BORING THE EARTH'S CRUST

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1565, 23 May 1887, Page 3

BORING THE EARTH'S CRUST

A most remarkable bill has been introduced m the American Congress, It appropriate 100,000dol to bo expended m bor'ng into the earth's crust, and the duty of spending the money has been relegated to the Engineer Oorpß of the United Stales Army. This boring Is to bo done " with a view of extending and enlarging onr knowledge of the features and peculiarities of ita formation and struotnre." The provision for making a report requires " that the Secretary for War shall make a report to the\Fiftieth Oongreßa showing the progress of the boring up to the date of the report, together with the \iews of the. board as lo the depth to which, with mechanical Imtrnments and appliances at their command, it can be carried ; and that the estimates submitted by the War deparlment for the ensuing year shall include an estimate of the amount necessary to prosecute the work durlrg the fiscal year ending June 30, 1889," In choosing land for the purpose preference is required to be given to that of little value, acd the title Bhall be secured to land four miles m every direction from the borehole. Curiously akin to this scheme is ono propounded almost coincides ely by M. Flammarioo, the eminent French astronomer, who has been dabbed for his pains £'a mad scientist." M. Flammarion'a mind is exercised by the epeotaole presented m Europe at the present time, where 5,000,C01 men Btand aimed for mutual destruction. In the interest; of humanity and science, he wishes to utilise the Berviceß of these men to some profitable and peaceful t:wk. This is no less than to dig an enormous hole Into the globe for the purpose of once for all finding oct what is inßide. With the armies of Europe for workmen, he would by their moans solve the per plexing problems and mysteries which nurround the vast regions hid from mortal eye m the bo3y of this sphere. A London paper sayßi— Of tho Inte:ior of our earth below the depth of ono mllo nothing whatever is known, and not evon a pnees can be made of the 8000 miles which Boparato us m a ditect line from onr kinsfolk m Australia and New Zealand. M. Flammarion's weird idea leads to some interesting and amußiDg reflections. The hole would have to take a diagonal direction, for no hanling pear miles long could be contrived for pulling up and letting down men vertically, as miners do, Cornish miners even work stripped to the skin on account of the heat, and M. Flammarlon's soldiers would have to stand a temperature no salamander oould endure. Imagine, too, If this hole reached a depth of many miles, the exited work there would be In, perhapß, tunnelling through Btratl of solid gold, and of finding precious Btoneß as big ns boulders. But anything is better than war, and if M. Flammwion, by his wild project, can only divert men from slaughtering each other, the world would be a gainer, and he would be hailed to all time as a benefactor to the human race.