The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-09-15
-Dietz on Science
LYELL HAILED
GREATEST OF
ALL BIOLOGISTS
Nineteenth Century Savant
First Authority on
Earth'S Structure.
BY DAVID DIETZ
soripps- Howard Science Editor

School histories emphasize the
effect which statesmen and war;
3 riors have had upon the affairs Of
. the world. They have failed TO en-
. phasize the effect of books.
? It is possible to gather together
a little row Of books, only a fifth
as long as DR.. Eliot's famous five
foot shelf. which have had a more
profound effect upon the march Of
( civilization than any roomful of
diplomats or saber rattlers.
Two Of the books which would
stand upon that little shelf would
have long Latin titles: DE Revolu-
tiOnibus Orbium Caelestium," and
De Human Corporis Fabrica"
: Both were written in 1854.
The first, Concerning the Revolu-
tons Of the Heavenly Spheres" by
Nikolaus COpernicus, is the founda-
ton stone Of modern astronomy. The
second, The Anatomy of the HUI
name Body" by Andreas Vesalius, is
the foundation stone of modern
medicine and surgery.
Started 300 Years Ago
Another book upon the shelf
would be Sir Isaac Newton's "Prin-
cipia." published in 1887.
The International Geological Con-
gress this year is celebrating the
centenary of the publication of an
other book which belongs upon our
little shelf. 1t is Sir Charles Lyells
. Principles of Geology" published
in 1888.
1t is one Of the paradoxes of mans
intellectual development that his
acquaintance with the distant stars
progressed more rapidly than his
knowledge of the earth under his
feet.
Modern astronomy got its start
300 years ago. but modern geology is
only a little over a century old 1t
may be said to have started with
the publication of James Huttons
Theory of the Earth, With Proofs
and Illustrations. in 1895.
Study Given Impetus
At thine beginning of the nine
tenth century, the great battle be-
tween the followers of Hutton and
the followers of Werner, the ''Plu-
! tonistS," and the "Neptunists," was
still raging.
Professor Abraham GottlOb Wer-
ner had taught that all the rock
layers had formed from materials
precipitated out of a universal
ocean, hence the name NeptunistS
for his followers. Hutton insisted
that many rock layers were the re-
suit of volcanic action.
Hutton's theory gave a new i'm
petus to the study of geology and
in 1907 the Geological Society OF
London was formed Ito investigate
the mineral structure of the earth. ;"
Its members included the great
Charles Darwin.
Law Practice Abandoned
Into this society came a young
LAWYER and oxford graduate by the
name of Charles LyeI. Trouble
with his eyeSight made it necessary
for Lyell to abandon law and he
sought a new interest in life in ge-
Ology.
He read his first paper upon the
subject before the society in 1925.
LyeI supplemented his studies of
the geology of Great Britain with
numerous trips upon the continent
of Europe and four visits to Amer
lea. He made the last of these in
1858
Ramsey. a colleague. once said of
him. we collect data and Lyell
!. teaches us the meaning of them"
Darwin said that the science Of
geology is enormously indebted to
LyeIl. more so, believe. than to
any other man that ever lived.