The sun., 1900-09-30
GUESSING AT THE EiRTH'S AGE
A Chicago Professor who Is working with
New Method.
Erom Ml Chicaqo Timls-NCr0I0


Oliver {. Harrington. curator ut Field co.
luuban Museum and professor Of mineraI"R\
al the University oi Chicago, has just returned
from an exploration OF the famous cave, uI
Indiana, where he obtained specimens oi car
bouiferou- formation, 10y means "i "hl'h nc
hopes to establish fairly accurate estimate
Of the earth'- age Scientists have used many
methods in the attempt 10 solve This IiolIthl'
with results varying from 100000 10 t"ioO''o
years. The chance of lHrg" ina'onta'l"- has
been admitted by all who have wresihd "ilh
the question, but Prof Harrington, while not
making any claims Tor his findings in advance,
believes that his method is the most plausible
OF all yet tried and the most likely 10 RiN" 'W-
isfuctOry results.
The specimen which furnishes key To tn"
computation was taken from the Myuudoite
cave stalactte when was broken OF IN
1850 has In the fifty years since then enlarged
three-iiith4 of an inch IN length and the Size
OF u goose quill. This corresponds well with
an Australian stalactlte that enlarged three
quarters OF an inch in thirty-ive years, By
having this ratio OF deposit l'roi. iarrlnSl"h
will apply II ia determining how long ~ mas
taken the Pillar Of the Constitution 10 ioln.
The pillar j. an accumulation Of st Louis llmc-
stone rs feet high and 10 feet IN circumference,
found In the Wvaudott.. cave With this aC-
cumpished the Chicago scientist believes mat
ne viii have "A fairly accurate idea of how many
accumulate, Lecture, Oh the exploring mp
will be- delivered al the university this fall. ,.,
The work was attended with Coustfut dll-
tcultIe, and much danger. The Nyandoli"
being the Oldest and most interesting 81 ih"
indian" c.Eeg, I.%rr tlI.H VI, 'ltnt 'I'a"
MareugU, another of the large caves, the NhIuh
and the tuhn caves were also visited II VA
necessary Tor the professor to penetrate the
WyandOtte cave for twu miles and then cruwl
sixty feet through a passage only sixteen
inches wide A. the explorer IS man Of good
81. Vti inn ha a d
turn was out of the question Through this
little passage he removed his Specimens
The WyaudDtto cave proved Of great interest
because Of the many indications that II Wa
once inhabited by indians There wcr" parts
OF PATTY burned torches. portions Of in-iru-
IuentS partly completed, aud g. Prof Earring
ton it seemed that the Indians had worked the
pillar Of the Constitution There were" the
prints OF moccaSins in the sand and hullowcdout
places in the walls which evidently served ~
seats The cave has been known to whites
since 1912 and must have been familiar e. the
Indians long before that The entr1no" first
used IS yet mystery, an opening having been
made by drilling The Chicagoan believes that
there are many underground passage yet I'M
An experience in the Cohn cave was accom-
panied by no little peril The e' 'pIorer was
cavity about the size Of we'll In order 70 get
the desired specimens some BLASTING was urces--
sary, and, as no one could be found who would
undertake the job, Prof Harrington did II him
self After being lowered he III the fuse and re-
treated as rapidly as poor facilities would Ier-
NIT lle crossed a pool nine feet In depth 10y
means Of plank that he had taken down with
him. then crawcd through hole that scarcely
before he felt reasonably secure. In this cave
there is a beautiful pool. the sides Of whichure
lined with crystals of calcite that CLEAN like
The Marcngo. regarded A. the finest cave
In the country, was cisCovcrei only u few years
ngo. \ creyice leading 70 II wa- found 10y
plored to a considerable extent au' is FOUND 70
be covered with stalac'ii"s am stni iaEHht's.
b, a. 4Na l.,
In the shiloh caves which Jisprpvc tho old
theory that cav"s gre i'rm%' hy carthguak"-
lie says II II brought about hv water running
over and d!ssolving the limestone.
ln summing NJ an igl"rrr,''ns account %
while he hai beer Ocect by lDlWl'ins ou aI
II ,c-, be- always fo' repaid for all hi- trouble
I'm getting 10 any place in the underground
f-timatcs Of the time rcquIrrl for tho for
nation ~ thc cnrtt lav" boon cowui"I from
iins. a. Tln" wiicf fae can-ci -irrc the sep
Wi"imntm cstimnte hv Prof. q. IT, parwiu.
To- ioor.uD0 Year., hy Lord Kelvin. Cu since
the con !crSation Of IN" oceans. ,n."opu 10
o"i i6i~ {i%ari {iori FGyins Fyil c-nata. Ga wEiob be-
would make nearer twenty millions th0u forty
millions, IL founded on the assumption that
since the period Of NJ" consist"nucr stratus
| the earth has cooled simply ~ solid bD'v,
the transferronCo oi -" heat from within ont
ward being accomplished SOLELY by contuc-
Prof. Jolly argues that the ocean consisted
| 0r,f of fresh water and that it- -atur-- Is
due IN the dissolved matter that is huiur car
riel into II constantly 10y IL" rlvers. l|v "'-
tcruiuing how much salt me rivers bring down
each year into the scl "a calculation was then
made by this oyp"rilurnt"r as - tto uumh"r
ot years i required 20 supply th" sea with an
| the salt That IL now contains.
Another estimate was on the ASSUMPTION
that The total maximum th''knrsSo. ~'ra't"l
rarc of one foot IN 4 century more than .GOyO.-
usi wears must have cup-r. during tho for