The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-26

forward in elucidation of this puzzle but
the one that has seemed to have greatest
plduslblIlty and hence has gained great
, est currency assumes that the ice in the
uepths OF. the glacier is being constantly
melted by the pressure of the mass above
IT, and is constantly recongealed. being
NODDED into new forms during the moment
OF transition. The justification for this
hypothesis is found in the fact. which was
hrst demonstrated by Prof. James Thorn
! son. the brother of Lord Kelvin, that pres
sure, II sufficient, greatly lowers the melt
ing point Of ice and in the further fact
that cake of ice if cut in two or broken
INTO fragments, will recongeal into one
mass II the parts are kept in contact II
was pointed out by the Scotch geologist
ana mathematician, Dr. CroH, that the
suh rays, beating upon the surface of
the siacier' might heat the ice at the
uepths TO temperature above that at the
surface, and this cause would manifestIv
act IN conjunction with the increased pres
sure at the bottom of the glacier to effect
the melting of the ice there. AS to time
however, would there be any great surnlus
OF neat there, and the portions of ice thus
helted would be certain to recongeal al
most instantly, because of the large GUAM
ivy OF neat which is distracted and rem
oeFed latent whenever the ice changes into
water. But during the instant of transit
loh from ice to water and back to ice
asalh, the particles of the mass might
shShuy change their FORM under inhu-
ence OF pressure and of gravitation; and
mus by an endless series of infinitesimal
Jerks, as it We're, the glacier would Green
on as it is observed to do.
Now, however the experiments regard
ing the mobility of marble put quite a new
coihpleXlon upon the question of glacial
movement. For If it be proven that mar
We substance far harder than ice. and
qul'e as brittle can be nodded by pres
sure alone into new shapes, it seems per
lectly plausible that a much less degree
OF pressure might mold ice into new forms
by causing its molecules 10 slide over one
ahother without the Intervention of melt
ing. In this view, ice and marble. and
OF course all other solids, are 10 be re-
gafded as merely very stiff or viscid
liquids. Gravitation alone does not suf-
| ice to make them flow. as il does moro
lmpid liquids, but when additional forco
! Is applied their mobility becomes appar-
ent.
This view, indeed, as applied to such
solids as iron and other malleable metals
Is not heW, for the mobility of such solids
under pressure, as when hammered is
| Iamlharly known. A curious experiment
recently made by Prof. Sinclair has illus
t[a'eo ms IN very vivid way. BY means
| OF an ingenious apparatus it has been
possible to Photograph the surface of q
| ooWl q water at the moment bali drop
PED from a hight falls into it. The pho
tograph being instantaneous. the water
spiashed up about the ball gives the i'm
presslon OF solid crater. But the curious
feature is that exactly such crater as this
is formed IN fact when cannon bah is
fired into q sheet of armor plate. About
the mouth of the hole where the ball en-
ters the iron is a bulglng rim or crater of
! Hoh' Whlch was manifestly splashed IN
exactly as the water splashes about the
miniature ball, making the observer feel
that ire iron ana water are really of one
physical nature, one being merely a little
harder than the other The experiments
al McGlll make 1t clear that the same
thlng IS true of marble also; that. in short
IN a broader view brittle solids are only
very fragile liquids just as malleable sol
ids are very tenacious liquids Pertains
some day we shall mold our statuarv ont
of marble instead of slowly carving it.
as IS now done.