Smyrna times., 1883-08-29
Earthquakes.
THE GREAT COMMISSIONS OF NATURE
AND THEIR CAUSES.

AMI OSAODL1os
The recent appalling calamity in the
Island of Ischia recalls the history of
long list of terrible catastrophes of u
similar character. We are well aware
that volcanoes and thermal springs,
where boiling water is thrown out of
the earth, and from assures. where hot
and suffocating vapOrS are expelled,
must emanate from an intensely heated
central mass.
Earthquakes arise from the same
cause. Volcanoes have long been re-
garded as the safety valves of the
world, and hot springs as sort of local
depletion for the relief of the eXpan-
sive and plethOric condition of the
boiling and surging masses in pillows
of fire that wash the interior of the
globe, seeking such vents as earth
quakes, volcanoes and hot springs af-
| ford to equaliZe the seething flood in
its tumultuous upheavals and storms
within the rock-ribbed subterranean
sea. Among the natural phenomena
which have performed prOdigies of de-
struction earthquakes stand pre-emi-
nent.
Earthquakes, more frequent in the
past than the present, have fairly con-
vulsed whole continents, and have
sent their mighty and irresistible ener-
gies in tremulous impulses throughout
the globe.
The city of Kaifong, China, contain
ing 100000 inhabitants, was utterly de-
stroyed by an earthquake A. ID. 835
The entire city was literally swallow
ed by vast opening of the earth, an
immense gulf, from which dense vol
umeS ofsmOke and deadly Vapors issued
Antioch was nearly destroyed in the
fifth century, and $4,000 people were
lost. Lisbon, Portugal, was visited il
1855 by Il terrific earthquake, and 75,
600 human beings were precipitated in
to a fathomless abyss, absolutely of un
known depth. The premOnitory warn
ings were brief, and the final shOcl
one of the most dreadful known to his
tory. 1t was severely felt all through
Spain, France, and in all parts of Con
tinental Europe, and in Africa ant
Egypt produced disastrous results.
, Earthquakes have done more t
change the contour of the globe tha
any other single agency known.
' In 1922 100000 square miles of terri
tory in Chilli was permanently raise
six feet above its former level. B
another upheaval that occurred in 181
. the Ullah-bund in the delta of tn
e Indus, fifty miles long and twent
y miles broad, was raised ten feet an
4 the whole features of the country wei
s. changed.
In 1743 the city of Guatemala, Mex
- co, containing about 25,000 people, W,
wholly engulfed in a vast chasm whic
removed from human vision every We
10 tige of the city. Not one person
known to have escaped the terrib
catastrophe. The spot where the Gil
once stood, like the Dead sea, is occ
s pied by dark, stagnant and loat
some body of water, in which not I
insect or any living thing can be foun
When the earth commenced its rev
lutiOns around the sun it was not ii
abode of life, 1t has continued Il
gradual process of cooling and of co
tracing in bulk eyer since, and the
lie terrific and awful conVulsiOns, evideI
ly deriving their expansive power al
energies from the interior, have mar
ed the features of the worlds crust
changing the beds of rivers, the shOT
of lakes and the oceans coast and
the formation of lakes, estuaries, ba
:. and gulfs, and raising the great mou
tain ranges by an outburst of gia
forces fearful to contemplate.
res One of the most remarkable evidC
rk- ces of volcanic force and power occl
we re red in 1859, in a beautiful open plain
the plain of Malpais, Mexico. FIR,
June till August there was consti
'e- rumbling of deep and portentC
sounds, traversing wide extent of t
ritory, attended with trembling a
shocks of more or less severity, III
in August, in the middle of the mig
o5 immense flames of fire burst from
ground, reaching far up in the air, a
re a lighting up a whole province, fir
~ which the people, believing the wo
- to be on fire, fed terror-stricken
wild and mad disorder. Huge ro
were thrown into the air 1000 feet, 6
sN hurled to great distances attended
r. loud and prolonged explosions.
volcanic cones were formed on
level plain, one of which was 1000
high; the others were 500 to 700
- high. In 1919 tremendous erupt
De took place from several of those col
consisting mostly of ashes, which
in immense quantities, covering
l. entire province to the depth of sew,
lS, feet; and in the city of Guanaxu
$50 miles distant, the ashes covered
streets to the depth of six inches.
In the year A. ID. 70 the city of p
peii was literally buried by q delug
/. ashes to the depth of so to 100 I
Temples, theatres, shops and the
habitants were entobed for LOO V,
in the profound silence of death.
The ruins were accidentally dis,
cred by some peasants digging neaI
river Sarno in 1850, which gave to
Hly antiquarian a rich and wonderful v
V. yard for scientific research. W
- the superintendent ashes were
moved and the houses were clea
offices swept and the exchanges '
D. freed from the suffocatipg accum
,r,u9 tions, a most astonishing spectacle
the presented.
,Ioth The dead were found in exactly
made situation they were in when the a
l. flood of ashes and smoke shut out
Ihf In light of the sun-men were foun
their counting-rooms in the act of
rs ing and counting money; scribes
mime iounu WIN their Parchhehtsi
as the pen and ink, drawing contracts; q
'S engaged in making up accounts;
sans in their shops; artists in
studios; women, with all of the
rna. articles in a well-appointed bou
--S'- were engaged in adorning themse
servants in various apartments at
ing to household dntiesi others
found in the streets evidently atte
- ing to escape by flight, and chill
=, were found side by side in bed, v
IN the sleep that knows no wa
e ls-p where they had slept for 100 Y
:. The entire city with its teeming q
- ands, basking in the sunshine Of L