The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1903-04-02

plant leaves Of the great earboniferous
trees were continually catching and
storing these particles Of carbon from
the carbon dioxlde Of the atmosphere
which in those times, 1t Is thought
was in greater proportion in the air
than it is to-day, il naturally follows
that great and eYer-lnereasing stores
of carbon were being put by, not as
pure carbon alone, but chemically com
bmGd IN the form Of starches, oils. etc
essential to plant growth.
Bat the earth was At this time In Il
very unsettled condition. and perhaps
after these forests had grown and de.
yalaped their trees aud dense foliage
ana undersrowths for long periods Of
tiue a slow and persistent subsistence
Of The land would take place. AS this
hiking went on the tides would grad
ualiv wash in among these forests de.
poslts Of silt and mud. which would
increase as time went on, until the
once living and flourlshing forest was
completely submerged. And 50 flu
ture coal-bed was laid. which the ever
increasing weight above would event
ualiy along with the natural chemical
influences, convert into coal as we
know #. After a time the land would
rest again. and the surface would be
come suitable once more for plant
growth and IN the course Of time a
new forest would spring up, which in
due time would once more meet the
same fate of submergenee. This again
would be followed by others until we
get coal stratum beneath the coal STRAIT
um. each shown the same remark
able order-f 81 a bed of clay, which
represents the soil of the ancient for
esG next the coal layer itself. repre-
sentuE The accommodations Of the once
living vegetation. and above this the
deposits Of sand and mud which have
hardened into shales and sandstones.
a second time another layer of clay or
soil follows, aud over 1t coal and sand
stone. the whole to be similarly re-
peated
marked that our stores of coal repre-
sent so much fossil sunshine OF the
carboniferous period. For the carbon
gathered during the sunlight by the
plants of this period constitutes the
great and chief source of energy con
tanned IN coal, and the heat and light
given out derlng combustion Is but
The warmth and light of the suns rays
absorbed ages ago by the leaves of the
strange plants which we have been
considering reassertlng itself as II
were. after lying dormant through the
countless ages.
And as We SIT by our fireside and
appreciate the glowing embers while
reading our newspaper or book with
comfort and enjoyment. with our
rooms illuminated primarily from this
same source, and our surroundings fur
Their cheered by the innumerable aes-
thetie and useful products derived
alike from coal, such as the lovely
eoaI-tar eolors, exquisite perfumes. and
The Jet. marbles. states. and sand
stones from the adjoining strata, not
% mention the comforts derived from
the numerous curative drugs that
chemists have learned to compound
RON the coal-tar products. and even
sugar 300 times sweeter than that OBJ
ained from the cane-lndeed the won
deTfal products and benefits obtained
primarily from coal would require
pages for their mere mention; for the
earboniferous strata was a special one.
Ike none before or after, and yielded
more for the progress and service of
man than all the other systems put
f0gether-we must see how vast and
farseeing are Natures schemes, aud,
although these great forests grew ages
ago apparently without any special
purpose, yet on these the progress and
social happiness of man to-day largely
depends Nature IN one vast whole
inseparably related and connected.