Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-01-21
WHY THE SEA is SALT
IT HAS BEEN SO EVER SINCE THE
CREATION or THE WORLD.

CREATION or THE WORLD.
OF Great Benefit 10 Observation-Disclosures
Produced by the Skeletons OF Animals
That Could Not Have Lived In Fresh Wa
ter-Moses' short Account.
The sea at present contains 90, 0O0,-
000, 900, 600, 600 tons Of salt II this salt
could be gathered in solid form and
compressed into the shape If a cube. II
would contain l0.l73. 600 cubic miles.
Each edge Of such cube would meas
ure somewhat more than 200 miles.
This Is enough to cover all the land ON
this globe with uniform layer Of salt
10 depth Of | 1000 feet.
This statement as 10 the saltiness az
the sen Is interesting enough in itself,
but it is also suggestive. The questions
may well be asked, Where did all this
salt come from, and what is the use Of
il? Several scientific gentlemen have
attempted to answer this first question.
and their efforts are not entirely salts
fnctory. The second question is not so
difficult.
According 70 the history Of the crea-
ton Of the world rs told by Moses in
the Genesis, il is implied that the ocean
existed before tho land, for, on the
third day" the water under tho heay-
ems" was gathered together and the dry
land appeared.
This statement has bothered great
number Of ablo philosophers. who, in
their effort 20 stick 20 the letter Of the
Scripture and nc the same time to rca-
son out everything on perfectly natural
principles, have been puzzled 10 know
how such grand transformation could
be- accomplished in one day. And their
perplexity was not relieved when learn
ed biologists announced that IL must
have required ages for the waters that
envcloped the earth TO subside and re-
veal this land that lay beneath.
But when il was suggested that the
word day" as used by Moses meant,
not n period Of "a hours, but an era OF
Thousands Of years, the difficulty was
removed. This meaning Of the word
day" Is at present generally accepted
by devout scientists, who now declare
that there is nothing impossible in No
ses' account Of the creation.
This description, 10 DO sure, is Ia
mentally brief II was hardly adequate
to pass over such a huge event as tho
creation Of d world in few lines. That
was big story from newspaper point
Of view. and all thoughtful persons
must acknowledge that Moses did not
take advantage Of his opportunity.
Accepting the Mosnic account, DR.. 7.
;. Hunt, q learned writer on the phys
ical history OF tho globe, supplies what
Moses loft out, and in so doing he gives
A very good reason for the presence q
the salt in the sea. Having arrived ut
the point OF Moses meager narrative
where the earth was IN molten state
and surrounded By an envelope Of gases
and Of water vapor, DR.. Hunt says:
THE clrbCnates, chlorides and sui
pilates chemical combinations Of car
bon. chlorine and sulphur with oSygenl
were changed into silicatos. The car
bon, chlorine and sulphur. being thus
freed from tho oxygen, separated in the
form IL acid gases. These, with nitro
gen, vapor Of water and 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 Jumps Of molten rock (prcbably
resembling furnace Stag. The depressed
parts If the surface were filled with
highly heated solutions Of hydrochloric
md sulphuric acids. which ate into the
surface and decomposed II. In this way
the silicates were changed 20 pure silica,
taking the form Of quartz as the atIroS-
phere cooled, and the condemnation %
he yaporous atmosphere produced sea
water, holding in solution Salts II sodi-
am, calcium, magnesium and ammoni-
nm The atmosphere, thus freed of its
loxious elements, became pure and fit
'ur man.
Ii is therefore evident that the So
las been salty from tho creation Of the
world. The salt does not come, rs is
generally supposed. from friction Of the
water against salt "rcsss" IN the bed
4 the ocean. This. then, answers the
irst question. Where did the salt come
'romi The second question is pretty
veil answered by Mr.. g. W. Little
lales in Apple,on's Popular Science
Monthly.
at seems" be says, that the sea
vas made salt in the beginning as
part Of the grand design Of the Creator
% provide for tho system OF evolution
which has been going on since the crel-
ION. Many distinct species of living
organisms exist IN the sea as result Of
Is salinity, and their remains have
argely contributed to the growth Of con
iDents. "
The minnie creatures that have lived
n the sea for ages past have left endur
NJ monuments III the shape Of islands,
,ocks and continents II the sea had not
,een salty, these marine animals could
lot have existed and secreted the hard
substance known az "calcareous skele-
on. p" which has largely contributed TO
he growth VI continents. Among these
nrly inhabitants Of the sea were corak.
Tinoids, sea urchins and stariishes.
The stiffness Of the sea has also much
% do with the ocean currents, which
distribute the heat Of the tropics over
he colder regions Of the earth. Currents
IRE largely due 10 the difference be
ween the specific gravity Of sea water
md the fresh water Of rains. Thus,
when rain falls on certain part Of the
)cean, the effort Of the heavier salt wa
er of the ocean to establish an equilib-
ium causes current. - New York
World