New-York daily tribune., 1843-02-02
From the Jcaraalo OF Commerce
The Enrlssnuake.

The Earthquake
In Mondays journal OF Commerce noticed
paragraph from a.St. Louis paper giving an ac-
counr Of singular phenomenon attending the
earthquake of ihs evening of the Ala of January
VIZ: tee disappearance OF pond OF water, and
The producing o. wkatis called in the West sink
hoie ost of winch issued steam, and that the tenn
pereture OF The earth around the surface was such
as to cause the snow TO melt, while the snow on
ground adjacent remained unaffected.
During the shakes of the earthquake in The Wit
ter OF 1911 and 10, a person walking near the
Banks of the Muskingum River, in Ohio, aiscov-
he examined the spot, put his cane down IN the
opening, and ii Immediately ;eok FIRE. He was
much ai.rraed. and on his return TO town related
the circumstance. The Legislature Of the State
were then in sessisn at GAINESVILLE, and iuauledi-
ately adjourned TO afford the members oppcrtu-
nity 10 view The phenomenon. he report spread
rapidly through the village until it reached the
ears CT an old gentleman, who Immediately eS-
planned the matter He had the year previous
burnt kiln OF lime on and against the bank OF the
river which ignited vein of bituminoGs coal that
continued TO burn under ground, and the violence
of the earthq uake had thrown down so much Of the
bark of the river as 70 cause the opening. An ex-
animation of lAe ground proved that the old gen.
,enan was right in bis conjectures. Ssbterranean
fires feeding upon bitunlinous coal may have pro-
duced the phenomenon spoken of in the 81. LOUIS
paper, and the subtsrranean fuel may have been
kndIed BY electric fluid.
Shakes are very frequent near St. Louis, and
more particularly near Shawneetown, Illinois. AT
the United States salines IN that neigh0orhood
shakes are felt almost every year During the
shakes in 1911 and 1872, at NewMadrid, btu
lur, ,.rtTri rips a
that place.
LIQUID Petroleum, which is very combus,ible, is
found in boring for salt water through the TesioSs
of country west of the Allegany Mountains, and In
many places it comes TO the surface in the shape
of Mineral Tar Springs. Immense quantities OF
Carbureited HYDROGEN gas also issue from some OF
the salt wells of the West, and from numerous
springs termed burning springs. The diferen!
Virginia springs possess every degree OF temPera-
ture, from that of the heat of boiling water down
TO the temperature of % degrees.
The increased temperature is entirely local, as
appears from all the Investigations which have been
made in the western States.
The Carburetted hydrogen Gas is set on FIRE at
thesienhawa Salines, and at the burning Springs
in Virginia, by the Inhabitants, TO afford visitors
the opportunity of witnessing the phenomenon.
Beneath the earh's surface in many localities ere
vast gasometcrs oe carbrretted hydrogen gas, and
also burning bodies which have become ignited
from chemical causes fully understood. These sub
fires produce in the course Of time intense
heat displacDg vast bedies OF solid matter, until
pcrchance body of water is thus reached, which
on coming in contact with the liquid FIRE becomes
converted into steam. This must either ind 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 varisus;
some tilnes the motion is vertical, throwing build
inss upward at other times the motion is hori.
zonta
1t is wonder that earthquakes are not more
frequent, and more disastrous. (. NJ.
THE CHocTAw TRlsE.-The Arkansas Tele
c L.