The Washington herald., 1907-01-07
Research Brings Harmony in
Science and Religion,
DECLARES NOTED GEOLOGIST
SOdam and GomOrrah Probably De-
strOyed by "a Burning OIL We'll.
Mound of SaIt-ChIIdren of Israel
Crossed the Red Sea Dry.


ing of the Archaeological Society, is G.
Frederick Wright, d. D., LII d, pro-
fessor Of science and religion at Oberlin
University. He is the editor Of the
magazine Records Of the Past and the
author of several important works on
Christian evidences and kindred subjects.
His latest volume, Scientific Conhrma-
tions Of Old Testament History" has just
been issued.
Twenty-six years ago Prof. Wright was
the pastor of a Congregational church
IN Andover, Mass and becoming inter-
ested in the harmonizing Of science and
religion he read o paper before the Bos-
ton Society of Natural History on Some
Remarkable Gravel Ridges in the Mer-
rimac Valley" which attracted attention
to his scientific researches, and he was
called TO Oberlin. He retires next year
on a Carnegie pension, and says that
he is glad Of il: Il have so much work
yet 10 do" lie says, and that will give
me time and opportunity to do it,"
/ When he began as "a professor at Ober-
lin TO devote his energies entirely to
science and 10 geological discovery, he
established the position Of the terminal
moraine in North America. which dis
covery has been the starting point for
all geologists since.
Assisted by Prof. Lewis he traced the
course Of the terminal moraine and
charted il on the map, tracing every
where the evidences Of the glacial con
diuons similar to those existing in Green
land
Since then his Investigations have taken
him much farther afeld. He was the
first geol0gist 70 explore the Muir glacier
in Alaska. and devoted four years Of
I study 10 the subject, so that it is said
to-day that Prof Wright has monopoly
/ OF knowledge about it, One Of the tall
peaks near by the glacier. and the shores
I Of Glacier Bay. is named Mount Wright,
ia his honor
Research in Greenland.
Then, in company with his son. he
made an expedition into Greenland, fol-
lowing up his glacial studies, and here
he was shipwrecked through the vessel
running on to an iceberg. They landed
on the coast of Labrador, and thence
made their way TO st. John, New Bruins
/ wick. whence they started out again.
Once more they were wrecked, the snip
running on a reef. and this time the en-
/ tire crew and passengers. niuety-three
3 persons, were carried 10 safety by "a fish
I ing schooner. which was already half
filed with cod when il picked them up.
/ After Greenland came q term of ge0iogi-
4 cal exploration in the Rocky Mountains;
+ then tour OF Europe. with investiga-
+ tions in Palestine and in Mongolia.
/ Through most Of China the professor
and his son went seeking evidences to
support the theory of "a deluge. and from
/ China proper they went into ManchurIa,
and so over the traus-Caspi4n into Russia
I 1t was this last investigation that con
/ frmed Prof Wright in his theory that
/ there had not been a period Of glacial ice
/ in Northern Asia as there had in North
/ America.
! One result Of Prof. Wrishts geological
/ researches is to confirm the Old Testa-
ment stories OF certain happer.ags which
/ have been regarded as miracles, but
which he shows may well have been
brought about by perfectly natural
| causes.
/ OF this sort is the destruction OF the
army Of Sennacherib as it was marching
T OF being decimated by the Lord OF Hosts
/ il was attacked with the buboHic plague
/ He points out, too, that biologists have
[ discovered that Central Africa is shaped
[ like a huge saucer, in which the accumulat-
/ ing waters in the rainy season would
serve as a reservoir to secure the pro-
/ ionSed high water. which was necessary
/ for the fertility of Egypt. Thus, the
/ geoIogists prove that successive years Of
I famine and plenty in Joseph's time were
7 effected by natural causes.
h Old Records True.
! SAYS Dr. Wright: These geological
/ facts and discoveries, which strengthen
our belief in the accuracy OF the Old
/ Testament records. do not mean that We
who investigate have no faith in miracles.
We have no hesitation in specifying as
miraculous the ascension and the resur-
rection Of Christ. the raising Of Lazarus.
/ the multiplication Of the Ioavcs and fishes,
the stilling Of the tempest upon the sea.
and the changing of water into wine In
all these the facts may have been ac-
complished through the action of the Di-
vine VIII in making new combinations of
the casually connected sequences which
we have given as the dim definition Of
nature"
But there was not necessarily a miracle
in the passage Of the Red Sea by the
children Of Israel. It would take too long
to cite all the evidence, but it is indis-
putable that the country adjacent to
the Red Sea has risen a good deal higher
than it was at the time Of this supposedly
miraculous occurrence. The facts show
/ that land that is now dry was in those
times covered by a shallow depth of wa
/ ter, and that this could have been moved
/ by a high wind so as 10 make the passage
clear for the Israelites.
! And. So" continued DR.. Wright, in
/ my latest book you will find that l have
given the scientific theories about the
| falling of the walls Of Jericho which
were undoubtedly caused by an earth
quake The destruction of Sodom and
| Gomorrah loses its miraculous qualities
when one realizes the geological condi-
/ tiOns. The territory here vas one of the
greatest oil countries in the world and
the ignition Of a flowing we'll by lightning
or any other cause. would have created
just such a scene as the Biblical writer
| has described for us"
Lots Wife Looked Back.
''But how about Lots wife and the
pillar Of salt, professor" he was asked
'The phrase In the sCTiptuTal story,
pillar of salt is more definite than the
original words demands. Mound of salt
would more nearly express the idea. Now,
the eruptions of gas and oil are often ac-
companied by eruptions Of salt slime, such
as presumably enveloped her as she
fingered behind
To similar purpose, DR.. Wright de-
scribed the deluge, evidence of which
he hos han rnchircr i-, o,-nrr. oo-,r,