Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1812-02-13
ron IKE ANGUS.
a Few Rasy hints on Eay.6quotes, &c.

f'NtS "" n oItHfh0StS NC
Among the phenomena calculated to strike
terror into The human mind, earthquakes and
volcanoes occupy conspicuous rank. Yet,
some acquaintance with the general laws by
which the physical world is governed viii serve
TO diminish, If not our fears, at least, our won
der.
Let US first enquire into the most probable
causes OF those terrific, and often devastatory,
occurrences -.
The ancient Rabylonians ascribed earth
qnakes to the influence of the celestial bodies
1t is scarcely necessary to sbew the absurditv
OF such an idea Let it suffice to observe, that
effects produced blythe planets, or other heav-
emily bodies, upon the earth, must unavsidably
be general, and that earthquakes are felt only in
particular places; and here Ispeak of effects in
which motion is concerned.
Subterraneous winds, and the movement of
waters IN the interior of the earth, were subse-
quentiy considered by the philosophers. of
Greece and Italy, as thu causes of earthquakes.
But neither theory was satisfactorily explained
aud s@Pported by those philosophers.
The action of heat, either with or without
hame, is by the moderns more nationally consi-
dered as productive of those alarming shocks
That the bosom of the earth is replete with
combustible materials, and that, in many pla-
ces, those materials are actually in state Of
combustion, cannot be denied and it is equal
ly certain that water abounds below the surface
Let subterraneous waters. come into contact
with subterraneous fires, it is evident, that
steam will Immediately be produced; and the
powerful, and frequently fatal effects, of such
dilatatlon are generally known.
Although It has been proved by repeated and
satisfactory experiments, that combustion can.
take place without the concourse of external
air, and although it is well established that Sc
veral metallic oxids, found in the interior of the
earth, contain and afford enough of pure air for
the combustion of the inAsmmable materials al.
i'Sded to, whence results the IMPORTATION ofsub-
terraneous waters; some naturaHts account for
earthquakes in the following way They saw
that fermentation alone, and simple efTiores-
eence. OF PyTites, (these are compounds consist.
ing OF sulphur and iron, and frequently contain
ing oxlds OF manganese, copper, and other sub,
stances; they are found abundantly in our coal.
nines)-sutfice for the production of those ire.
mcndous shocks, by means of the prodieious
duantry OF air which is then disenrared. and
rSrehed by heat.-This last opinion. though
plausible, does not carry along with itself the
same degree of conviction as the theory which
admits OF actual combustion; especially, as in
general, earthquakes are attended with, or fol-
lowed by, volcanic cruptions, more or less con-
siderable
That,our soil, whose base is granite, and the
upper strata of which, present almost every
where combustible substances, such as an.ra.
cite, ?lum5ago, sulphur, pyrites of various des-
criptiors, fossil Wood coal of different origin,
such as iithanthrax, geanthrax, xylanthraI, &c.
should contain subterraneous fires or, at least.
| should resemble vast rotor in which ftrrncnl
tatlon, ei!eryescence, and diseRgagement of
various AIRS, are continually going or, and, from
WHICH issue nunarous warm springs. COM
sequentIy, be liable to earthquakes, is there
! lore, by no means astonishing. On the contra
| ry, we are to expect from the very nature of
Things frequent phenomena of this sort-Nor
| ought we tobe too much alarmed ON this head
when once the .rarefied vapours find vent
tie danger IS over, and, in general, insulated
! PEAKS, ahord an issue for the yat,ours the
| flames, ard the volcanized matters, which their.
| agency aiieets.-Onless a town happens TO be ].
Tec'ed on some considerable internal. cavity
| lWhich IS often the case, indeed, in the vicinf
] y OF lne sea- as the fate Of Pornpeia, Hercula-
| nun, Lisbon, &c. evidently shevisl these eT,,n.
tons, though terrific in themselves, are not eF.
| tensiyey mischieyous
I From what have stated, resoc ctiner the na,,,.
Of tie soil on which we tread, voieanic. cru.
/ ton ~ Virginia. or In some neierir,our,ns, e,a,
would be 10 surprising event.-Indeed. e lie "a.
thcr TO DC wished than deprecated, as. bv afrfd.
~ 70 me f2reiled AR, or diiated vapour a suta
bic vent, t would prevent further slorl,4 a., II, .
those which have already been exoer;creSd -.
perhaps more considerable. A rfport ;s +e',5a,,
IN circulation ot a. Volcano hovigg lately br,Ley
out IN North Carolina must wait for The
continuation OF the fact, and far all The details
relative to II, before we draw any concI,,sfo,,s
.herelfom. But be this rcpcst tine or f.dse 1
! have found ~ q much syaaIler dists,ce e.
kichiaond, indubitable indications of forrer,,
existing volcanoes In FlGvsnra. volcar;zed -, =
nets mca, teldsPsth, &c frequently ct nv, v.,v
: "a also iouid there in abundance ss~egl5, 80
yer oiySiste De Hsiiy) which is undoubtedly .
volcanic result The magnetic sand Of our ~.