The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-06
CRUMBLING MOUNTAINS.
Great Elevations of the Earth Slowly
Becoming Smaller.

Northwestern Christian Advocate.
A French professor told the recent scen-
tfic congress in Rome that "all mountains
will vanish off the face of the earth in
course of time" We do not doubt it. for it
is dvinely foretold that the earth itself
will disappear at the end of time. How
ever, the Frenchman's prophecy is already
in course of realization. The Ardennes, the
Pyrenees and the mountains of Provence
are going to pieces by degrees in our own
age. The mighty Himalayas, as if weary
of rearing their forms sublime through
so many generations, nodded their heads
in one place two years ago, and hurled into
the valleys below a mass of debris which
was estimated at S00.O000O0 tons. The larg-
est locomotive on the fast trains of the
Hudson River railway weighs only sixty
two tons. That Asiatic mountain slide,
therefore, caused an avalanche equivalent
to the tumble of about thirteen million such
locomotives off a bridge ten thousand feet
high. Little wonder that 1.-The noise was
terrific and that "the natives were fright
ened." Masses of rock were hurled mile
away, and many blocks of dolomitic lime
stone, weighing from thirty to fifty tons,
were sent like cannon ball through the
air." We always think of the immense
shell thrown by the gunboats over our
nedQS dl the Commentaries, at tuc Udltle VI
Malvern Hill, as huge, invisible locomo-
tives laundering through the sky. These
last-named fragments of rock, in Asia,
weighed much as some engines, but We
suppose they were not invisible.
In 1881, in the Alps, there was an inn
mense hill fall, caused by it's human under
mining in order to- obtain slate for school
use. The mining began in 1853 In 1876 the
Plattenbergkoph split across it's crown, and,
after progressive engagements for years,
which caused comment and forbodings, it
fell in the year named. This catastrophe
precipitated about twelve million cubic
valley. The debris ricocheted across the
valley and rolled 325 feet up the opposite
and then poured like liquid over a hori-
zontal plane of about 9,70o,ooo square feet.
t aepsh oh o the sse of
Elm was overwhelmed, and it was SO
swiftly cleft by the resstless mass that
the line was sharply defined, and one house
was cut in two. One hundred and fifteen
people were buried. One home was left
on the very verge. of which the doors were
the coffee was hot, but no living soul was
left. The head of the household was saved,
but his entire family, who were out looking
at the mountain fall, were lost. The debris
damned up river, for which channel
into the valley and spread over the ruins
where harveStS now smile again. and the
people go ABOUT their work as II there were
no such thing avalanche in this
humbling and crumbing world.
That admirable young English writer,
Rudyard Kipling. has, in the Pail Mall Ga
zette one of the best and most beautiful
stories of Iadia we have ever read. Though
one does not look to fiction for confirma-
lions of scientific prophecy like that we
have quoted from the French savant, good
author of fiction may yet illustrate science.
a writer must be condemned If his artis-
tic integrity does not include loyalty to
science and to truth in general In Kip
hng's story, entitled The Miracle Of Purin
Rhacat" there Is sketch OF an immense
mountain fall, very like the one that buried
the Alpine village Of Elm. This one came,
however. in the night. A huge mountain
ton became 1isintegrated by months of rain.
II fell as IL 1t were q molehill scattered
by the hoof OF goat. Innmeasurable cliffs
i;nue.fied and drenched the W 'eys with APP
mailing rain The rushinf lgments ran
downWardS. and, acQr4rs momentum
A they fell, ran up the sides Of
the opposite mour Try anim2lG