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By JOHN DICKINSON SHERMAN
■§* AN .is a curious nni
mX fcm mill aiyl one of.ihe.sub
. jocts about which .lie
’/ very curious indeed
I Is tlie age of the ear,til
l>< ! lives. He
v I * s •"' *rk Inyr af the
problem all the time,
Awfc, and from several dtf
fererit angles I lie
gßy; *i&j pliysieal, the blolog-
Icul' and the geolag
k-ul, for example. Eminent scientists
for more than half a century have
twen working on the problem: To a
layman It seems as If any calculation
must be merely an Intelligent guess,
Inasmuch as several of the factors
must necessarily be based on estimates.
And, truth to tell, the scientists’ cal
culations have differed so widely that
the layman has had a large variety in
the way of choices.
For example, the man who preferred
to think that the earth is of compara
tively recent formation could tie up
to Lord Kelvin, who in 18(52 by the
temperature method put its minimum
age ut 20,(HX),000 years. The fan who
wanted an older earth could run with
the biological calculators; l’oulton in
IK9G estimated the minimum age at
400 millions of years.
And now coined Lord Rayleigh, the
British scientist,, .with the nmiounce
ment of a calculation which shows
that tlk* earth lias hecu In •■approxi
mately its present state for two or
three billion years.
i.ord Rayleigh bases his calculation
on the rate by which radioactive sub
stances decompose.. Radium, uranium,
thorium und other elements are not
•table, but after many years turn Into
tnl. My noting the amounts of lead
present, and its distribution with ref
erence to the known deposits of radio
active minerals, Lord Rayleigh tlnds
that their proportions must be ttie re
sult of enormous periods of time.
This calculation will please both
the biologists and the geologists. The
biologists say that In Cumbrian times.
Hie earliest age that geologists can
date wttli certainty, three-quarters of
the plant and animal forms of today
acre present. Cambrian times were
about (50,000.000 years ago. Students
*f living tilings clearly see that the
beginnings of life on tills planet must
have been much farther hack than
Cambrian times.
Although formerly the geologists es
timated the age of ttie earth at a inux
intnm of hX),IXX>,tXX) years only. It has
been found that for various reasons
this should he multiplied ten or twenty
thnos, so that from the geological
pwßt of view the age of two or three
Mtlion years is reasonable.
The Scientific American recently
published an interesting article on the
Ope of the earth by H. V. Milker, with
tbc graphic chart herewith reproduced.
In addition there is an editorial com
ment as follows:
Jest us there Is no definite limit to
human ingenuity, so there Is none to
the different ways In which the ap
proximate age of the world may be
estimated. Nor Is there any to the
degree of divergence which may be
fennel between estimates made, by
too different scientists, in substan
tially the same way. The necessary
•nsnmptions are so broad, the uncer
tainty so great as to how much faster
mr slower physical processes may have
rua millions of years ago than .now,
that no calculation of the earth's age
•ran be more than an intelligent guess.
Indeed, many of the calculators em
phasize this by giving upper and
gctaphz? c2&lkt orrurr
lower limits, which ure often very far
apart.
Regardless of just how much nu
merical precision may attach to any
given estimate, It Is fair to say that
all estimates make the earth millions
of years old. It Is again fair to say
that all of them are interesting, alike
for the method employed and for the
result attained. So we have permitted
-Mr. Hllker to set down the accom
panying summary of the eminent
scientists who have attacked’ the prob
lem, the methods of attack which
they employed, and the results which
they have attained; and we have got
mir artist to give to the story a graph
ical form. In the bargain, we sum
marize here some of the more signifi
cant estimates that have l>een matte:
( Fable shows Uftte of estimate and name of
scientist; third column gives method—T Is
temperature, T.T. temperature and tides.
It ..biological, S sedimentation. S.O. salt In
ocean. It radioactivity; fourth and lift ti
columns give maximum und minimum In
millions of years.)
IS 6 2 Kelvin T. 400 20
lt>97 Kelvin ■ T.T. 40 20
1896 Poulton B. 400 400
1860 Phillips S. 96 SS
IS 9 9 Oolite S. 400 100
1909 So 11 as 8. SO 34
1899 Joly 8.0. 100 86
1909 Sollas S.O. 150 80
1910-16 Becker S.O. 100 50
1921 Kussell It. 8,000 1,000
Some of the points made by Mr.
Ililker wltliln the understanding of
the layman are as follows:
When contemplating the earth In
its relation to time,, we might consid
er its birth as coincident with the first
accretion or In-falling of particles
from the plnneteslmal nebula. But
this first nucleus was not a planet nor
can it be considered as such until all
or nearly all of the nebulous material
had concentrated into a single whole.
(Saturn is here excepted ns an un
usual condition.) During this process
of accretion, an enormous amount of
heat was generated by the gravita
tional pull on the outer surface which
resulted in local liquefaction of the
rock mass and its consequent out
pouring in the form of vast lava flows.
