Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-11-30
From the Record and Farmer.
Volcanoes, Earthquakes and their
Causes.
BY A. D. HAGER.

In the beginning 600 created the
heavens and the earth, and the earth
was without form and void" The
Bible was not intended for text book
on science, yet the first words of that
book give in comprehensive SEN
tence the actual condition of the earth
I" in the beginning" 1t was not in a
suitable condition fer man or even the
lowest order of animals to inha6it, for
lit was without form and void" in
other words it was in an elemental
condition, in state Of gas, or vapor.
Not an atom of matter has been ami
hilated or created since the begin
ming" But change Of condition was
one of the inherent laws Of the ele-
mental matter of which the solar sys-
TEN is composed and that law is still
in force. Affinities existed between
the atoms and from those elements,
which in the beginning were without
form and void, the sun and the plan
cts composing the solar system were
formed. The affinities or attractive
force that existed in each atom of this
revolving mass centered them into
| globes; thus forming the sun and plan
cts, including the earth on which we
live. But it required long periods of
time for the complete solidifcation of
the elements Of which our earth and
the other planets are composed
The earth was a vapory mass, then
plastic, and covered with water, then
more solid, and ultimately sufficiently
developed for the introduction of man.
In these changes how greatly was the
volume or bulk reduced Instead Of
filling the entire space embraced in
the solar system the elemental mass
has become centered into planets, thou
sands on thousands of miles from each
other.
Now, it is a well established fact,
that where there is a reduction Of
bulk, whether by mechanical action or
chemical union, heat is evolved. A
good illustration Of the former is made
by taking a smooth cylinder six inch
eS in length and one fourth inch in di-
ameter, closed at one end, and in it
have a closely fitting piston rod that
a person can work up and down with
the hand. In the end of the piston
rod place some highly inaammable
substance and suddenly compress the
air in the cylinder by forcing down
the piston rod and sufficient heat will
be evolved to ignite the substance
Before the invention of friction match
es the i" fire gun" was used and many
a fire has been kindled from the bit of
cotton that had been saturated with
saltpetre, and after being dried was
placed in the fire gun and ignited by
the heat evolved by the highly COM
pressed air.
In chemical union, where the bulk
is reduced, heat is invariably evolved.
A pail full of quick lime and pail
full of water will evolve great heat,
but the compound will not make two
pailfuls. The quarts ofsulphuric acid
and one quart of water will not make
a gallon of the mixture, but a heat
greater than that of boiling water will
be produced. This law, requiring the
evolution of heat upon the reduction
of bulk, is universal. 1t is not strange
then, that so many evidences of heat
are witnessed on the earth's surface,
nor is it strange that the central parts
of our earth is now an incandescent
mass of matter.
In the outer crust of the earth,
where the atoms are so closely bound
together as to form solid rock, the
attractive force still exists, and is con-
tinually drawing the atoms more close
ly together, making the crust more
solid and consequently smaller.
The effect of this solidifcation Of
the earth's crust upon the matter with
in it is similar to that on a wagon
wheel when surrounded with heated
tire that is too short. As the tire
cools it becomes more solid and con.
sequeDtly grows shorter and hugs
more tightly the felloes Of the wheel
In many instances the contracting tire
cripples the fellocS and bends the
spokes so as to ruin the wheel. If
then a contracting wagon tire has suf
ficient strength to produce these re
suits, infinitely greater must be the
force exerted by the contracting crust
of the earth, (Which has a thickness Of
forty to sixty miles, upon the matter
contained within it. The effect pro
duced by the contracting tire and the
earth's crust are not analogous, for the
spokes of the wagon wheel have am
pie room in which to bend, but not Sc
with the matter inclosed by the glob
, ular crust of the earth. Being sur
rounded at every point by the con
q tracing crust the contained matter
. must be subjected 10 immense press
q ure, enough to greatly reduce its bulk
: If a person can press down the pis
5 ton Of a fire gun and so compress thu
j. air as to produce a spark of fire how
n much greater will be the heat evolved
: by the combined weight and contrac
g ton of band of rock fifty miles il
e thickness bearing down upon the mas
G below and within it.
/ 1t is not strange that all contained
# within this crust is in state Of incan
d descence, nor need we wonder that
n portion of the fused mass should a
Y times find vent through some openin|
It and be projected thousands of feet in
s to the air, or that mountains should b
o suddenly formed out of it. At point
e in the crust of the earth where it i
J. the weakest, or where there is fraC
n ture, the eruption Of melted matte
j. will take place. Hence it is the vol
n canic islands are occasionally forme,
IF in the deep sea. as was the case wit
,e Graham Island that was thrown up i
r, the Mediterranean in the deep waite
is midway between Sicily and the coas
,e of Africa in August 1881. The Sane
V, wich Islands, too, in mid ocean are {
s. volcanic origin.
O. But nearly all Of the volcanoes o
s. the earth are ranged in lines that col
IN respond with original lines of fractur
in the crust of the earth. These line