The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-12-24

fs ENse. I55.
in the temperate zone, the shocks are
single, or in q small group like
that Of Wednesday night. We may
right safely assume that the sharp eonyul-
sive throb occurring about 1i:40 had its
echoes or ftacti0ns in the smaller and almost
insignificant runblings and waves that fol.
lowed at intervals Of ten or fifteen min.
utes afterwards, and that then the pressure
was relieved, and all was quiet, 80 to remain.
perchance, for another lifetime to come.
But what danger are We to apprehend IF It
should return, and with increased force
Only the chance of i.s being sufficient to
topple down the dwelling above you. The
earthquake brings no direct harm. It's evils
are only indirect, and che probability OF such
conyulsion here as would destroy ordinary
buildings is extremely minute. I
E I CAUSE OF EAarHqUAKss.
We may turn therefore, with our wonted
calmHess to philosophize on, the subject
What, then, causes ,earthquakes2 Was this
one the cause, or the effect, OF this uuusu.
ally warm spell, following as it did &c alb.
ruptly severely cold 6ne? We think It was
not related to the weather, either as cause or
as effect. This solid globe Of ours, II, indeed
1t be solid, is not to be shaken in its course
and made to tremble like the aspen
leaf by a variation OF q few de.
grees in the temperature Of It's surface.
Nor, briefly, can We ascribe the vibration to
any external influence whatever. Some in.
ternal force, suddenly developed or released,
or acting in q new direction, or with better
advantage upon the accompanying matter,
gave the sudden impulse that made the earth
to reel and tremble. But ,ohdt force? Was
it chemical energy, or electricity, or heat, OF
was it the falling in Of some part OF the solid
crust that as thinly covers our planet as az
egg.shell covers its contents--the falling ol
some of this crust into the fiery cauldron ol
melted granite beneath3 Whatever was the
exact phase of its manifestation we have
little doubt that the ultimate cause of this
as perhaps of all earthquakes, was heat-the
intense heat of the earth.
TIE sroREHousE OF HEAT.
Whether the earth be ball OF liquid fire,
covered with q thin and partially flexible
outward crust, or whether, as others believe,
1t contains solid nucleus about its centre,
there can be little doubt that 1t is an immense
storehouSe of beat-the most potent agent
with which we are acquainted and it seems
to me that in it we may lind ample eXpana
nation of volcanoes, earthquakes, rising and
subsistence of surface, and other like pheno
mena.
! am strongly inclined to connect oul
earthquake with the present eruption OF
YesuVius, announced by telegraph in yester
days papers. EARTHQUAKES and volcanic
eruptions frequently occur together In re
gions subject TO their visitations.
PREVIOUS EARTHQUAKES.
The shock which about year ago Ode
cember 10th, 1874 so frightened the goot
people Of New York, was attended BY vol
canc throes Ia Iceland, and 80 Of man!
others. Nor Is it necessary for thi
theory to suppose that the whole eartl
must be bodily shaken before We con
meet an earthquake here with a vol
cano there. The disturbance takes plac,
through the interior, and, especially If i
be small, it manifests Itself only at certain
points, sometimes of very limited area
These points or areas may be the thin places
in the earth's crust, or they may be those
that happen to lie in the direction Of tht
force, or they may be those lying above
deep ridge whose roots sick deep into th
molten interior, apd thus become obnoxiou
to attack. But, after all, earthquakes are 81
frequent, taking the world over. that we ma.
rest easy concerning them. We all remem
ber the rumbIings. &c., Of Bald and Ston
| mountains, in North Carolina, which lastet
month or more in February and March o
last year, and which alarmed the natives so
| out without serious results; and l have beior
me list Of Earthquakes from January, 1874, t
March 10, 1875 (when, by the way, there wa
one In Goochland county, Va.), and tn
| number is nearly Jyty.
conclude with a reference TO the grea
! earthquake-thst 10 comparison with Whic
| all modern shocks fade into iusignidcanc'
November 1st, 1855, about 10 o'clock a. NJ
| with no preliminary sound or motion, cam
| the famous earthquake OF Lisbon, Which
| within five or six minutes, crashed ski
| thousand persons under The 1uins of the city
| This shock extended all over Europe, dt
s:royed town in Africa, and was felt eve
| in America.
Let us, with no fear OF such an event 70
! ourselves, calmly hope that its like may neVe
be witnessed again on the earth.
Views of Professor w. HI. Taylor.
DR.. William H.sTaylor, State assayer an
chemist, thinks that the earthquake laste
about twelve seconds, and was probabl
connected in remote manner with the di!
turbances at present eyirciDg themselves
the eruption Of Mount Vesuyius, though
would be difficult for him to state the pre-
else relation. He does not think that ther
| will be any repetition, nor Is 1t likely,
| there were, would it be severe. inasmuch O
we are out Of the earthquake belt.
We need not expect absolute immunit
from such yisiiations, inssmuch as the Stat
| is rather intimately connected with tbe il
ternal forces which give rise TO these pht
nomena, as may be inferred from the thel
NAL springs Of the State. and our neIghbol
hood to the Bald Mountain region, In Mort
Carolina, which has recently showed volcani
manifestations; and further, because we ar
on the Atlantic slope, which is known to b
gradually sinking.
Opinion Of Professor Mallett.
Professor j. W. MaIleit, Of the Uniyersii
OF Virginia, in respoDse to our irquirie
yesterday evening, sen. US the following tel
egram:
UNIVERSITY OF VIRaINA, December 3d.
Shocks last night, apparently three 10 mum
Der, were distinctly felt here by many pei
sons at 11:40, Was ,ington time. Their di
rection was uncertain, but probably from
the southwark. The earthquakes on recert
are: At Richmond, severe shock, Angus
20, 1902; In Virginia. May is. 1904; and a
Richmond again in December, 1911, stimuli
taneously with New Madrid earthquake; II
the Mississippi Valley.
Earthquakes are OF maximum frequenc!
from November to January, and they ar
supposed to be preceded By unusual hea
and by low barometer, with much oscilli
ton. The connection of the present earth
quake with the eruption of Mount YesnViu
is possible, but hardly probable. II Is Ger
tainly not an immediate effect.
J. W. MALLEr.