El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-10-07

LG~- THAT is the attitude OF
M science regarding Atlantis?
1 do not mean simply the
submerged continent, which is, I be-
Iieve, generally conceded. but the At
Iantis of Plato and DonneIly. the seat
and center Of a high civilization.-C. c.
NJ. WiIliamsport, Pa"
It is like the attitude Of science re-
garding any other tradition which has
no verified facts TO support it To
concede the former existence Of
habitabIe country in the midst of the
Atlantic ocean demands no eXtraOr-
binary, or unJustifable creduHty. be-
cause il has been demonstrated not
only that broad regions of the earth's
surface now submerged were once dry
land, but also that on the bottom OF
the Atlantic lie the topographic fea-
lures Of what may fairly be called a
sunken continent The exact position
and outlines Of this lost land are mat
tiers still under discussion, but its
existence can hardly be disputed
PlatO's Beautiful Land of Atlantis Is
Hardly IN Accord With
Archaeology.
However. when we pass from this
general admission Of the former exist
ence Of an Atlantic continent 20 the
particulars OF Plato's legend OF At
lantfs we encounter some thing not ac-
cordant with scientific knowledge
FlatO pictures Atlantis as a land bril-
liant with a civilization and art sur
passing even those Of Greece.
He tells OF splendid cities. OF wise
laws, OF admirable social and political
institutions, OF great mechanical
achievements. and other things utterly
inconsistent with the physical and
mental characteristics Of the human
race as archaeology has revealed that
race to US during its earliest known
existence upon the earth
phisticated Eden, but science has been
unable to find any indications OF
period in mans history when he was
particularly suited to inhabit any kind
Of Eden except a savage one.
At the Time This Continent Sank.
Man Was Living In Trees
or in Caves
The tremendous catastrophe which
the ancient legend SAYS caused the
sudden disappearance Of Atlantis must
have occurred ages before the chain
OF recorded history began to be linked
up Every fact gathered by science
concerning early man consistently and
persistently testifies that the farther
we so back the lower was his condi-
ton, the more beast-like his form
and the more animal-like his intelli-
gence-
How then. is it possible for science
10 accept the PlatOnic legend OF At
lantis as the home Of men superior
even to the Greeks OF the golden age
OF AthenS+ In view OF all tnaL science
knows at present about this subject II
would be more reasonable TO affirm
that the inhabitants Of Atlantis lived
in caves, or in trees. and possessed
virtually no arts and but a low degree
OF intelligence
II. on the contrary, they were what
Plato pictured them. whence did they
derive their civilization This is a
question that lies outside the fence
Of science. in the wild, flowery
meadows Of legend. where the but
TEXTILES OF the Imagination dazzle the
eyes and confuse the reason with a
maze Of scientific fancies.
And yet II is from Just such an
cultivated wastes that the future fields
of science must be redeemed. and
some time We may get a trustworthy
light on this very question, which now
seems so insolvable- The suggestions
Of the imagination should never be
aside INFESTED
1t has been suggested. for instance,
that the legend OF Atlantis, which
Plato says he did not invent land.
indeed. we know he did not), was an !
original form OF the story OF the /