The Hawaiian gazette., 1869-03-24

pnates Of lime ana Soua- ana OF culOrAte
Of sodium and magnesium, the cubic mass
of which is not inferior TO ABS yards. 1t
has been also calculated that one of the
springs Of Loueche-the spring Of Saint
LAurent-carries with it every year eight
millions of pounds of gypsum, or about
l.620 cubic yards. This wasting away is
enough to cause stratum Of 1000 square
yards of surface to get sixteen inches
lower in the course Of one century. But
We must remark that we are now speaking
of the action of but one spring during a
single century, and if we bear in mind the
large number of mineral fountains spring
ing out of the earth. and also the i'm
mensity of time during which water has
been running on the globe, We can soon
form an adequate idea of the Importance
of the changes worked by the streams.
After long succession Of ages they lower
the whole mass of mountains, and when
these abruptly sink down, violent oscilla-
tons of the earth must necessarily take
place.
A veryimportant fact seems to justify the
opinion Of those biologists who consider
most of the earthquakes as being external
phenomena, as it were, caused by rains,
springs. and water that has filtered into
the earth. This fact, based upon observa-
tons made by Professor Merriam, on lis
shocks felt at Basic, is that the trepida-
tons Of the soil are much more frequent
in the winter than in the summer season.
This fact has since been undoubtedly es-
tablished by observations made by Messrs.
Alexis Percy and Otto Volger. In the
Alpine regions, where no volcano exists,
the difference between the numbers Of
earthquakes taking place in summer and
winter is very considerable, and in CON-
pairing the four months of May. June, July
and August with those of December, JAN
uary, February and March, it has been
found that the shocks are three times more
numerous in the latter than in the former
season.
Not only are the subterranean commo-
tons more frequent in winter than in sum-
mer, but this remarkable fact has been
observed, that the shocks take place more
frequently in the night than in the day
time, throughout the year. In Switzer-
land, out of 5O2 earthquakes, lS2 only
were felt from 6 a. N. TO P. n, while 800,
NEARLY twice as many, were experienced
during the twelve hours of night.
A strange coincidence has also been re-
marked in the West Indies between the
simultaneous appearances of storms and
earthquakes, as if the wind, which uproots
the trees, upsets the houses, and is the
messenger of ruin and devastation, had
also direct action on the terrestrial sur
face and the planets foundation. On the
9th of September, 1865, while terrific
storm was devastating the West India
Islands of Marie-Galante, Guadaloupe, and
Saints, an abrupt shock was felt when
the hurricane was at its climax, which agi-
tated the Islands and upset many build
ings. Whence did this coincidence of
earthquake and cyclone arise! Had the
electric tempest propagated itself into the
abysses of the earth, or had the terrestrial
rains caused subterranean tremblings?
These are questions difficult to answer.
However, it may be henceforth admitted
that there exist at least two classes of
earthquakes, proceeding, the one, from the
pressure or the eruption of vapor and
lava the other, from the sinking down of
rocks, both of which phenomena produce
the same impressions upon men, and prop
agate themselves in the same manner
over vast expenses of the earth's surface.
Perhaps it would not be amiss to add to
these two kinds of shocks, those having
their origin in the relations of our planet
with the other terrestrial bodies. Thus,
according to the opinion Of the learned
astronomer Wolf,-an opinion based on
many skillful observations-the would
exist a constant relation between earth
quakes and the suns spots. AT length,
long researches, continued with untiriDg
perseverance by Mr. Alexis Percy, estab-
fish, in the most incontestable manner, that
the successive phases of the moon do ex-
ercise q great influence on the movements
of the earth's superficial structure, and
that it has its tides as well as the ocean
itself The frequency of earthquakes in
ereases, ike the tidal fux, towards the
time of the syzygies; it augments when
the moon approaches our planet, and d.
minishes when it recedes in one word, |
it is when the sea oscillates with the !
greatest force, that the earth itself trem-
bles most frequently. Therefore, as Mr.. !
Arnold Boscowitz eloquently says, in the
conclusion of his book: The earth, our /
common mother, whose strength and en-
ergy We have been able to ascertain and /
admire, is not isolated in her own activity;
If sne Is fruitful, if she lives and acts in
powerful manner, it is because she finds