Evening star., 1933-07-25
Passengers Are Young Noun
tains, Which Sometimes
Refuse to Stay Still.
GONWANADALAND SUNK
BY SHIFTING OF PEAKS
GeologistS Session Devoted to
Study Of Batholiths, Ancient
Rock Masses.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

The SIX continents were pictured IS
monster RATS floating on . stone ocean
in reports Of studies presented before
the International Geological Congress
here today by scientists from all over
the earth.
These RATS. it was point out, have
passenger lists Of young mountains
which will not sit still, but continually
are tipping their conveyance this way
and that. Sometimes 1t is rough rid
ing on the stone sea. The RATS run
into stormy weather, perhaps period
ically. Some cannot ride out the storms
and are sunk, such as the ancient
Gonwanadaland now covered by the In
dian Ocean.
The session today was devoted largely
to the study Of "batholiths" masses Of
ancient, heavy rock which intrude into
the light sedimentary rock Of the land
areas through eruptions and by other
means.
Universal Layer Of Rock
There Is q universal layer OF heavy
rock known as "sima." 1t was explained
ological Survey reporting on some
studies of batholiths in the Rocky Noun
tain area. This Is found on the ocean
bottoms. The continents on the other
hand are made up for the most part OF
lighter rocks Of different chemical COM
position known as "sial." largely sedi-
mentary tn origin, which floats on the
sima.
The problem Of the relationships be.
tween sial and sima, 1t was pointed
out, are significant in explaining the
phenomena of mountain building. the
real nature OF which still Is only
vaguely understood. Apparently. 1t was
pointed out, the RATS sometimes spring
leaks through which the sima material
on which they are floating seeps
through. Mountains appear to be made
up of this seepage covered with thick
deposits Of sedimentary rock.
Thus, Mr. Collins pointed out. even
tually weathering processes show that
most mountains have o granite core
beneath their purely sedimentary sur.
faces. Other papers depicted the great
mountain system of the world as hav-
ing roots, ;" spreading out somewhat like
the roots of trees and consisting OF
strands Of the heavy underlying basaltic
rock.
Humans in Ice Age.
There were human beings in North
America during the latter part Of the
ice ages, contrary to the general opin-
ion Of anthropologists. DR.. Edgar B.
Howard Of the Philadelphia Museum Of
Natural History told the International
Geological Congress today.
These people. who may have been
the ancestors Of the Indians or radi-
cally different people. lived IN the
Southwest about on the edge Of the
shifting ice sheet In company with
herds Of musk oxen and extinct horses
and camels, DR.. Howard says. He based
his conclusions on spear points of q
peculiar design found in New Mexican
caves and old Texas lake bottoms asso-
ciated with the bones Of the ancient
animals.
There Is no question, he maintained,
that the musk OK at one time was
abundant over most Of the Southern
United States. It now is an Arctic
animal, living on the very edge OF the
ice sheet In Northern Canada, and can
not get along well in a warm climate.
It probably retreated with the glaciers.
Spear Points Evidence.
Spear points very similar in design
to those found with the musk OK bones
have been found over q large part Of
the United States, but not associated
Southwest. The conclusion Is almost
inevitable, he maintained. that these
people hunted the musk OK at q time
when the greater part Of the continent
was covered with ice.
The most prevalent opinion has been
that man did not come to North Amer
lea from Asia until the end Of the ice
age period, and was then physically In
diStinguishable from the Indian Of to-
day. But, according to the new evi-
dence, the Indians may have been q
later group of migrants. This, however,
does not indicate any great age for man
in America, since all the evidence as
sociated with the bones and spear points
Is that they were quite recent geolog-
ically. They may date from only about
$4,000 years ago. when the old world
already was well populated with pre-
historic people.
Lumber Rats Factof.
The vast lumber RATS found on West
plain some features Of coal bed forma-
ton. according to . report from DR..
E. M. Kindle, chief peleontologist Of
the Geological Survey Of Canada. Thus,
he pointed out, in 1916 the Atchafalfa
River was covered for more than 10
miles by raft Of floating logs 220
yards wide and feet deep, covered
with shrubs and even trees so feet high.
It constituted . literal bridge across
the river due to trees which had fallen
In the Northern forests.
Early in the nineteenth century, the
Red River had such . raft 124 miles
long. The river itself flowed under the
logs for this distance. In 1880 the
Government sought to destroy this raft,
but found 1t would be too expensive
and opened up . new channel to the
river instead. Thus this great mass Of
logs was left marooned In . swamp,
perhaps to turn eventually into . coal
deposit.
It is almost certain, DR.. Kindle said,
that the same kind Of phenomenon
took place during the carbonifeIous
age, almost 800, 600 900 years ago, when
the great coal deposits were being laid
down. He referred also to floating Is
lands Of plant growth on the Nile, 50
thick that African tribes have been
known to pitch tents on them and live
entirely by fishing through holes cut
RUSHES TO ILL MATE