The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-09-20
TERRESTRIAL DISTURBANCES.

! The superfciality of physical science is
terribly manifest in the earthquake which
recently struck the shores of Peru and Ecua-
dor and the neighboring sea. The human
mind is singularly prone to/obliviousness
with regard to calamities of this nature. The
contrast is almost grotesque between the
awful and imperishsble monuments which
they leave in their track on the earth's sur
face, and the facility with which their impress
sions fade from the common memory and
| give place to general insouciance respecting
the possibility of their recurrence.
Men recall with horror instances of the de-
struction of life by shipwreck and fire, by
pestilence and war. They revert with shud-
| der to the massacre of the Sicilian Vespers, of
| St Bartholomew, of Glencoe; to the frenzied
vendetta of the French revolution; to the
carnage of Austerlitz, of Waterloo, of Sebas-
topol, of Gettysburg, of Sadowa; but, for the
most part, never think of the havoc wrought
by earthquake until its destructive power is
forced upon their attention by a fresh
CONFUSION such as has Just stricken the
western coast of South America And yet it
is not too much to say, that within equal
periods Of history, more lives have been lost
by earthquake than have been lost by mas
sacre, by revolutionary execution and by
battle. That there has been more property
destroyed by the same cause, than has been
destroyed by the devastation of war, admits
OF as little question. Careful investigators
have calculated that an average of not less
than twelve earthquakes, more or less de-
structive, annually occur; and it is estimated
that as many as thirteen millions of people
have persisted under these yisitations of
nature.
No portion of the habitable globe can
claim immunity from the earthquakes stroke.
Asia, southern Europe, South America and
Central America have experienced more
calamity from this source than any other re-
gions. But that is merely historic fact
which natural phenomena hereafter may at
any time reverse. If we interrogate science
to know whether this city, or New York, or
Chicago, or st. Louis is at this moment safer
from the fatal operation of subterranean
forces than Arequipa, Caracas and Lisbon
which trembled into ruins, or than Golacha
Guatemala and Port Royal, which reeled and
sunk from sight forever, science can give no
answer. 1t is mute. 1t cannot inform us of
the central seat, of the ramifcations, or of the
precise nature of those terrific forces. After
all its vainglorious talk about the earth's ana
tony and physiology, its knowledge of this
sphericular creature, this globular speck in
stellar space, is not even skin deep. To be
sure, the savants assure us that there is Sc
quence between volcanic exgurgitation and
the earthquakes CONFUSION. Wonderful 10
tell The veriest dolt who can measure time
by the clock or by the course of the sun, could
enlighten us quite as much. But what is the
cause of this effect, or rather of this Sc
quence? Pray explain to us, Messieurs
Savants, the philosophy of both the volcano
and the earthquake Fire has something to do
with the one-that is obvious and, presump-
lively, fire has something TO do with the other.
But what produces this fire? What feeds it |
Ii atmospheric oxygen is necessary to con-
migration, as you teach, how is it that the
dense interior of the earth can admit the air |
necessary to combustion, and yet afford no |
egress for the resulting gases, and therefore
necessitate those terrestrial tremors and yawn-
ngs which we call earthquakes, and those
upheavals and vomitings which
we call volcanoes? <4AS2
The Swans try to console us with the idea
hat volcanoes perform the Office of vents to
let off imprisoned steams and gases, and that
volcanic activity is a guarantee against the
rage of the earthquake. Poor consolation,
indeed, for people in these pats of the world
who are Tot blessed with the presence of vol
,anic safety valves.
We have nothing of that sort in this coun-
ry to divert explosive forces that may be
Gathering beneath us. Imagine them to
trike up fercely against the alluvial crust of
he Mississippi valley. Why, the whole
,lain would undulate in pillows like the Gulf
n an equinoctisl storm, until at length the
would open its jaws and humble its
luge lips over sinking cities and disappearing
ivers. There is, for the rest, this to be SAID
n all seriousness, that the awful mystery of
arthquake, the greatness and yet the uneer-
ainty of its peril, if they humilate our
pride, should exalt our reverence
or creative power, and swell our gratitude
or blessings that we are permitted to enjoy
7hile crawling betwixt heaven and earth
ynorantly conscious of the mysterious paga-
inc of dangers over which we round our
title dream of life.
/