Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1843-03-14
sUBTERRANEAN FIREs-THE CAUSE

The disappearance of small pond of water in
Missouri during the recent Earthquake, and the
issuing of stream from hole at the bottom has
called forth the following remarks by correspon-
dent OF the Journal Of Commerce:
During the shakes of the earthquake in the
winter of ISL and ", a person walking near
the banks Of the Muskingum River, IN Ohio. dis
covered smoke issuing from the ground; he ex-
amined the spot put his cane down in the opening,
and it Immediately took fire He was much
alarmed, and on his return to town related the
circumstance The Legislature Of the state were
then IN session at GAINESVILLE, and Immediately ad
Journcd 10 view the phenomenon. The report
spread rapidly through the village until it reach
ed the ears of an old gentleman, who Immediately
explained the matter. He had the year previous
burnt kiln Of lime, on and agains, the bank,
which ignlted vein of bnuminous coal that con-
tlnued to burn under ground, and the violence of
the earthquake threw down so much of the bank
OF the river as to cause the opening. An exami-
nation of,hc ground proved that the old gentleman
was right in his concctures Subierrancan fires
iecdlng upon bltnmlnous coal NAV have produced
the phenomena spoken of in the ST Louis paper,
and the subterranean fuel may have been kndled
by electric fluid
Shakes very frequent near St Louis and
more particularly near Shawneetown, Illinois
At the United States Salines in that neighborhood
shakes are felt almost every year. During the
| shakes in lSl and IL at New Madrid. bitumin-
Gus coal was thrown up in large quantities at tina,
place
Liquid Petroleum which is very combustiblc
is found in boring for salt water, through the re-
| gons of country west of the Alleghana mountains
and in many places 1t comes to the surface in the
shape of Mineral Tar Springs Immense quaint
| ties If carburetted hydrogen gas also issues from
some of the salt wells of the West, and from nu-
merous springs, termed burning springs The
different Virginia springs possess every degree
OF temperature, from that Of the heat ofboiled wa
ter down TO the temperature of fifty-two degrees
The increased temperature is entirely local, as
appears from all the Investigations which have
been made in the western States
The carburet,ed hydrogen gas is set on fire al
| the kenhawa Salincs and at the burning springs
in Virginia by the inhabitants TO afford visitor,
the opportunity of witnessing the phenomena
Beneath the enrth's surface in many locations
are vast gasometers Of carburetted hydrogen gas
and also burning bodies which have become ig
ni,ed from chemical causes fully understood -
| These subterranean fires produce in the course o
time intense heat, displacing vast bodies of solo
matter, until perchance body of water is thus
reached, which on coming in contact with thu
| liquid fire becomes converted into steam This
must either find vent by some terrific explosion
or be condensed by force Of pressure which
must shake the earth for an immense distance
| around
The effects Of earthquakes are quite various
sometimes the motion is vertical, throwing build
! ings upwards at another time the motion is hori
zonal 1t is wonder that earthquakes are no
more frequent and more disastrous