The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-04-28
WHY THE SEA Is SALT.

600, 900, 900, 900 tons of salt. If this
salt could be gathered in solid form
and compressed into the shape of a
cube it would contain 10, 700 Gu
bic miles. Each edge of such cube
would measure somewhat more than
200 miles. This is enough to cover
all the land on this globe with a uni
form layer of salt to depth of thous-
and feet.
This statement as to the saltiness of
the sea is interesting enough in itself
but it is also suggestive. The ques-
tions may we'll be asked, Where did
all this salt come from and what is
the use of it? Several scientific gen.
tlemen have attempted to answer this
first question, and their efforts are not
entirely satisfactory. The second
question is not so difficult.
According to the history of the
creation of the world. as told by Moses
in the Genesis, it is implied that the
ocean existed before the land, for on
the third day" the water under
the heavens was gathered together,
and the dry land appeared.
This statement has bothered a great
number of able philosophers, who in
their effcrt to stick to the letter of the
Scripture and at the same time to rea-
son out everything on perfectly natur-
al principles have been puzzled to
know how such a grand transforma-
tion could be accomplished in one
day. and their perplexity was not re-
lieved when learned geologists an
nounced that it must have required
ages for the water that enveloped the
earth to subside and reveal this land
that lay beneath.
But when it was suggested that
the word day" as used by Moses
meant not a period of twenty-four
hours, but anera of thousands Of years,
the difficulty was removed. This
meaning of the word "day" is at pre-
sent generally accepted by devout
scientists, who now declare that there
is nothing impossible in Moses ac-
count of the creation.
This description, to be sure is la
mentally brief. 1t was hardly adequ
ate to pass over such huge event as
the creation of world in a few lines.
That was big story from a newspa
per point of view, and all thoughtful
persons must acknowledge that
Moses did not take advantage of his
opportunity.
Accepting the Mosaic account, a
learned writer on the physical history
of the globe supplies what Moses left
out, and in so doing he gives very
good reason for the presence of the
salt in the sea. Having arrived at
the point of Moses meager narrative
where the earth was in molten state
and surrounded by an envelope of
gases and of water vapor, the writer
says:
"The carbonates, chlorides and
sulphates Chemical combinations of
carbon, chlorine and sulphur with
oxygen) were changed into silicates.
The carbon, chlorine and sulphur,
being thus freed from the oxygen,
separated in the form of acid gases.
These, with nitrogen, vapor of water
and probable excess of oxygen,
found the atmosphere, which was very
dense (and also very unhealthy.)
1.-THE surface of the earth was COW
cred with Jumps of molten rock, pro-
bably resembling furnace Stag. The
depressed parts of the surface were
filled with heated solutions of hydro
chloric and sulphuric acids, which
ate into the surface and decomposed
it. In this way the silicates were
changed to pure silica, taking the form
of quartz as the atmosphere cooled,
and the condensation of the vaporous
atmosphere produced sea water, hold
ing in solution salts of sodium, cal
cium, magnesium and ammonium.
The atmosphere, thus freed Of its
noxious elements, became pure and
fit for man."
1t is Therefore evident that the sea
has been salty from the creation of the
world. The salt does not come, as
is generally supposed, from friction
of the water against salt "rocks" in
the bed of the ocean. This, then.
answers the first question:, Where did
the salt come from? The second
question is pretty we'll answered by a
scientist.
"It seems" he says "that the sea
was made salt in the beginning as a
part of the grand design of the Crea-
tor to provide for the system of evo-
luton which has been going on since
the creation. Many distinct species
of living organisms exist in the sea
as result of its salinity and their
remains have largely contributed to
the growth of continents"
The minute creatures that have
lived in the sea for ages past have
left enduring monuments in the shape
of islands, rocks and continents. If
the sea had not been salty these ma
rine animals could not have existed
and secreted the hard substance
known as a "calcareous skeleton, I"
which has largely contributed to the
growth of continents. Among these
early inhabitants of the sea were cor
ais, crinoids, sea urchins and star
fishes.
The saltiness of the sea has also
much to do with the ocean currents,
which distribute the heat of the tro-
pics ever the colder regions OF the
earth. Currents are largely due to
the difference between the specific
gravity of sea water and the fresh
water of rains. Thus when rain falls
on certain part of the ocean the ef-
fort of the heavier salt water of the
ocean to establish an equilibrium
causes a current.-M. Y. W0rld.
HERBERT F. MORGAN, landlord o.
the MORGAN House, of Clinton, Mass.