The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1842-09-24
III CANOES AND EARTHQUAKES.

II voICANOES AND EARTHQUAKES.
IA 49,, are among the most wonderful and interest
n nbouomena exhibited by nature and are caused
ia 10 Gre and water in the interior Of the earth
II ,, toOether The fire converts the water in.
~ .,m the immense expansive power of which
N saye some vent, and meeting with none, ii
III ..,be solid earth and pours forth the liquid
II rhich often burics in desolation fruitful fields
# popuous cities. Earthquakes and voIca-
!, are nearly always united, as countries which
IA 80 no volcanoes are seldom visited by earth.
n ulkcs,
N wha, dreadful calamity it must be for one Of
\ hose phenomena, particularly an earthquake to
4 rt lhickly populated country where nature and
Ntrrto TO shed blessings and com forts. II it oc.
II ps in the day timo, those Of the inhabitants who
\ ~ not swallowed up, have some hance to escape
nth what little OF their we alih they can collect in
Il tw moments. But even then the greater art OF
\ hem arc buried beneath the tottering and falling
buildings which encompass them on every side,
A and others escape pennless, and are left destitute
Aiats world, without the means of providing for
ShcnScIycs being unaccOstomed to labor and can =
n nolba the reverse of fortune, and death is The
!&cona4cnce And il it occurs in the night, most
NJrOtaty the greater proportion perish beneath the
Il ruins aud dcs0iatonS.
How The fire and water which is contained in
be earth came there is explained by the following
Iheoyj that the earth was, in It's prema turo state,
sobs o! FIRE, and that 1t kept gradually cooling
|aibc outside, and that the interior OF il is the
Fame as it was in It's premature state This theory
EalOnsht by many to be correct,as the lava which
b brown out by volcanoes resembles metal in
fused state and this is the principal fact on which
bis theory is founded
The name Of earthquake is taken from tho quak
gothic earth witnessed in this phenomenon.
The name of volcano is taken from Vulcan,
he god OF lire, whom Inc ancents supposed to
b imprisoned in the earth 10 make thunderboits
taupiter; and The Romans, supposing the voca
Eaao be his forges, gave that name to this phe-
puANOn.
'OIcsnOes are divided into those which burn al
rsfpalS, and those which burn constantly. The
fMer are by far the most NUMEROUS Some vol.
snOes send forth the smoke constantly and flames
intervals. The opening IN the top of volcanoes,
ldffom which the flames are emitted, is called
ecater. The lava rarely overhows the crater,
lmakes an opening in the side, and runs out,
aIoying every thing it meets in its way. Large
ones are sometimes thrown out. One OF the
ofthose stones is called pumice stone;
is issued for polishing metals, and 1t is celebra-
d for It's magnetic qualities.
There have been examples Of volcanoes sudden
shooting up from plains TO great height. An
ample OF this kind was the mount ofJorulo. in
ezico, which burst from PLAN, in the year
ol, and rose TO the height one thousand and sew
hundred feet. There have been examples also
Islands suddenly shooting in the sea, which are
PPOsed to be ofvolcanic origin. There are many
ampeS of this kind in the Grecian Archipelago
i'd the Azores, which are supposed to be of vol,
lnic origin.
There is another kind of volcanoes called water
0Eanoes, which send forth hot water. There is
example of this kind in tho Geysers and hot
rings Of Iceland, which throw up vast columns
water 10 the height of one hundred feet The
g'e'y and suhlmity of these phenomena are the
O" wonderful OF Natures works, and when con-
mpaed by mortal man, naturally lead him to ex
"'', What worms are we and how great the
oWe' who guides and controls these secret opera
''us beneath our feet! -