Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-05-07
Gbe 9ain spp: aatnns, Guesoap numimgI lap z, 1872

/ EARTHoUAKEs.-The Inyo tCal.) Independ-
ent of April 20 relates these scientific circum-
stances:
Scientific men everywhere are busy in inves-
tgating the cause of those terrible commissions
of the earth-earthquakes and there is faint
hope that something of value may he dcduced
from their inquiries. Ii seems to be generally
conceded thai electricity in some form is the
prime cause of these movements of the earth.
Ii is much to be hoped that some person or per
sons, possessing the necessary scientific attain
ments, will pay this section a visit. No better
place or opportunity was ever presented to
American scientists 10 investigate these phe-
nomeua on their own soil than this country has
afforded during the past two or three weeks.
For the information of such we will mention
lew facts, mainly relating 10 electrical phenom-
ena, that have occurred within our knowledge.
A few days after the biz shock, so called, at
CerrO Gorlo, very loud thunder was heard dur
ing violent snOW-storm. with the exception
of the snow, the same thing occurred here, and,
perhaps; al other places in the valley This Is
| remarkable because almost unprecedented.
| Immediately following the great shock, men
| whose Judgment and veracity are beyond ques
| ton, while sitting on the ground near the
Eclipse mi le, saw sheets of fame on the rocky
| sides of the IuyO mountains but a half mile
| distant. These flames, observed in several
places, wayered to and fro apparently clear of
| the ground like vast torches. They continued
| for only few minutes. In this office one day
last week, while one of the proprietOrs was run
ming a large number of sheets of hat-cap
paper through job-press, these sheets, after
leaving the press, were affected by the move
ments of the operators hand, as a strong mag
net would affect iron filings. When his hand
was near them the whole pile, or at least a hun
dred of them from the top, seemed to foat in
the air like tissue paper in a slight breeze. The
top sheet would raise at each end up to the
hand when held four inches above it, and thus
by attraction be moved entirely away from the
others. At times during the night sparks of fire
were repeatedly emitted from wooden shawl
on being touched by the hand. At the Kear
sarge mill, located at an altitude Of nearly 5000
feet above the sea, the following occurrence was
noted by Harry Clawson and P. j. Joslyu: The
former, while sitting with his knee within about
three inches of a caSt-iron stove, felt peculiar
numbng sensation, and supposing his limbs
were asleep essayed TO rub them with his hand.
shock, and Immediately after and for a number
OF seconds a stream of fire ran between both
knees and the stove. We will here, on the au-
thority of a man who had an opportunity of
knowing, state that the item going the rounds
TO the effect that no movement of the earth was
observable 800 feet under ground, in the mines,
is not correct. AT Cerro Gor,lo, and also at the
Eclipse mine, the rocking motion was distinctly
observed, especially in the timberng Small
particles of rock were detached, and in both
places the miners went TO the surface in alarm,
but at Cerro Gorda they soon resumed work as
before. NoSubsequent shock has been remarked
at that depth.