Smyrna times., 1868-01-22
Earthquakes, Hurricanes, EruptiOns.

The numerous destructive hurricanes and
earthquakes that have occurred since October
last, and the coincident activity OF several vol
canoes, together with the unusual severity OF
the winter weather at so early period OF the
season, all go to show how much there Is yet
to learn of meterology and the kindred sciences
relating to matters on or near the surface OF
the EARTH The hurricanes we refer to, begin
ming on our own Southern coast in October,
and continued in many Of the West India Is
lands in November, extended also to the East
Indies in the latter month, there having been
one especially severe at Calcutta, by which
more than thousand lives were lost and as
MANY as thirty thousand native huts destroyed
in the suburbs of the city. At about the
same time there was a series OF earthquakes
doing great damage in the West Indies, and
we have had in the United States the rare
sensation of shock, extending through north
ern New York and across Vermont to the sea-
coast. Simultaneous with this is the early
winter and severe cold weather already refer
red to, and the renewed activity of Mount We
suvius, in the Mediterranean, and OF Mount
Hecla, in Iceland. All these events seem to
be so connected as to justify the conclusion
that they are effects of one general cause. Nor
is this the first time that such condolences
have occurred. The nearest to our own tunes
was in 1858. There was an eruction OF Nesu'
viuS in juno of that year, with more or less
of continuing activity until August, 1859, when
there was another considerable eruption. The
same year was marked by earthquakes along
the valley of Mexico and in Naples. In Mexl-
co the earthquake occurred in the same month
| (June), with the eruption OF Fesuvlus.-
Houses and other property were destroyed to
| the amount of many million dollars In some
districts the shock was the greatest ever ex-
perenced. In the following March, the city
| of Quito was almost totally destroyed and
thousands of lives lost. In October OF the
same year (l85S), one OF the most extensive
and destructive hurricanes on record swept
the West India Islands and extended for sew
en- hundred miles eastward Of the Bermudas.
| Its effects were felt on our own Shores and as
| in all similar cOnvulsiOns, there we're euor-
mously high tides and great and destructive
waves rolling in from the sea- 1t will thus be
seen that in 1859, continuing over period
of several months, there were volcanic erup-
| tions, earthquakes and hurricanes, extending
| from the interior of Europe to the continent
| of America, as in the last three months of the
past year There were similar violent dlstur-
| Dances of the crust of the earth in 1922, when
the most destructive earthquake that ever
| visited the United States occurred. This was
| in the vacinity of New Madrid. Missouri, and
other parts of that State and Arkansas, when
| an immense tract of territory was entire devas-
| tated Over an extent Of country 800 miles IN
! length, the earth rose and sunk in waves like
a sea, flooding some districts and draining wa
| ter from others, and in many places great yaw-
ming assures were opened IN the earth, threat
ening to engulf the unfortunate inhabitants.
In the same year there was an eruption OF
Vesuvius that opened a vast chaSm in the
mountain 2000 feet deep and three miles III
circumference. We might give other inStan-
ces of simultaneous earthquakes, volcanic ac-
tivity, and devastating storms. Volcanic ac-
ton is usually preceded by earthquakes and
| the latter are most frequent and destructive IN
volcanic districts. There is a concealed spot
in the Atlantic Ocean, about midway between
the coast of Brazil and that of Guinea, In AT
RIGA, that seems to be over submarine vol
cano and that is in state of continual actlvl-
ty. 1t is scarcely ever passed by vessel with
out some shock or disturbance being felt. In
the course of this action mountains and islands
have been thrown up like those of Monte
Nouvo and Graham Islands in the Medlterra
mean. Monte Nouv0 was thrown up in few
days to a height Of 40 feet and about milk
and -a-half in circumference. This remained
permanently, but Graham Island disappeared
in few months.
OF course, there is not enough known Il
make it certain how such terrible commissions
are caused, but the vast chasms that have beer
opened at different times on the surface OF the
earth, give sufficient reason for the belief tha
they extend to that part Of the interior where
the vast volcanic fires are always in a state o
activity. The prevailing theory is, that tht
pressure of the mighty volumes of pent-ul
gases evolved by volcanic fires rend the crus
of the earth into assures and these admitting
the waters of the ocean, all the other convul
sions and violent disturbances of the atmos
phere of the season.