Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-07-24

Richard Hayes, in paper read before the st.
Louis academy of science, gives the following
views:
"a now come to the theory according to which
propose to show that very many, II not all, of
the known seismic phenomena may be caused,
and it is this:
"That there are currents of electricity contin-
ually circulating within the earth.
"That as the earth is composed of great di-
verSity of materials, its conducting power is by
no means uniform, and consequently, electrici-
ty must accumulate in certain places, thus pro-
ducing intense heat and chemical action, where
by result tremblings, explosions, and eruptions
of gas, steam, water mud, ashes and melted
lava, according to circumstances.
'"That the amount of this electrical action and
disturbance is controlled largely by the other
heavenly bodies, and varies according to their
different positions relative to each other and TO
the earth.
-"That there are currents of electricity contin-
ually circulating around and within the earth,
and that the sun influences them, has been so
clearly proved by Others as to require no further
demonstration. That they may become sutfi-
GENTLY intense to fuse or volatilize any known
substance cannot be doubted when we consider
the effects which Sir Humphrey Davy produced
simply by artificial means. On this subject of
electric or magnetic currents quote the follow
ing from Blackwo0p's Magazine for July, 1869.
The writer says: we believe that certain kinds
of rock are the favorite or special media of the
magnetic currents, which are in constant action
around and beneath us, and which may be re-
garded as the nerve force of the earth, and OF all
matter sandstone probably having the least,
and the gneOus, crystalline and metalliferous
rocks the greatest, affinity and attraction for
those currents. Moreover, our theory helps to
explain the variations which exist in the in
crease of subterranean temperature. The vari-
atoms have hitherto been little noticed. In fact
it is only in metalliferous and mineral bearing
strata that mines are sunk, and even in these the
observations for temperature have hitherto been
made with little eXactitude. But the more this
important question of subterranean temperature
is eXperimentally investigated, the more appa-
rent, we believe, will it become that the heat of
the earth's crust does not increase steadily, but
by a ratio which differs at different depths, and
still more in different localities The predc-
tons of this writer have been fully verified by
the observations of temperature in the arteSian
well at the st. Louis county insane asylum.
"That an earthquake may be produced by a
current of electricity close to the earth's sur
face seems probable from the phenomena at
tending one which occurred at Schemnitz, in
Hungary, June 2S, 1868, when two shocks
were felt at the surface, but none at the bottom
of the mines, and were only indicated to the
miners by magnet suddenly dropping piece
of iron which was attached to it. This earth
quake did great damage at Comorn and Pesth,
extending even to Dresden and Leipzig. Also
at Stockholm, November "a, 1928, shock was
felt, and persons who were on ladders leading
into the mines were so shaken that they feared
the ladders were about to fall, yet the shock was
not felt at all at the bottom of the mines,
though it was felt even throughout Norway.
AT Stockholm it was accompanied by a dull
sound which seemed 10 come down from the at
mosphere, and was followed by violent tenn
pest. The earthquake at Riobamba, in 1897,
which, on one occasion, by sudden impulse
sent objects on the surface flying hundred feet
origin at any very great depth, and must have
been caused in this way This theory also ex-
plains better than any other the peculiar whirl-
ing or rotary motion sometimes observed, and
will also account for the atmospheric phenomena
frequently preceding, attending, or following
many earthquakes"