Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1919-11-20


winds the vaunted arguments OF the
skeptical philosopher l doubt not
that too much credit has been given
to the scientific claims of such men
as Mr.. Patrick Brydone and Signior
Rccupe..O. an Italian Naturalist OF
..enown who has written an extensive
treatise on the phenomena of Mt.
Etna. The arguments, of which Mr..
Brydone has used with great free
dom. against the Mosaic account of
creation, even deriding that pious
prophet, for having attributed such
seeming youthfulness to the Earth.
The statements, to which their con-
fidence. is most firmly attached. de-
scribe vault which was about thirty
feet below the surface, and probably
had been used for burying place.
Near this vault. they say, There is
a draw-well, where there are several
strata of lava, with earth to a con-
siderable thickness owe. each
stratum"
Then. assuming that this is most
creditable evidence Of the great an
tiquity of those eruptions, they con-
t,nue with the following statement:
For if it requires Two Thousand
years and upwards to form but 4
scanty soil on the surface OF lava
there must have been more than that
space of time between each of the
e.uptions which have formed these
strata!. But what shall We say OF
a pit which they sunk near to Jaci,
of a great depth? They pie:ced thru
seven distinct lavas, one under
the other, the surfaces of which We're
parallel and most of them covered
with thick bed Of sich earth"
Then, reasoning from analogy. they
assume that the eruption, which
formed the lowest of these iavas, must
have flowed from the mountain more
than Four Thousand years ago
1t is surprising that men Of
learning will, in deciding upon Ques-
tions of such importance allow
prejudice and partially to Illustrate
every sentiment of fairness.
Now. if it can be show. by unques-
t;onable authority that seven distinct
lavas, with intervening beds o: rich
earth. upon which had grown 1uXu
RANT vegetation. have been thrown
off by volcanic action within the
space. not of Fourteen Thousand. but
of loss than One Thousand, Seven
Hundred years, their reasoning from
analogy will prove nothing. Mt. Et-
ma and Mt. Vesuyius resemble each
other in several respects. The same
causes produce e.uptions in both.
Their lavas are not distinctly differ
ent: they would mellow down into a
state of productiveness in about the
same time. or, if there should be any
difference in this respect, 1t probably
would not be greater than between
two different lavas flowing from the
same mountain. There is no p:oof
that lava flowing from Mt. Etna
would not be covered with thick
he'd of good. rich vegetable soil as
quickly as one flowing from Mt. We
suvius.
On the cath day of August, Of the
seventy-ninth year of the CHRISTIAN
} era, occurred the most terrible and
destructive eruption of the volcano ol
| Vesuvius that has ever been re'
corded That eruption destroyed both
J the cities of Herculaneum and Pom
peii. The great naturalist, Pliny,
perished in, that awful catastrophe.
l mention the death of Pliny be-
cause that eruption is rendered the
more famous by it. Sir William
Hamilton. a Scottish Metaphysician OF
high responsibility. having made ex'
tensive explorations of those old
ruins, informs us that there are sew
en- distinct strata of lava. with thicR
: beds of rich vegetable producing sol
intervening. spread over the ruins OF
those old cities; and all Of those er'
uptions occurring in less than sew
enteen hundred years.
Instead, then, of Its requiring
two thousand years and upwards
to form a scanty soil on the surface
OF a lava" we find that men, who
seek real instruction through thei'
: scientific investigation, learn that Il
: requires less than two hundred anf
t fifty years to convert a lava into
e rich vegetable producing soil. Th'
g same scientific initiation Of the ag'
7 of .ocks and fossil remains, believe
y has been heralded to the world,whicl
q is thirsty and waiting and watching
for new things.
'' The scientist may use and feel
sense Of satisfaction in abusing hi
privileges, but l think that no ma
has right to make ignorance tn
source Of his infidelity
Ir the first legislative act of tn
League Of Nations" shall be the es
tnblishment of q distinct line OF DC
y, markation between the geological
!, year and our solar year. I'll be GLAD
=. FRANK SMALLEY.