Up to this time the earth was in tlie
embryonic or formative state. There
fore, let us consider Its birth as the
time at which these lava flows cooled
to a sufficiently low temperature to
allow the surrounding envelope of
vapor to condense und fall upon the
earth more or less as what we know
as min.
The question of age then. In the
sense we shall use It, may he ap
proached from three distinct angles.
The physical angle takes Into consid
eration the rate of cooling. Internal
heat due to pressure, tidal stability,
and the disintegration of certain rock
forming minerals. The biological an
gle has to do with the evolution of
living forms, while geologically tiw
evidence is taken directly from thg
earth itself—hs structure, the stratifi
cation of the rocks, and the deposi
tion of the sediments.
in 1802 Lord Kehln. applying Four
nler’s theory of thermal conductivity,
THE DANIELSVILLE MONITOR, DANIELSVILLE, GEORGIA.
came to the conclusion that superficial
consolidation must have occurred not
less than 20,060,000 years ago, other
wise the underground heat would be
far greater than It really Is. Further
more, he believed that had the earth
solidified more than 400,000,000 years
ago, little increase In temperature
would now be noted as the center Is
approached. With these two figures
as extremes and giving the lesser
somewhat the benefit of the doubt, he
took 08,000,000 years as a mean, giv
ing this as the age of the earth. Later,
King and Barus pointed out that, ow
ing to the friction of the tidal wave,
the rotation of the earth Is retarded
and therefore slower now, than ip the*
earth’s infancy. Influenced by these
calculations, Kelvin in 1897 reduced
the greater figure of this to
40,000,000 years.- -
The dlscoyery of, radium in 1890 by
Mine. Curie and the subsequent work
of Beequerel, Rutherford, Strutt and
others in radioactivity, threw a . new
light upon the working natural forces.
This led to an attempt at calculating
the age of certain rocks and minerals
by their helium content. Taking this
method, Rutherford found the age of
a certain fergusonite to be something
over 000,000,000 years. Joly, taking a
different rate of decay from uranium,
changed this estimate to 241,000,000
years. In the same way, Strutt found
tlie age of Ceylon thorlanite to be
280,(XX),(XX) years and that of a Cana
dian spliene to he 710,000,000 years.
Over two hundred years ago (In
1715), Edmund Halley pofnted out
that, assuming a primitive fresh water
ocean, the amount of salt now con
tained would be an index to Its age,
could sufllclent data be had. As these
data were not obtainable until with
in the pnst few years, It.remained for
such men ns Joly, Sollas, Clark and
others to attempt an answer. Joly in
1599 placed the ocean’s age at 97,-
(500,000 years. Becker, making certain
corrections, in 1915 placed the age
of the ocean—and therefore of the
earth —at somewhere between 60,000,-
(XX) and 100,000,000 years.
The time required to form a given
thickness of rock depends largely
upon the rate at which the sediment
is brought down by the streams. This
rate Is by no means constant, hut Is
determined by the character of the
country through which the various
streams flow, but the slope of the land,
by the annual rainfall, and numerous
other factors. Data compiled by the
United States geological survey for all
rivers emptying Into the ocean give
the total amount of material carried
In solution annually ns 2,735,000.tXX)
tons. By deducting from this the per
centage of the more soluble salts
whieh are held in solution.. and con
verting the remainder into its equiva
lent volume of solid rock, John Phil
lips in 1860 placed the age of th<
earth somewhere between 38,000.tXX
ind 96,(XX>,000 years.
Plain Soit to Be
Favored for Fall
Those who are Inclined to study
smartness in their clothes favor tail
ored suits for early fall, says a fashion
writer in the New York Times. After
so many flouncings and plaltings, ki
mono sleeves, bloused back3 and tie
sashes, the tailored lines with their
trim perfection come as a great relief.
There are certain women—and their
number is by no means small —who
look better in a strictly tailored suit
Tjl ess:
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Tweed Suit With Three-Quarter
Length Coat. Cloche Hat, Coque
T rimming.
than in any other sort of attire. They
take on an air of importance in clothes
like these, at the same time losing
hone of their femininity and beauty,
and they are dressed correctly for al
most any hour of . the’day.- •
A really well-fitting suit Is- not ah
easy thing to achieve, for one cannot
go into a department store, try on a
suit and walk out with what is called
a. perfectly fitting garment. Tailored
suits ;do not grow that' way. They
must be fitted and coaxed and prayed
over before they . assume the shape
that is right. But once having achieved
this perfection, they hold their lines
through an eternity of months, not to
say years. They can be subjected to
as many pressings as a man’s suit
usually knows, and each time they
emerge from the cleaning and press
ing process something seems to have
been added to their appearance, rather
than subtracted.
Some tailors are wizards. They can
shape the lines of a simple suit so that
they make the largest figure look slim
and those out of proportion seem to
snap right into harmony under the
magic touch of their fingers. No wom
an need fear the wearing of a tailored
suit so long as she makes up her mind
to have hers right to begin with.
