Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-11-03
PHENOMENA.
The Recent Earthquakes in the South
and West

, and West.
The earthquakes in California brin
home to the jewellers in the Atlanti
States, with fearful distincEness, the ter
rible disasters in Peru and Ecuador
The relations between the Pacific an,
Atlantic States are SO personal and init
mate that apainful anxiety and solicitud
is generally felt respecting the fate O
California. That State presents numerous
volcanic traces that indicate the possibi!.
ity, if not probability, Of earthquakes
Happily, the shocks in California appear
to have been slight, although they ma.
urally inspired widespread terror.
They were no doubt occasioned by the
same disturbing influences that produced
such fearful results in South America IL
August This is in accordance with the
general law of earthquakes, which travel
from south to north But in California
the volcanic forces Sc EN- to have expended
their strength, and resulted in compare.
lively slight fluctuations The obseryas
tons on these phenomena warrant the
conclusion that the Califoruians have al.
ready experienced the worst effects from
the earth's vibratory motion, and that
no further injuries are likely to oc.
cur.
The recent earthquakes appear to have
been diffused over wide extent of terri
tory In Peshawur, British India, an
earthquake occurred on the Gosh of Aus
gust seven days after the events in South
America. The strongest buildings were
shattered, but although the shocks were
very violent no lives were lost.
In the Sandwich Islands from the q
to the 9th Of August, numerous slight
shocks Of earthquake were Observed. On
the Sth a terrible rain storm, the usual
attendant Of earthquakes, occurred at
Hawaii, and few days afterward the at
mOsphere became sultry and oppressive,
as is frequently the case both before and
after telluric disturbances. In SYDNEY,
Australia, on the 18th of August, there
was an extraordinary tidal disturbance
for several days, that extended along the
entire coast The water ebbed and flowed
with great violence, and for several
days the tides were unusually high.
10 Chill, since the earthqus kes of the
18th Of August, the atmosphere has ex>
hibited signs Of sultriness and oppression
that occasioned no slight alarm among the
inhabitants, who connect these conditions
with volcanic eruptiOns. Scientific OBJ
servations have not confirmed this view.
Earthquakes have occurred during heat
and cold; in storm and calm; but the
South American view, like most popular
impressions seems to be based upon some
'0undatiOn of facts In nearly all the
recent disturbances from the shock in
India on the Goth August, down to the
recent disturbances in California, includa
ing the disasters in South America, there
were the same conditions Of sultriness
and oppression in tie air. The Califor-
MIA papers by the last steamer all notice
the warm, still air, and light apor, which
were attributed to fires in the woods in
remote regions. But in the light of recent
events, it may be concluded that these ats
mospheric peculiarities were connected
with volcanic agencies.
A review of the facts that have been so
far gathered relative to the recent earths
quakes, indicates that they were all prob-
ably occasioned by the same internal ac-
LlDD, anu NGEC lEduSAllLtGU lEO4u the lu-
terror Of the earth in place Of extending
over its crust in vibrating motions, as is
usually the case. Further information
upon these and other points will be looked
for with peculiar interest by scientific
persons, as well as by the general pub
lie.
The terror inspired by the eomparatiYs-
lylight shocks Of earthquakes in Califor,
MIA, of which we have news by telegraph,
is founded upon deeply-Tooted principle
in human nature. These phenomena res
verse all of our established ideas Of the
material universe. We are accustomed
to the changes of wind and water, but
the earth is always associated with ideas
Of stability and the ordinary succession
of events founded upon known natural
laws An earthquake reverses in a mos
ment all preconceiyed notions of the
material universe, and induces an in
stinctive terror to which all other emO~
tions and feelings are az nothing Nor
IS this confined to man. 1t Is also shared
By the animal creation. Daring an earth>
quake the fright Of beasts is described as
most pitiable. In iGdia crocodiles and
reptiles have been known to fOTsake the
banks of rivers, and hasten to the forests,
led by q mysterious instinct