The Hickman courier., 1877-07-27
A YEAR'S EARTHQUAKES.
Their IrerGge Time of Occurrence-The
Record of 1912.

II -
Their IrerGge Time of Occurrence The
Record of 1912.
Manifestations of internal force beneath
the earths crust, in the shape of either
earthquakes or volcanic eruptions, occur
on an average three times a week in
greater or less intensity III some part of
the globe Such, at least, is the conclu-
sion to be arrived at from the compila-
ton of all the recorded phenomena of
this kind in the year 1875, lately pre-
pared by Prof. Fuchs, and printed in a
German scientific journal. Out of the
three hundred and sixty-fve days of that
year one hundred were marked by ter
restial disturbances, 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 phenom-
ena occurred at Cucuta, New Grenada,
on the 10th, 18th, and 18th, of May,
when several towns and villages were
destroyed at San Cristobal aud Guada-
laxera, in Mexico, on Feb. IL at Lifu
island. in the North Pacific, on March
IS; at Lahore, in the Punjaub, and at
Porto Rico, ON the 18th and 21st of De
cember All these places, it will be oh
served. are in the torrid zone, with the
exception of Lahore, which is only
short distance north of the tropic Of
Cancer. 1t is estimated that no fewer
than twenty thousand persons lost their
lives during the destruction caused by
these earthquakes while the damage to
property was enormous. In these dis
this nature the buildings are usually and
IN purpose of very frail nature but
J the losses occasioned are nevertheless
very severe, especially as when in the
case of the earthquakes of Feb, II and of
( the 10th and 18th of Nav the shocks are
felt over far wider expanse than is in
dicated by the central outbreak. These
distuI Dances, which threw San Cristobal
and Guadalaxera and Cucuta and many
neighboring villsges into ruins, were felt
over a considerable portion of Central
America and the adjoining parts of the
northern and southern continents. Be
sides the earthquakes which are felt by
the inhabitants of the land, there are
many disturbances in the depth of the
ocean which are probably never observed
and never recorded aud similar manifes-
tations of volcanic forces exert them
selves beneath the sea, such as that re-
Gently observed near Hawaii. The great
centres of volcanic phenomena are Italy,
Iceland, New Zealand, Java, Mexico, the
Northern Pacific, and Greece, and all
these localities exhibited signs of activity
during the year of 1875. The most inn
portant outbreaks occurred in Iceland,
where, though no great calamity like
those to which Vesuvius has given rise
occurred, there were several outbursts on
one occasion, viz, in March, the ashes
emitted by Vetina were carried on as fal
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
shakings accompanied this display, and
were felt throughout the island. On six
occasions huge streams of lava were
D poured forth from the different crater;
S opened, lasting, in some instances, fol
> many weeks-notably on the occasion OF
: the eruption of Vetina, on Jan. ,, when
}. the red hot matter continued to flow til
n the end of February. In April several
!, eruptions occurred, during one of which
II mater was elected to an enormous
r height, and streams of lava, a mile and 9
hall wide and fifteen miles long, flowed
e nal directions Vesuvius and Etna were
q no'nearly 50 full of life during that year
z Th Sicilian mountain only gave three
Il or our signs of activity, which were un-
g accompanied, save with two slight ex-
ceotions, by any outward manifestations,
though in January some damage was
{ dme by sharp shocks of inward labor.
j These phenomena occurred in January
and December, and were accompanied by
L simultaneous earthquakes and subterra-
mean noises in the sister volcano, Vesu-
e vius, which gave forth clouds of smoke
at intervals. In Java there was a serious
emption of Kloet at the beginning OF
1875, whereby the settlement of Bilkar
was destroyed and other damage done.
: Inc New Zealand geysers, or springs of
i boiling water, similar to the celebrated
+ fountain of Iceland, were unusually ac-
tive, and toward the end of the year the
vOlcanoe Of TOngariro was in eruption,
ejeeting lava and stones, and about the
same time an outbreak of Mauna Loa
occurred in the Sandwich islands. This
= locality has since shown frequent signs
Of considerable connection Perhaps the
most interesting Of volcanic phenomena
was the sudden eruption of Ceboruco, in
Mexico, on the 1Ith of February, at the
same time as the earthquakes referred to
above at San Christobal and Gauda-
laxera. This mountain had been thought
to be extinct, no eruption having been
recorded since the discovery of America
till, in 1870, it awoke from its long sleep.
1t is hoped that the vent thus found may
serve to relieve the country from the
earthquake plague by which it is par
alyzed. The Grecian archipelago-the
third great seat of volcanic force in
Europe-was visited by several eruptions
in 1875. The island of Sautorin is espe-
cially referred to by Prof. Fuchs as be-
i9g in constant agitation, though no
damage was done.
4 MISTAKEN COYOTE.