Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-02-07
ORIGIN OF THE EARTH
SYNOPSIS OF :SIR ROBERT S. BALLS
LECTURE ON THE SUBJECT.


Sir Robert S. Balls third lecture in
the Lowell Institute course was even
more successful than the two preced-
ing it, his audience, contrary to the
usual custom-of-course audiences, be-
ing on the increase. His subject was
'The Origin OF the Earth" and he
showed forth two lines of argument in
support of the nebular theory based
on facts known about our planet.
His first reference was to the re-
markable boring for coal near Leipsic,
which, while undertaken for CONNER
cial purposes, was conducted in truly
scientific manner. Whether coal was
found or not the speaker did not re
member, but he did remember the
scientific outcome, the fact that the
gradient Of the earth's temperature
was established, that it was proved
that below certain point near the
surface, to which the heat of the day
penetrates, there is a regular increase
in temperature; and at mile below
the point of constant temperature the
thermometer would register eighty de-
grees higher than at this point.
Experiments have not been conduct
ed much below the first mile but con-
ditions are subject to determination in
n general way. From the known law
affecting the diffusion of heat, it
evident that the lower strata cannot
be colder than the everything ones and
must be warmer, and since the ten-
perature increases quite uniformly
down to the mile it is reasonable to
believe that below the mile it will con-
tinue to increase at about the same
rate.
Another fact which may be consid-
cred as established Is that the earth is
gradually dissipating its heat into
space. This heat is moving out from
the centre of the earth toward the
surface, and the amount there lost
each year would be sufficient to melt a
film Of ice covering the earth's surface
one-tenth of an inch thick.
This small quantity does not seem
of much moment, but it must be re-
membered that it is an influence al
ways acting in the same direction, and
these influences which act always in
the same direction are the architects
of the universe. The geological forces
act with the greatest energy for per-
haps hundreds of thousands of years,
and then they begin to tear down what
they have built up. These forces may
get back near to where they have be-
gun, but the influences that act always
the same way do accomplish wonders
in the millions of years of time through
which they work. II the earth is
losing heat, and has been losing 1t, it
! was formerly hotter than 1t is now,
and continuing this argument back
into the dim age we see it was red
hot, white hot and even molten.
But here the speaker diverged for
awhile to consider the action of the
tides. This is a great question, for
| some there are who believe the fric-
ton Of the tides to have been respon-
sible for the earth's heat. The argu-
ment was presented in an interesting
| way, the whole lecture being without
notes, and it was shown that the tides
have an influence in slowing up the
GdLlD IlDllOl VI lOhullOu-
longer than yesterday and yesterday
| longer than the day before. There is
not a great difference, fraction of a
second being the aggregate for a few
centuries, but this is cause that acts
! always in the same direction.
The aggregate OF loss in million
| years is about seventeen minutes, ana
/ oh hS.y
that 100000 of years ago the day was
about twenty-three hours long. And
as we go farther and farther down the
vista of time, we encounter days Of
| twenty-five hours, of twenty hours, of
fifteen hours, of ten hours, of eight and
even of six hours. This may have been
from fifty to 300,000000 of years ago,
but there is evidence that the rotation
OF the earth was at once four times
as rapid as it is now. 1t had then
| sixteen times as much energy as now,
and ifteen-siXteenths has gone. En-
ergy is never lost, but is transformed
into heat, ard in its radiation of heat
the earth has parted with so much Of
its original energy.
| lHScnlOuS lllN esliSdtUlS, O1it Duiiuih9 >
where the other finished, have found
means Of computing the heat equiv
alent of tidal action, and the gradient
would be one degree for every 1000
feet, SO that this cause is entirely in
adequate to account for the eighty
degrees which is the known gradient.
1t will then be understood that the
gradient of eighty degrees is due to
internal heat, and in the past the earth
was hotter, even beyond the possibility
of surface, molten mass, and back
OF that gases, in fact 4 nebula. 1t ex-
tended out far beyond its present lin
its; it touched the other great nebula,
the sun; it was part of it, the same
chemical elements composing both.
The closing portion of the lecture
was devoted to the consideration of
some Of the questions which may nat
urally arise. Is the centre of the
earth solid or liquid? 1t is a race be-
tween temperature and pressure-the