The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1895-05-16
GEOboGY,s RELATION TO GEOGRAPHY
(By a Member of Glass b

In the past two centuries history records some
appalling events in the way of great catastrophes
that have come to this earth of ours, and SO DIS
figured it in places that it would not be be able
to recognize it's former-self if it could behold its
reflection in large mirror. 1t is universally
accepted by scientists that the earth as 1t STANDS
today was at one time covered by vast body OF
water. and at that time was formed the bed
rock. above which rests the loose or some strait !
fed composition known as the drift
Scientists were somewhat divided as to what |
was the prime cause of this drift. but now, |
generally accept glacial action as the solution. |
Before this theory was established, many be-
lieved it was caused by the deluge, and in time
to come, there may probably be other views,
but be that as it may, we in our humble sphere
are Inclined and nightly too to accept the views
of those have spent their lives making that their
one study. But my idea in this paper is to en-
deavor to show that it would not seem to be an
utter imposblity of imagination, to justify us in
the belief that the geography of our earth was
not always what it Is at present; and that the
changes that have occurred. might have been
caused by some terrible and sudden catastrophe.
shall cite a few instances where great stretches
of land have suddenly sunk from view. and IN
their places roll mighty pillows. and from the
| smooth even surface of the ocean have sprung
like magic great islands.
In Ireland in 1885, at distance of thirty miles
from the main land, a volcano suddenly burst
forth from the waters, and a new island was
thrown up consisting of high cliffs, but within
year. it had sunk again into the unknown depths
of the ocean. In the same year about month
after the creation of this new island, the main
land of Ireland was visited by an earthquake.
5000 of the $4,000 inhabitants persisted, and
twenty villages were either burned or became
submerged, and mass of lava was thrown OUT
which was greater in bulk than Mount Blanc.
Again in 1922, on the island of Java great
earthquake occurred and at the same time the
eruption of a large mountain, lasting five hours,
and on the following four days. rain fell III tor
rents: at the end of which time another eruption
took place accompanied by violent earthquake
which utterly changed the face OF the mountain;
its SUBMITS were broken down, and one size
which had ceen covered by trees, became an
enormous gulf in the form of a semlclrcle; loul
thousand persons were killed. Another strange
phenomenon was the birth of new island near
the coast of Sicily in 1881, and named Graham'>
island, which was caused by an earthquake. III d
month the island had grown to be 200 feet il
height and three miles in circumference; 1t 700
however, in a short time again sank beneath the
, sea.
= One more instance that of the great earth
ouake at Lisbon in Nov. 1873, a violent shock
suddenly threw down the greater part OF thf
city: in six minutes sixty thousand persons per
. ished A great crowd of people had gathered
for safety Oh a new quay, built entirely OF mar
{ ble but suddenly it sank with all On 1t, ana no
a one body ever fioated to the surface. grea
# number of small boats anchored near 1t were
g swallowed up as in whirlpool, the depth OF TIT
g water where this quay went down was 81
n hundred feet. Other cases might De clteo pu
Y. enough has been given to show us what an ehoi
y nous lot of volcanoes are hidden away some
4 where in the interior of the earth, and preak
. ing forth at intervals cause widespread destruc
70 ton Now the question arises what was tn
10 geographical description of the earth IN pre-
y, historic times? Would an nhabtant of tina
20 age be able to locate himself from map OF tn
ID modern world? am inclined to think mol
~ Were there not large islands or possibly cor
Ie tinent where the ocean now rolls, which slhklh
ID beneath the sea, caused the present haDltapl
ID globe to become drained and forming new col
Te tinent.
so AS the instances above mentioned nave o.
70 Cured almost within the present age cannon
es conceive of greater calamity, a universal ah
If terrible disaster? Certain it is we have tradltlo
n OF sucn catastrophe, So unlVeIsdl anions
We branches of the human race, that we can haro'
is be justified in believing them myths, but mus
,d certainly arise from the remembrance OF som
ke terrible event, impressing the imaginatlons
st the first ancestors of our race so poWertul
all as never to have been forgotten by their de
mi cendants. So if our earth was once the pla
ed grounds for the fishes and our highest mounta1
pe peaks, rising few feet above the water, wei
ed the basking places of mermaids, then there n;
us certainly been great geological changes; but
,se will leave the solution of the question to son
ire fellow ChautauQuanS in the future.