Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-02-06
WHY THE SEA is SALT
Y HAS BEEN so EVER SINCE THE
CREATION OF THE WORLD.

u Great Benefit to Mankind-Contl-
nrnts Produced by the Skeletons of
Animals That Could Not Have Lived
In Fresh Water,
100000, 100000 tons of salt. II this salt
sould be gathered in solid form and
compressed. into the shape Of cube it
would contain 1O,113,000 cubic miles.
Each edge of such cube would meas
urc somewhat more than 200 miles.
This is enough to cover oil the land on
this globe with u uniform layer of salt
to depth Of n thousand feet.
This statement as to the saltiness of
the sea is interesting enough in itself.
but it is also suggestive The questions
may we'll be asked. Where did all this
salt come from and what is the use OF
IL? Several scientific gentlemen have
attempted to answer this first question,
and their efforts nre not entirely salts
factory. The second question Is not so
difficult
According 10 the history OF the crca-
ton of The world. as told by Moses in
the Genesis. il is implied that the ocean
existed before the land. for on the
third day" the water under the heav-
ems was gathered together, and the
dry land appeared.
This statement has bothered n great
number OF able philosophers, who in
their effort 10 stick to the letter Of the
Scripture and nj the same time to rea-
son out everything on perfectly natural
principles have been puzzled to know
how such grand transformation could
be accomplished in one day. and their
perpleXity was not relieved when learn
ed biologists announced that il must
hive required ages for the waters that
enveloped the earth to subside and re-
veal this land that lay beneath.
But when it was suggested that the
word day" as used by Moses meant
not period Of twcnty-four hours, but
nm era OF thousands OF years, the diff
Guilty was removed. This meaning of
the word day" is at present generally
accepted by dcvout scientists. who now
declare that there is nothing impossible
in Moses account of the creation.
This description. to be sure, is lam
entably brief. 1t was hardly ade-
quate to pass over such a huge event
rs the creation OF world In n few
lines. That was big story from a
newspaper point OF view. and all
thoughtful persons much acknowledge
that Moses did not take advantage Of
his opportunity.
Accepting the Mosaic account. q
learned writer on the physical history
of the globe supplies what Moses left
out. md in so doing he gives a very
good reason for The presence of the
snlt in the sea. Having arrived at the
point OF Moses mcager narrative where
the earth was in molten state and
surrounded by an envelope Of gases
and of water vapor. the writer says:
THE carbonate les. chlorides and sui.
pilates chemical combinations of car
bon. chlorine and sulphur with oxygen)
were changed into silicates. The car
bon, CHLORINE and, sulphur. being thus
freed from the oNy gen. separated In the
form Of acid gases. These. with nitro
gen. vapor OF water and probable ex
cess of oxygen. formed the atmosphere,
W hiNh was WHY oCnSG luuu dlSO very
unhealthy.
The surface OF the earth was COW
cred with Jumps of molten rock (proba
bly, resembling furnace slagl. The de
pressed parts of the surface were filled
with highly heated solutions of hydro
chloric and sulphuric acids. which tie
into the surface AL decomposed it. In
this way the silicates were. changed to
pure silica, taking the form Of quartz
as the atmosphere cooled, and the cou-
densation OF the vaporous atmosphere
produced sea water, holding In solution
salts of sodium, calcium. magnesium
and ammonium. The atmosphere, thus
freed OF its noxious elements, became
pure and fiji 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.
ut seems" he says. that the sea
was made salt in the beginning as a
part Of the grand design of the Creator
to provide for the system of evolution
which has been going on since the crea-
ton. Many distinct species of living
organisms exist in the sea as a result
OF its sallnity and their remains have
largely contributed to the growth OF
continents"
The minute creatures that have lived
IN the sea for agcs past have left en-
during monuments in the shape of Is-
lands. rocks and continents. If the