The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-12-15

We published on Tuesday special kilograms
to the HERALD reporting the continuance Of
the earthquakes at Porto Rico, one hundred
and fourteen shocks having been experienced
there within eight days and also rumos,
which, however, il contradicted, that an earth
quake took place at Caracas, in Venezuela, at
daybreak on the 18th ult The letter Of our
special correspondent at Panama, published
by US on Tuesday, fully describes this erup-
ton, which, as our correspondent remarks
was undoubtedly connected with the series Of
similar phenomena witnessed all through the
West Indies" Nothing is more striking in tho
history Of great natural commissions than the
constancy with which volcanoes and earth
quakes attend each other. This is the best
proof that they are due to . similar origin
"the energy Of elastic vapors struggling to find
q vent from beneath the surface Of the earth"
On the same night that Lima was destroyed by
an earthquake four new volcanic vents were
opened in the Andes. The earthquake at Lis
bon in 1855 was speedily followed by the
most violent eruptons that ever afflicted the
world. Within one short month after the de-
struction of the city of Caracas the vol
cano OF St Vincent burst into activity,
and at the moment it broke forth we are told
that the earth was shaken to the extent of
nearly twenty thousand square miles 1t
would seem that these examples Of the
widely extended sympathy between earth
quakes and volcanoes are about to be
paraleled in the West Indies, Central America
and South America
Elsewhere we have adverted to the
simultaneous explosion Of wars. revolu-
tons, earthquakes and volcanoes, as indi-
eating an inexplicable sympathy between
matter and mind, and the subsection Of both
to influences no less mighty than mysterious.
The researches Of modern science, especially
those relating to electricity, may yet lead to
the discovery Of the grand law which regulates
all these strange perturbations Of nature. The
fact that hurricanes, earthquakes and g,lcanic
eruptions have either accompanied or followed
the recent meteoric shower is suggestive Of
outside astronomical influences at work upon
our globe, az well az Of inside fires. A private
correspondent who has been deeply interested
in our special kilograms from the West Indies,
planetary commissions "have thrown food Of
light upon the subject" urges us to invite to it
the special attention Of ell savans throughout
the world. He calls upon us "to pull all the
electric wires around the globe for the purpose
Of arousing the attention Of all the observa-
tories" He thinks that our frequently pro-
posed "storm bureau" might render essential
service to the scientific inquirers whom he
wishes us TO stimulate to redoubled vigilance
and study. and he proposes to "the astrono-
mers, the meteorologists, the geologists, and
all the other philosophical ists,'" the follow
ing questions:-"What causes, at present, the
pressure and feverish vibration in the atmos-
phere around the globe, as exhibited In
hurricanes, typhoons, tornadoes and cyclones,
In their various tempestuous classiacatonsf
And what causes the agitation within the
centre OF our globe as indicated by the general
eruption of volcanoes and earthquakes ~ Our
correspondent alludes to our statement Of the
theory in which Professor LOOMS and Mrs.
Somerville concur. "They commit us ell con-
sion Of our comparatively small planet, when
we ALL individually and collectively, are to be
suddenly precinitated like Wholesale meteoric
shower through vast space, to be ignited and con-
sumed through velocity in motion, like so many
meteors disappearing like so much vapor"
So far as the explosive theory Of Professor
LOOMS and Mrs. Somervlle is concerned, it
explodes itseif in consequence Of the fact that
volcanic eruptions are provided for by the
laws of gravitation. Volcanic eruptions are so
many safety valves against disturban ces of the
equilibrium.
Our correspondent is reminded by our
special kilograms concerning the continued
disturbances at Porto Rico of the fact that
at the southern extremity of Italy. in Gala
bria and in Sicily, within less than four years,
from 1888 to 1886, thousands Of earthquake
shocks were experienced, compared with which
the recent disturbances in the West Indies
dwindle into comparative insigni6cance. Att any
rate, he is evidently not frightened into believ-
ing that these are signs Of Q speedy end Of the
world Hugh Miller, in his Lectures on Geol-
ogy,r somewhere expresses his belief that our
planet was in the earlier ages greatly more
plastic and yielding than in these later times,
and that the molten abyss from which all the
Piutonic rocks we're derived-that abyss to
whose existence the earthquakes Of the historic
period and the recent volcanoes so significantly
testify-was enveloped by . crust compare
lively thin. Like the thin ice Of the earlier
winter frosts that yields under the too adj
venturous skater, 1t would not support great
weights, &c. We might infer, however, from
the recent displays Of volcanic action towards
the equator that the earth's crust is still alarm
ingly and especially thin in that direction, il II
were not fact that equally startling volcanic
displays occur at different points all the way
"from Greenland's icy mountains to midas
coral strand" Iceland, for instance, forms q