Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-07-12
ANOTHER PACIFIC COAST PERIL.
suppose the Sleeping Volcanoes Should
Wake Up:-A Tremendous One
Under Lake Tahoe.

In hundreds of places on the Pacific
coast ure the SO called "craters of ex-
tnct ''olc.tuoes.n SO far as can he
seen these craters are real V extinct at
the surface, but deep in the bowels of
the Garth their fires are probably only
slumbering. In the Bishop Creek
country are many such volcanoes and
some of them seem to have been pretty
lively. less than 100 years ago, Judging
from the fresh appearance of the lava
streams on their sides. But to come
nearer home, there is an old crater en-
the big mountain above American
Flat, surrounding which are immense
fields OF lava. Lake Tahoe itself as
all biologists agree, occupies an inn
mense volcanic crater. This accounts
for the immense depth of the lake i'll
! the central parts.
! Though these craters are spoken of
as extinct, no one can say when II
volcano is dead a volcano that has
slumbered for untold ages Is liable 10
start into life and destroy everything
in its neighborhocd. The great vol
cano of Nesuvius, now constantly ac-
I tive, was described hy the ahcients IS
a ilat-topped mountain, containing n
| deep circular valley filled with vines
and grass. They did not even sus-
/ pect IL of being II volcano. \ large
population lived on the sides of the
mountain which We're covered with
beautiful groves. So little was the
terrible nature of the valley on the
top Of the mountain suspected that in
a. ID. q Sparticus encamped there
with thousands OF fighting men. Only
seven yeas later-in a. ID. S0--occur-
red sudden eruption that blew out
tue whole top of the mountain. BY
this outbuist Pompcii and Hercula-
neum were overwhelmed.
The present is time of great elec-
tiical and suhterranCan disturbances.
We hear OF great earthquakes aud vol,
canoes starting into life i'm all parts of
the world. Even here at home. in
California, there have recently been
many severe earthquakes, the first in
nearly twenty wears that have
shown the old time force. Almost ,.nA
/ day the tremendous volcano that lies
Islumbering under Lake Tab oe
I Is liable To assert itself AT the
'irst burst all the water in the lake
would be blown thousands of feet Into
the air, and with the water all the
steamboats,, sailhoats, and rowboats
/ Up into the clouds would 90 not only
all the boats on the lake, bat also nil
Inc iish IN It's waters with millions of
tons OF powders, gravel and seai-
lment from the bottom OF the old era.
ter ofcoure the sudden emptying
OF the basin OF The lake would he bad
for Keno, but its fate could not be
worse than that OF Pompeii and Her
culaneum, besides what are Il few Inn.
man hnhitations or few human be-
lngs IN great commissions of nature.
Vines and grass grew over the crater
OF Nesuvius, and soldiers eamped la
the beautiful basin, but of sudden
vines, grass and all were shot hon
SANDS OF feet into the air. Over The
rance crater Is a beautiful pool Of WA
Ter, IN which are beautiful fishes.
hnd on which are gallant
/ steamers and vessels OF all
Kinds, but the whole is mere bucket
1ot water compared with the great
power that lies below--pop, bangl and
all Is IN the air, and the throat of the
crater Is again red hot, as in ages past
All this may not come TO pass this
summer, but II is bound To- te seen
sooner or later--it Is only a matter OF
time. In case the election of the
waters of the lake shall instantly be
followed by mighty column of fire
ana ilanles the water may be turned
TO steam (in falling back before reach.
ing the ground, aud so Reno would as.
cape drowning, and the place only be
covered by forty or fity feet of molten
lava.