Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-12-27
AGE OF THE WORLD.

unon which scientists have spent
great deal OF thought. II presents In
superable difficulties, but that has not
prevented the human mind from pur-
sulng the investigation along different
lines. What are the conclusions ar
rived at by masters In the realm OF IN
teii!gence and reasoning?
One theory argues from calculations
based on the contraction OF the sun
and radiation of heat. II is estimated
that II all the matter In the solar sys-
tenn had been moving towards the CEN
ter OF tho sun. that would furnish neat
at the present rate for only 1soVoOOo
years. One authority claims that the
balance Of causes which would result
in the sun radiating heat Just last
enough to preserve the earth In us
present state has probably not existed
more than ten million years" and that
this therefore. Is very near the ex-
IRENE limit OF time that we can suppose
water 10 have existed on the earth IN
a auid state, the supposition being
that before that time. the heat OF ina
sun was SO intense that the water on
the earth was only vapor.
Another estimate Is based upon geo.
logical facts. Alfred Russell Wallace
obtains 100000 years as necessary for
the life OF tho earth. Taking the
thickness of tho sedimentary rocks at
117.20o feet and reckoning the coast
line on the globe at 100000 miles, ne
finds that at the present rate the total
thickness of rocks would be formed
within the length OF time mentioned.
According TO this estimate the whole
land surface Of the earth Is lowered
one foot In 5000 years and the sediment
deposited along the shores OF the con-
tinent Nineteen feet, he says, are
deposited In 5000 years over belt
stretching thirty miles out from the
100000 miles OF shore line. ana TINS
gives him the 2soOO0OO years.
Another cancellation is based on the
relation OF the moon and the earth to
each other. II Is claimed that the moon
was originally thrown off from the
earth by the centrifugal motion Of the
globe as water is thrown off from n
prindstone. This, It is thought, could
net have secured less than b0,O0O'oOO
years ago All geologic time must
therefore Il Is thought, be brought
within this limit for after the birth
of the moon an Immensely long period
must have elapsed before the conditions
upon the earth were such that life could
exist.
The question OF the date OF the APP
pearapce OF man upon this earth Is diff
ferent from that OF tho birth of the
globe itself, since the earth necessarily
was formed long before the appearance
of human beings upon It's surface. Arch
bishop Usher's chronology, which is the
one most generally accepted among
Bible students, fixes the date OF the be-
ginning OF human history at 1908 i.
The archbishop was learned scholar
who lived In the first part OF the sew
enteenth century. and according TO his
figures II is now 500 years since
the CTCdtlpl ol ntdu. iic bu0Nu LIS N"i
culations upon the biblical genealo-
gies or late years his conclusions
have been considered very unreliable.
by certain class OF scholars. But ac-
cumulating facts concerning the rapid
ity OF the action of geological forces
seem TO be pointing toward the lower
estimates Of the actual age OF the globe
itself. and if these estimates are ac-
cepted. It follows that It is entirely
credible that the earth has not beer
suitable for human habltatlon for
very many thousand years. The esti-
4 mates In which hundreds Of thousands
\ of years are assigned to the existenc,
I OF the human race viii. we think. b.
I deemed inaccurate when viewed In tn,
light OF modern discoveries in the do.
main OF science,