The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-03-26
In view OF the exotic.

meut al, Bald Mountain, NJ O.,' q little
earthquake history will. perhaps. be re.
lished. 7.OoO,is set dow p as the ,numbe,
of important 355earthquak kes, up to The
yeat 1851, ,-of which We have any reliable
account. It is estimated that this is bu.
q small proportion OF the real number
that have taken place; for the early re.
cords are 80 very meagre, that of 1000
stated, only 767 occurred previous to
the year 1900; while there is catalogue
of 3.340 which occurred from 1900 to
1850, or one in about five days. A
writer in the Popular Science Monthly,
for March, 1872, says: 1.-THE means OF
detecting and recording shocks are now
80 perfect that, when applied in all parts
of the globe, they will, doubtless. fully
justify our statement. that in no instant
Of time is the earth's crust free from
vibrations. The seismograph is the
name of tho instrument used for this
purpose.
| Earthquake shocks are not uncommon
in America. Many persons now living
| will remember the terrible shock Of
1912. which made the bslls in Rich
mond ring over the frightened city, and
shook the houses in Columbia. THE
assures in tho wall of tho College build
ings are to be seen to-day. gaping wit
nesses OF that terrific shook. On the
lst of June, 1858. eighteen years after
the landing of the pilgrims, there oc-
curred the first earthquake ia New Eog
land. OF which we have any authentic
record; in 1868, 1855, and many times
since, portions of Canada, New England
and New York were convulsed by earth
quake shocks. A great earthquake took
place of New Madrid, Missouri, in 1911
and 1912, the shocks continuing many
months. The ground rose iu huge
waves, which burst, and volumes Of
water. sand and pit-coal we're thrown
as high as the tops of the trees; the
forests waved like standing corn in
gale Of wind, and an area seventy miles
lorg by thirty wide was submerged and
became swampy lake. California is
the most volcanic region in North Ame-
rico. The crust Of the earth there has
been shaken with more or less violence
countless numbers Of times; but further
than the cracking of wells, tumbling of
chimneys, nnd the overthrow of shaky
buildings, little damage has been done
by them; and they are SO common on
the Pacific slope, that they have lost
half their terrors.
The most fearful earthquakes recorded
in history are: At Antioch, in 526, when
25O. 600 persons perished; at Lisbon, in
1865. which destroyed $4,000 people;
the Calabrian earthquake OF 1888. which
buried 35, 600 men, women and children
out OF sight forever, in one awful hour;
n nd m NJ -
engulfed $1,000 persons.
Won Tschudi says that "no familiarity
with earthquakes can bluut the feeling
of insecurity. The traveller from the
North Of Europe waits with impatience
to feel the movement of the earth, and
with his own ear to listen to the subter-
ranean sounds; but, soon as his wish is
gratified. he is terror. stricken, and is
prompted to seek safety in flight"
The Charlotte Observer gives the fol.
lowing ns the latest from Bald Noun
tain:
A gentleman just from Ola Fort aud
Marion says the low rumbling noises in
Bald Mountain arc not exaggerated, but
that the stories about rocks breaking
open and smoke issuing from them are
untrue. Nothing of the sort has oc
cured. The noises heard first in the
Bald Mountain have extended to Stone
Mountain, neighboring peak, and in
this last the rumbling is much more
audible and perceptibe. A gentleman
slept on Sunday night not great dis
tance from Stone Mountain, and the
noise and shaking were so violent ae to
wake him.
The place has been visited, within the
past few days, by Professor DuPre, n
scientific gentleman of Spartanburg, S.
G.. who has made an examination OF the
mountain. He says no fears need be
entertained of q volcanic. eruption, on
the general principle that the spot is too
fer located from the sea to render it pro.
bahle. In the centre of Thibot, moro
than 1000 miles from the sea, there are
two extraordinarily lively volcanoes |
Tho Professor, however, does not pre-.
tend to account for the phcnomenon,
and looks upon it rs something wouder.
fnl. The commotion in the mountain
can bo felt as far of as Marion.
The religious feeling among the peo.
pie living about the mountain is repre-
sented as beyond description. Moro
than 200 persons have protested religion
and the work continues.
|