Here again we have a very formidable series of facts whose gravamen is directed wholly against the artificial distinctions in age between the different groups of fossils; and their argument is an eloquent plea that the fossils are neither older nor younger but all of a similar age.

5.  Our last fact demands a somewhat more extended consideration; but it may be stated in advance briefly as follows: 

In very numerous cases and over hundreds and even thousands of square miles, the conformable conditions specified in the previous fact are exactly reproduced upside down; that is, very “old” rocks occur with just as much appearance of natural conformability on top of very “young” rocks, the area in some instances covering many hundreds of square miles, and in one particular instance in Montana and Alberta covering about five or six thousand square miles of area.

The first notable example of this phenomenon was discovered at Glarus, Switzerland, a good many years ago; since which time this locality has become a classic in geological literature, and has called out many ponderous monographs in German and French by such men as Heim, Schardt, Lugeon, Rothpletz, and Bertrand.  This example, which was first (1870) called the Glarner Double Fold by Escher and Heim, is now universally called a nearly flat-lying “thrust fault,” in accordance with the explanations since adopted of similar phenomena elsewhere.  Without obtruding unnecessary technicalities upon my non-professional readers, I may quote the words of Albert Heim as to the conditions as now recognized in these parts: 

“These flat-lying faults, of which those at Glarus were the first to be discovered, are a universal phenomenon in the Northern and Central Alps."[41]

[Footnote 41:  “Der Bau der Schweizeralpen,” p. 17.]

The favorite method of explaining these conditions has slightly changed within recent years, as already remarked.  For whereas the classic example at Glarus was at first spoken of as a double fold-in from both sides toward the Sernf Valley, this is now universally spoken of as a “thrust fault,” with the rocks all pushed one way.  Incidentally it may be noted that this very fact that what was long regarded as two completely overturned folds is now spoken of as one flat-lying thrust fault, is prima facie evidence that there is here no physical proof of any real overturning of the strata, such as we do find on a very small scale in true folded rocks.  The latter can usually be measured in yards, feet, or inches; while in this example at Glarus the area involved would be measured in many miles, and in some very similar examples to be presently mentioned from America the measurement could best be made in degrees of latitude and longitude or in arcs of the earth’s circumference.  In these larger examples it is manifestly impossible that there should be any physical evidence sufficient to indicate a huge earth movement