Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-11-18

hen pressure equal TO several hundred amosheIes Il is
Universally conceded by geoog that those rocks oil which
these minerals constitute principal part have been produced
acreat depths in the earth they subjected enor
mus pressure during their slow evolving and cysazation
pio therefore, the denuiaon which has exposed these
misses Of granite view, they must have been overad
ar pressed down while in fluid state by superintendent
snta great thickness and vast weight Is not propape
therefore that any cavities could exist nor, if it
possible that such could be the case Is al all key nat
gnite arch which once Upheld such immense weight
would in one day give way under the simple pressure oil the
atmospheric or even we were adopt the improbable sup
potion that the OF granite composing this mountain had
ben formed at great depth below the present surface of the
eah and forced up bodily by plutonc action, there is lit
sreasen to believe that any cavities could exist In fact
the are never found under grantees On looking at the
fac Of the ground this place there is appearance 10 IN
dcte any general sinking Of the Al the top OF the
ride where the fractures are observable IT, there is
variation in the slope Of the surface depression OF the bro
ker parts Immediately below it, where the mountain llas
great seepness equal least to an inclination Of toy-hve
degees where the line Of fracture parallel to the direction
he ridge, the surface sunk suddenly ten or heen feet
This state things however, would inevitably DC produced
at sch an inclination by the force of gravity Alone causing
the parts separated the shock sink somewhat as they de-
scend the mountain side Lower down. where the seepness
is not so great the elevations much exceed the depressons
The is Of the appearance on the south sde OF he
br. ,cb whey is aric~' feV"' io' se'a' hauea
ii think that any surveying the whole Of the
drbed ground will be brought the conclusion that there
has been genera upheava rather than DEPRESSION and that
the irregularities observable due to forceacting
power below, which has during the shocks unequaly raised
different parts Of tn surface One of the earlier biologists,
while this science in lis infancy, would probably have
ascrbed these to the underneath the
face of bed OF pytes, bumnous shae other sub
stance capable Spontaneous COMMISSIONS which had taken
fire from being penetrated by of other
accidental Il such combustion take place
considerable depth below the surface and should to
considerable heat the above they would thereby
be expanded and hkened he forced upward Such
expansion, though would be less in granite than in
other STRATA shown by your fellow ownsman COL Tot
ten, would nevertheless, il the heated thick and
the elevation Of temperature considerable. be sufficient se
the surface much appears have been elevated such
expansion, however Icing necessarily from its very
gradual would for the various violent shocks
for the irregular action the surface On the other hand
the burning the surface, cause expo
sion by means Of gnes generated from time time it
scarcely uncomfortable hat such gases while escaping through
assures Of the rock aove, should fail be Observed mas
much great volume would be necessary supply the
quisi'e amount Of force it all conceivable that such
state of things woui not be accomp panied ty sensible
change Of temperature the surface. The difficulty in the
way OF such suppositn greatly increased when
sde the form OF the oIg belt acted on, and from the
of the sudden violent shocks after long intervals of
quiet Such hypothesis in fact do not regard entitled
to respect than anGher which suggested TO me
al the place. As has other merit than that Of Origi
nahy, should hav, thought it worth repeating but for
The statement Of fact male in support Of it. While OBJ
serving the locality my attention directed elderly
man who gliding with sealthy step through the forest,
carrying his left shouer rifle and his right hand
small hoe such the ditgers Of ginseng His sances
alternating between the distant ridges and the plants about his
feet showed that while locking for deer he unmnd
ful Of the wants Of the inhabitants Of the Celestial Empire
On my questioning him relation the appearances he said
that be had observed them often after the different shocks
that the appearances changed each time the surface
that ought just ar shock, before the and
leaves had filed the cracks, adding that did ''not show at
all now He expressed decided opinion that the conyu
sions produced by srr under the surface On my
marking that though knew hat that in the hands Of
effective agent in deaving rocks and excava,ng
the eath yet had not supposed il could such in
uencs when deeply buried ground, he stated sup
port Of his opinion that OF ais neghbors had the north
side Of the mountain found spring hot enough boil
egg He also added that hree years he had
the mountain two miles TO me north Of this one, hut in
the direction seemingly OF the e Of force, blazing fire for
severa hours rising up sometimes high the tops of the
tres and going out suddenly for time fire.
quen intervals. He declared that the distance Of mile
from where be the brightness sufficient to enable him
TO small objects Several other persons in the vicinity
found subsequently prossed TO have the light from
different points Of view, and described il in similar manner
As Of them have thought enough Of the mat
u induce him 10 attempt approach the place. though
persons represented that they bad subsequently found
great quantity Of "einder the point, the statement OF
fact j. perhaps entitled 10 weight than the hypothesis
il was intended 10 support.
Il probable, however, that difficulty will attend any
explanation that be offered in relation the Phenomena
at this place. We know that The elevation Of the surface Of
the earth many places undergoing change, gradual
u; 70 be observed any one some Of the north
western parts Of Europe, for example, experiencing
upbegrd equal FIVE six feet in century, while the
coast q Greenland tho subsrd depression, is such that
even tie ignorant inhabitants have learned that il pr1
dent Or them build hr huis the edge Of the water
Similar changes observed in various other places, but they
obviously bear analogy the facts under consideration
Again, = veil known that earthquakes from time time
ags,e violently portions Of the earhs surface Of greater or
ess extent that while snge shock has permanently raised
two three feet the Of Ch for several hundred miles
others have elevated depressed comparatively small spaces
II usuiy happens, however when the shock is rc
be bne point break solid strata Of the globe tho