The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-10-22

none. But no sooper was the treaty abrogated,
upon due notice being given, than they dis
covered that Canada gained some very i'm
portant advantages from reciprocity of trade,
and they are now most anxious to see the
treaty remain In force. The action Of the
Bermuda Legislature now shows how much
the British colonies lean upon the trade
and commerce Of this country for their
prosperity; and their anxiety to enter
into advantageous commercial relations with
US proves how rapidly the colonies Of Great
Britain are being disintegrated from the mother
country, and being drawn by an Irresistible
attraction to the United States.
The Recent Wonderful Phenomens I'm
HeaYen and Earth.
Earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes and SINH
lar violent operations of nature are not uncom-
mon in this uneasy hemisphere. The whole
western slope of the continent is q region of
evidence, fracture and fire." Two or three
movements Of the earth are felt every year ON
the Pacific side-now at St. Louis and again at
San Francisco. And as a volcano is an almost
necessary result of an earthquake of any con-
sequence, we may say that we have also our
two or three volcanic eruptions, either on the
land or thousands of miles out under the sea.
-Four earthquakes were felt on the continent in
ls64ranging from the Mississippi to the Paci-
fc, and from Canada to Panama. In the pres
ent year we have had already an even larger
number. Hurricanes also are almost feature
of life in the tropical regions Of America-pro-
gressive whirlwind storms of the most terrific
power. Sometimes these invade the temper
ate zone also, and last year one made swathe
all across the northern section Of the United
States.
But recently great number Of these wonders
of nature have occurred within short period
of each other-so short period as naturally TO
the 9th Of September there was a terrible hurri-
cane at Guadalupe, in the West Indies, and on
the ed an earthquake at Porto Rico. On the
Esd Of the same month Mount Hood, in Oregon,
began to discharge volcanic matter, and the
internal disturbance thus indicated was also
seen in a very considerable earthquake that on
the 9Th instant rocked the houses of San Fran
cisco to and fro in very free and easy man
ner. Several celestial wonders have also come
in this same period. Some accident of q stu
pendous nature evidently occurred in the
sun in September; perhaps fiery crust
caved in over an immense space, making visi-
BILE nine thousand miles of darker central
substance. That is the magnitude Of the
darker part Of spot now visible on the lumin-
ary-the length Of the whole spot, darker and
lighter together, beng tweuty-nine thousand
miles. In the same evcntful September a new
planet was discovered in the heavens; and
only the other day We had that ever fresh Won
der, an eclipse Of the sun.
We do not assert the relationship Of these
phenomena, but no man having full regard TO
the history OF science will venture to deny that
sach relationship exists. We cannot see, per-
haps that great wind storm in the West In
dies has anything to do with the agitation of
the molten masses beneath the crust OF the
earth on the Pacific shore OF our continent;
nor can we say how q volcanic demonstration
of natures gigantic chemical processes may
be associated with shadows seen on the sun.
sun directly influence the electrical conditions
Of the earth, and to the influence Of those cleo
trical disturbances no one can assign limit.
They cannot be without their influence on such
purely atmospheric phenomenon rs the hurri-
cane. Between the disturbed electrical condi-
tons of the earth and the central fires there is
also an evident connection. Tremblings of
the carth--shocks, volcanocs--are always pre-
ccded by changed electrical conditions; and.
when considerable, this changed condition has
even u remarkable influence upon animal life.
And it should be remembered, in connection
with all these phenomena, that only SO long
ago as when the attempt was made 20 lay the
Atlantic cable the earth was swept by = re-
markable electric storm.
This period OF remarkable phenomena CONES
Just at the close of another sort of storm. H. fol-
lows great war, and with US, perhaps, precedcs
pestlence. Perhaps IL h one OF the ancient
errors Of the human race that earthquakes and
eclpses accompany pestilenec and war. Wars
certainly come ofiener than ec.ipses or even
comets, and earthquakes shake countries Chat
are otherwise in the most positive peace 1t
may be convenient to assume this connection
when we cannot explain waS in any other why,
and there is some use for sooh an assumption
in our war. Rejecting thal Southern men
made il, il would seem almost AZ II their action
must have been influenced by some incontrolla-
BILE madness, as wide spread and general as tho
air. But in the case of pestilence, and espe-
cially such pestilence as the cholera, science
has made the connection obvious. Certain
states Of the atmosphere unquestionably favor
the spread Of that disease, and these states
may possibly resulk from the sumo electrical
conditions that associate the natural wonders
with each other. Undoubtedly the physical