Each Distinct in Itself
There are several styles and types
of the new tailored suits, but each
Plain Hats Have the Call
Hats are plain. Many of them have
no trimming, merely arrangements of
lines that go to make up the shape.
The clever designer lets it go at that,
having spent all of her energy and her
artistic skill upon the creation of that
one thing—its shape and color.
The poke bonnet Is a favorite for
suits. It has little or no trimming,
but sometimes its brim is made of
brocade or embroidery and again Its
crown is so bedecked, but the pattern
is so much of an all-over affair that
it can hardly be called trimming. It
is a fabric in itself and part of the
hat’s construction.
Tams are good, especially of the
all-over embroidered variety. Then
there is the cloche, which Is Just as
smart today as it was at tlie begin
ning of the summer season. It is dark
in tone, usually, and Its trimming Is
likely to be of the same color, in rib
bon or some flat sort of feather ar
rangement. The brim often turns
lown ail the way around the face, but
umeiinies it turns back just a wee
<l over the face and again at the
ack. giving a coy effect, much more
one Is distinct in itself ami the i| Df *
of one must not be mixed with the*
of another if the style an u smurtn ess
are to be preserved. There is t h
short box coat, for instance ah q !
its lines are so straight that thev
could be measured with a ruler Th
straight collar and the clipped ' "J
with tightly-fitting sleeves, are nece!
sary Then there is the
ed line to complete the arrangement
Everything without exception J
straight and uncompromising i a . .
and making. Every seam [ s smartlv
tailored without having any of , t S
stiff look which once upon a tim *
characterized suits that were tailor
made. r '
All skirts for suits are short. Thev
are a good deal shorter than they have
been, for women have found that the
shorter skirts were necessary to their
comfort and have demanded them back
again with so much persistency that
they are upon us. The taller women
can wear them from ten to eleven
inches from the ground and the short
er ones ;fiave theirs as short, some
times,' as seven inches.
- The three-quarter coat is seen
among tliese-tailored suits, but It Is
usually a part of the tweed costumes
or those mpde of thick and heavy
homespuns’ In this case the sleeves
are made with a trifle more width
and the coat has a bit more fullness
as-it reaches to its three-quarter line.
The collars, too, have a trifle more
latitude In the manner of their shap
ing and are likely to reach high about
the neck.
Dresses Are Very Straight,
- There are tailored dresses made of
serge • and again of the more pliable
homiespuns. .They are straight in the
extreme, but they keep that tailored
look and line until it is impossible to
tell at first glance whether they nre
coats or suits or Just plain dresses.
They are almost devoid of trimming,
With only bound and braided edges to
distinguish them from the more se
verely tailored suits.
There is one suit which is fitted
in at the waistline, though ever so
slightly. It has an individual air and
when one is gifted with a good figure
and classic lines there is nothing that
can set off Its beauty to better ad
vantage than this model of a suit. It
Is made of black rep or dark blue twill
or sometimes of tan or gray In these
same fabrics. It is often bound with
braid to carry out the formality of Its
design and great pains have been
taken to arrange its fastenings in the
way of small buttons.
The skirts of all these suits are
plain, else they would not be tailored.
No plaits are permitted, and the fit
ting of the skirt is so slim as to be
almost tight; It Is a continuation of
the line,of the coat and nothing more.
Sometimes It has two pockets In the
front but these are_ inconspicuously in
serted, mere slits with tailored edges.
When it comes ro the wearing of a
suit, there are accessories to be con
sidered. Unless they are tight the suit
itself amounts to nothing. And it is
a fact that the extra fixings one wears
with suits differ materially f rom tll0 “ e
worn with other sorts of clothes. They
also take on that tailored air, e'en
though they cannot be called the last
word in tailoring. They drop, as
were, all extra loops and dangles, an
remain plain after the manner of tie
suit. They must harmonize or they
will throw the whole scheme out o
key and the result will be an unhappy
one on account of the jarring note or
two. For the suits of this season, the
manner of the accessories has changed
somewhat. What used to be consid
ered smart for wear with suits - n
passe.
becoming to certain faces ttian
more severe line.
Gloves are another important ma
ter. The gauntlets are good, and the
mousquetaire even better. The laor
are short and roll over the ntteo
sleeves of the coat In a gracefu n
intersting fashion. The short, " 1 _
length glove practically is no more. '
the glove is depended upon these 1 --
to do Its part in th general design
of the costume.
Shoes and stockings are important.
There are pointed and graceful sap
pers meant to be worn with the so
of tailored suit which has just
described and they are even ornate ’
appearance The stockings are B •
worn either with shoes to mate
with black pumps.
The ’kerchief is on Important pan
of all clothes Just now. whether It
one that Is extremely large and n ’ ' “
or one of those little play han<-* e
chief affairs that are meant to
into the pocket of your suit 1 “
that touch of bright color so m
be desired when the modern stylos
considered as a whole.