New York
World.
Cheyalier Bayard.
The famous Cheyalier Bayard, who
is held up in all the histories and ro-
mances as a model of chivalry, was