The sun., 1900-12-23

itics ~ tho globe. and which. therefore.
cannot have given rise to these Inequalities
Ito contrasts tho calm nui peaceful nsf"'t
NJ tho surface ~ the earth With the appear
ance- discovered when We .Iamin" -
interior Here. In the fneci beds oi 'h"lls,
M" fractured rocks. the Inclined or cN"n
vertical qualification 10 finds abundant
rr"of. that tho surface ~ tho gobo has
been broken up 10y revolution, ami c1tn'-
| trophies"
He also refers ~ the numerous lnr %
! blocks ~ the primitive rocks scattered
over tho surface ~ secondary formation,
and separated 10y deep valleys OF even arms
! 81 tho sea from the peaks and ridges from
which they must have been derived ~
further proofs Of Catastrophcs. for, II 1.
argued they must have been either ELECTED
by volcanic eruptions or carried by waters
| which. In either case mlisl have eN-
ceeded In violence anything we can imagine
at the present day and he therefore con-
cludes that II Is In vain we search among
7 the bowers which now act upon the surface
of the earth for causes sufficient 10 pro-
duce the revolutions and catastrophes.
the traces Of which are exhibited IN
its crust" He Is quite confident that oil
these changes so on rapidly, periods Of
! catastrophe alternating with periods of
repose. The pre- sent surface Of the earth
/ he holds to he quite recent, and he main
tain- that If anything in geology be estab-
li-hed. 1t Is that the surface of our globe
has Undergone 4 great and sudden revo-
. h!t.on. the date Of which cannot be referred
,,h L. ...i. th,,, Itra eix
| thousand years ago; that this revolution
! overwhelmed and caused to disappear
/ the countries which were previously In
/ hahited by man. and the species Of animals
now best known; that, on the other hand.
| il laid dry the bottom of the last sea.
and formed Of II the countries which are
at the present day inhabited" And he
further declares that this event has been
sudden. instantaneous. without any grada-
tion; and what Ia 80 clearly demonstrated
with respect TO this last catastrophe Is
not less so with reference to those which
preceded IT,"
The method followed by Lyell was the
very reverse OF that OF Cuver. Instead Of
assuming hastily that modern causes were
totally inadequate. and appealing con-
stantly to purely imaginary and often
inconceivablo catastrophes. Lyell inves-
tiGated these causes with palnstaking accu-
raCy. applying the tests Of survey and time
measurement, so "a in many cases TO prove
that. given moderately long periods Of
tlme--not 4 few thousands only. but hum
dreds Of thousands Of years-they were
fully adequate to explain the phenomena.
He also showed that the imaginary causes
OF Cuvier would not explain the facts. for
that everywhere in the crust of the earth
Wa found conclusive proofs OF very slow
continuous changes exactly analogous to
what now occur, never Of great convulsions.
except quite locally as We have them now.
He showed that modern volcanoes had
poured out vast masses Of melted rock
during a single eruption, covering areas
as extensive as those which any ancient
volcano could be proved to have elected
In an equally short period; that strata
were now in process Of formation COM
parable in extent and thickness with any
ancient strata: that organic remains are
being preserved in them Just as In the
older rocks that the land Is almost every
where rising or sinking as of Old; that
valleys are being excavated and plateaus
or mountains upheaved that earthquake
shocks are producing faults beneath the
surface: that vegetation Il still preparing
future coal beds; that limestones. Clays.
sandstoncs. metamorphio and igneous
rocks are all still being formed. and that,
given time and the intermittent or con-
tinuous action OF the causes we can now
l. nj oil ovia faa-
lures OF the earh's surface. as well "a oil
the contortions and fractures which We
discover in It's crust. every other phe-
nomenon supposed TO necessitate catas-
trophies and cataclysns will he again
produced.
In the massive volumes OF the later ed-
t!ons Of the Principles Of Geology all
these points are discussed and Illustrated
with such a wealth of facts and such cogent
yet cautious reasoning as have carried
conviction 10 all modern students, II
affords us perhaps the very best proof yet
given Of evolution in one department Of
the universe--that Of the surface and tho
crust OF the earth we inhabit. Not only
have all the chief notifications during an
almost unimaginable period OF time been
clearly depicted. but they have In almost
every case been shown to be the inevitable
results Of real and comparatively WELL
known causes. such as We now see at work
around U.S.
The grand congratulations Of Lyeil have
been strengthened since his death by moro
complete Investigations Of certain phe-
nomcna and their causes than were possible
in his day: Willie the only objections to them
seem to be founded. to some extent. upon
misconception. He has been termed
Uniformitarlan." and It Is alleged that
It Is unph!losophical to take the limited
range Of causes we now see In action, as a
measure Of those which have acted during all
past geological time. But neither Lyell
nor his followers make any such assump-
tion. They merely say. we do not find any
proof Of greater or more violent causes
In action in past times. and we do find
many indications that the great natural
forces then In action seas and rivers.
sun and cloud. rain and hail. frost and
,,-aIo . 10