The pictorial sketch-book of Pennsylvania : or, its scenery, internal improvements, resources, and agriculture, popularly described . scientific knowledge. Thousands of dollars have been, and are stillexpended by the uninformed, in explorations after mineral treasure,which, did they but enjoy a limited knowledge of those paramount ANTHRACITE COAL FORMATION. 143 laws which pervade throughout all the Creators works, could besaved; besides the labor, anxiety, and bitter disappointments whichinvariably attend ill-directed enterprises. In casting our eye over the surface of the earth, we everywhere
The pictorial sketch-book of Pennsylvania : or, its scenery, internal improvements, resources, and agriculture, popularly described . scientific knowledge. Thousands of dollars have been, and are stillexpended by the uninformed, in explorations after mineral treasure,which, did they but enjoy a limited knowledge of those paramount ANTHRACITE COAL FORMATION. 143 laws which pervade throughout all the Creators works, could besaved; besides the labor, anxiety, and bitter disappointments whichinvariably attend ill-directed enterprises. In casting our eye over the surface of the earth, we everywhereperceive evidences of a universal and continual change. The frostsof autumn, the snows of winter, the rains of spring, the electricity ofthe summer—each contribute to this purpose. The substance ofmountains is daily diminishing; and rocks, those silent historians ofthe past, gradually crumble into atoms, and unperceived, are borneoff to new resting-places in the deep green ocean. Here they enterinto new combinations, and by earthquakes and volcanic action, aswell as by the natural accumulation of the beds, again appear to the. FIG. 19. light of day, throwing back the surrounding waters, and presentingnew isles in the watery waste. Finally, one little island effects afriendly union with another, and thus, age after age, century aftercentury, the undeviating, the everlasting laws of the great God areperforming the functions contemplated in the creation. Although our limits will not allow a minute description of thevaried strata of the earths crust, yet it is necessary to a proper eluci-dation of what has already been said as well as what is to follow, topoint out some of the changes of position, of fracture, denudation anddisruption which they have undergone. Fig. 18, will probably serveto show the original horizontal appearance of strata, one layer lying 144 OFF-HAND SKETCHES, upon another. Fig. 19 exhibits the usual appearance of stratifiedrocks, lying also in a horizontal po
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade, booksubjectminesandmineralresources
