Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-06-27

eltDer earthquakes OF VOlcanlc eruptl0nS
occur, on an average, nearly three times
week, in greater or less intensity in
some parts of the globe. Such at least
is the conclusion arrived at from the
compilation of all the recorded phenom-
ena of this kind in the year 1875,
largely prepared by Prot. Fuchs, and
published in German scientific jour
nal. Out of the 365 days of that year
100 were marked by terrestrial dis
turbances Of which authentic records
exist, while there must have been
many shocks of more or less violence
in unfrequented portions of the globe
where volcanic forces are known to
exist. The most serious of these
observed phenomena occurred at Gu
cuta, New Grenada, on the 10th, 18th
and 18th Of May, when several towns
and villages were destroyed; at San
Cristobal and Guadalaxera, in Mexico,
on February l1th; at Litu Island, in
the North Pacific, on March 2Sth; at
Lahore, in the Pupjaub, and at Porto
Rico on the 18th and 2lst of Decem-
Der. All these places, it will be OBJ
served, are in the torrid zone, with the
exception of Lahore, which is only a
short distance north Of the tropic of
Cancer. 1t is estimated that no fewer
than 10000 persons lost their lives
during the destruction caused by these
earthquakes, while the damage to
property was enormous. In those dis
tricts which are liable 10 disturbances
of this nature, the buildings are usually
and on purpose Of very frail nature; !;
| but the losses occasioned are, never
theless, very severe, especially as when
in the case of the earthquakes of Feb
ruary / lth and of 10th and 18th of
| May, the shocks are felt over a far
wider expanse than is indicated by the
central outbreak. These disturbances
which threw San Cristobal and Gaud-
alaxera and Cucuta and many neigh-
boring villages into ruins, were felt
over considerable portion of Central
America and the adjoining parts Of
the northern and southern continents
Besides the earthquakes which are felt
by the inhabitants of the land. there
are many disturbances in the depths of
the ocean which are probably never
observed and never recorded, and sim
liar manifestations of volcanic force
exert themselves beneath the sea, such
as that recently observed near Hawaii
The great centers of volcanic phenom-
ena are Italy Iceland, New Zealand,
Java, Mexico, the Northern Pacific
and Greece and all these localities ex-
hibited signs of activity during the
year 1875. The most important out
breaks occurred in Iceland, where,
though no great calamity like those to
which Vesuvius has given rise oc-
Cured, there were several furious out
bursts. On one occasion, viz, in
March, the ashes emitted by Vatna
were carried as far as Norway and
Sweden; and so dense were the clouds
Of dust that the sun was obscured and
wide districts thrown into darkness,
Loud reports and severe sbakings ac-
companied this display, and were felt
throughout the Island. On six occa-
| sions huge streams of lava were poured
forth from the different craters opened,
lasting in some instances many weeks
notably on the occasion of the erup-
tion Of Vatna on January "a, when
the red-hot matter continued to flow
till the end Of February. In April
several eruptions occurred, during one
of which matter was elected to an
enormous height, and streams Of lava
a mile and half wide and fifteen
miles long flowed in all directions.
Vesuvius and H1tna were not nearly
SO full of life during that year. The
Sicilian mountain only gave three or
four signs of activity, which were unac-
companied, save with two exceptions,
by any outward manifestations; though
In January some damage was done by
the sharp shocks Of inward labor.
These phenomena occurred in January
and December, aud were accompanied
by simultaneous earthquakes and sub
terranean noises in the sister volcano,
Vesuvins, which gave forth clouds Of
smoke at intervals.
In Java there was serious eruption
of Kloet at the beginning of 1875,
whereby the settlement of Bilbar was
destroyed and other damage done.
The New Zealand Geysers, or springs
of boiling water, similar to the cele-
brated fountains of Iceland, were un-
usually active. and toward the end of
the year the volcano of Tongariro was
in eruption, ejecting lava and stones, !,
and about the same time an outbreak
Of Mauna Loa occurred in the Sand
wich Islands. This locality has since
shown frequent signs of considerable
commotion. Perhaps the most inter-
esting of Volcanic phenomena was the
sudden eruption of Ceboruco, in Mex
leo, on the llth Of February and the
same time as the earthquakes referred
! L