THE 



JOURNAL OF GEOLOGY 



JANUARY-FEBRUARY, 189S 



AN HYPOTHESIS TO ACCOUNT FOR THE MOVEMENT 

 IN THE CRUST OF THE EARTH. 1 



I wish to propound an hypothesis to explain the vertical 

 movements in the crust of the earth. As preliminary thereto I 

 propose to set forth the most elementary phenomena of dynamic 

 and structural geology in a summary manner so as to exhibit 

 the nature of the facts requiring explanation. 



The earth is composed of four bodies surrounded by the 

 ether. 



First, there is a central nucleus constituting the principal 

 mass. 



Second, there is a crust of structurally disposed rock sur- 

 rounding the nucleus, the thickness of which is comparatively 

 small. 



Third, there is an aqueous body surrounding the rocky 

 crust, through which the islands rise, the largest of which are 

 called continents. On these islands there are many lakes and 

 rivers which ramify into innumerable brooks, creeks and rills. 



Fourth, there is an aerial mantle of air extending to a limit 

 which is not well determined. 



Fifth, these four bodies, one outside the other, in succession, 

 are surrounded by the ether. 



The earth is thus composed of encapsulated globes enclosing 

 a nucleus and bathed in ether, to designate which certain defini- 



1 Read at the November meeting of the National Academy of Science, Boston, 

 1897. 

 Vol. VI., No. 1. i 



