The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1868-11-11
The Earthquakes at San Francisco.
THE VOLCANIC CHAIN OF AMERICA

/ The earthquakes at San Francisco oA Heuneoaay
last some twelve or thirteen in number, extended as
it appears pretty much along the whole coast line OF
California and back to the foot of hills OF the Sierra
Nevada or snowy mountains, which are part O. Tue
great volcanic chain of the American Continent Earth
auakes come from some volcanic Disturbances ana we
dare say that all these volcanic perturbatons in bot
hemispheres since May last may be traced to the grand
eruption of that month of the terrible Mauna Loa OF
the Sandwich Islands, the king Of all the earths volca-
noes. That eruption, we conjecture, caused such
commotion of the fiery fluids enclosed within the thin
shell of our globe that they have been from time to
time breaking out various chmneys and shaking the
earth less severely at various thin places ever
since.
It is remarkable fact while from the 18th to the
18th Of August last those fearful earthquakes came
upon Ecuador and Peru involving III ruins numerous
towns and cities along the coast for hundreds of miles,
that on the 18th of August the phenomena we're
felt and seen at Yokalon,a in Japan, and along the
southern and eastern coast Of Australia, and that en-
the 2oh pretty severe earthquake shook down num-
ber Of buildings at Peshawur, in ludia These almost
simultaneous disturbances doubtless the result OF
the pressure OF the internal liquid fire from one side
right through the heart of the earth against the other
side Of the SHE'LL These shakes which they have had
in California from the agitation impaired to the
lava which underlies the comparatively thin crust ol
the section of our continent. East OF the Mis-
sissidp river repose upon thick solid and reliable
crust. We have volcanoes III this section because
we have no for these safety valves, and escape
pipes We are alright. But in lSl it will be remem-
bercd by some there was an earthquake at New Mad
rid on the west side of the Mississippi, from which
some forests went down and some little lakes were
created From the west side of the Mississippi, there
fore we may assume the crust of the earth to the Pa
cifc especially in the valleys is comparatively thin
and the two sections otherwise as widely different
as Europe and Asia. The Continent east from the
Mississippi is like Europe, and west like Asia.
But we have spoken of the great volcanic chain Of
,Iob,i pcf opI ICnbt
fires extends from Cape Horn and Terra del Fuego, or
the land of the fire, up to Mount St. Elias in Alaska
Through South America it is the backbone of the con-
tinent; through Central America and Mexico it is
scattered about but abounds in volcanos and earth
quakes At the southern boundary of the United
States two great chains branch off to the norhward,
the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada The
Rocky Mountain chain the bonep proper Of North
America but it is no longer volcanic 1t in ages
gone by, but its craters have become extinct and
lakes. West of this backbone chain, on the way to
Great Salt Lake. we have Fremonts Great Basin, an
isolated region Of some five hundred miles wide and
seven hundred miles long, the water of which
are lost in the sands Of the desert or expanding into
lakes, evaporated by the SUM- This Great Basin,
from the water marks on the rim OF the noun tans
was at one time of the an inland sea
like the Caspian, but at later period lifted up
by the fiery forces inside the earth and made dry land
All this vast and nhosptable region, with the region
norhward to Oregon, was aptly described by Fre-
mont volcanic region hardly yet cooled down-'a
land of fracture and violence and fire." The numer-
Gus hot springs in the mountains and valleys and the
volcanic chemicals of the ashy soil of the Plains sup
port Fremont in this description.
On the west side of this Great Basin we have the
Sierra Nevada the continuation of the living vol
canc chain from South America. 1t along par
alle with the Pacific coast hundred miles off
or less, all the way to Mount St. Elias, in Alaska.
This chain has numerous peaks rising from twelve to
seventeen thousand feet above the sea, and two of
them, Mount Hood, in Oregon, and Mount ST. Helena,
further north reported to be smoking last au
tunn from volcanic combustion. At all events, under
this mountain chain in its whole length the volcanic
forces of the earth comparatively the surface,
and So for centuries to come perhaps all the countries
on both sides will be liable to earthquakes Hereafter
five and six story buildings will be rather risky
business in San Francisco, at least for year or
two, though such shaking they had on Wednes-
day last may not again. perhaps for fifty years
TO come.
How THE FREENAsoSs MANAGED THE REVOLUTION
IN SpAIN.-A Madrid letter to the London News says:
!" The whole of this insurrectionary movement has
been under the direction of revolutionary commit
tee, most of whom, am told, members of the
Freemasons Society-of which there are not less than
! forty.nne lodges, numbering twenty-one thousand
members in Madrid-and who have for months past
been drilling and arming the people in preparation
for this outbreak. So successful had been the efforts
that for the last few days there have been in Madrid
no less than twenty thousand men, all armed, with
muskets revolvers (the latter the most common
weapon) and ready to act any moment against the
Government. Nor was tle influence of this Junta,
which, of course acted in combination with Generals
Serrano and Prim and the others confined to the peo-
pie. They had friends in many of the public depart
ments and every telegram which received i'll
Madrid was read by them as by the President
of the Council, General Concha."
A SISTERS DEYoT1os.-A California paper tells ths
story:
GA convicted murderer, sentenced to death at 4 us-
tin, Nevada, last week furnished with materials for
writing three files, four fine saws, and poison with
which to commit snicide in his efforts to escape
failed They concealed in the back of the frame
Of large photograph of his sister, which she brought
him and had his ailer deliver to him in her presence
With the he had nearly cut off bis irons when his
attempt discovered and the tools found though the
poison yet efectuay concealed. The sister prom
sed other assistance which she to render in per-
son, others afraid, and plan whereby, under
pretence Of giving other prisoners into his CHARGE the
ailer to be induced to open the door, when he
to be overpowered by tie pretended guard and the
murderer spirited away. The sister was indicted for
aiding to rescue prisoner"
HuMBoLDr's EXPERIENCE. OF EARrHouAKEs,-Hum-