Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-09-15

about half minute.
We knew the instant the subteran-
can sound began that it was an earth
z quake, and we sat very still watching
the marvellous display of natures
power. But when 1t was over we be-
gan to talk about it,. and to pull down
from the library shelves all the books
that contained accounts of earth
quakes in all countries. Here are
some of the interesting things we
read about, -H.e ~ "a
3 1t is very difficult to explain the
causes which produce earthquakes.
1t has been clearly shown by scientif
ic men that the globe We call the earth
issnot a solid mass. It's interior is
supposed to be in q heated, fluid con-
dition, and that the slow cooling
process which Is constantly going on
causes the outer crust of the earth to
contract suddenly at times, forming
great assures and underground cav
ems. 1t seems natural that such 81
gantic movements miles below the
surface should produce subterranean
noises and tremblings which can be
felt by the inhabitants of the earth
who live above the depths where
these movements take place. And if
the convulsion is accompanied by the
explosion Of vast volumes of gases,
as is supposed sometimes to be the
case, it is not strange that the sur
face of the earth gets violently shak-
en-.
= Think how far away you can hear
the noise and feel the jar of an ex-
plosion above ground, or even of the
firing of large cannon, then con-
slider how Insignificant are these small
manifestations of human power as
compared with the mighty workings
of nature, and you will not wonder at
the terrible commissions which at
times have shaken portions of the
earth's surface, overthrowing cities
and even mountains in moment.
The most wonderful destruction of
a mountain was that which took place
on the Goth of August, 1883, when
the island and volcano of Krakatoa, in
the Strait Of Sunda, vanished be-
meath the sea. In the afternoon of
that day there came suddenly a ire
meAdous burst of subteTanean thun-
der, and Immediately the volcano of
Krakatoa threw forth an ink-black
cloud which overspread the sky. In
few moments large fertile section
of the island of Java was turned into
barren waste by violent earth
quake, and many persons were killed.
Terrible explosions took place in the
mountain. Its great sloping sides
were blown out into the water, and
the volcano, together with the island
upon which it had stood for unknown
ages, crumbled away and disappear.
ed. When the morning sun arose the
ocean flowed over the spot where the
mountain had stood, and the surface
of the sea for three hundred miles
around was covered with floating
ashes and pumice stone, while a chok
ing smell of sulphur pervaded the
air. W Ess
There are no portions of the
earth's surface where shocks of earth
quakes are not occasionally felt, but
except in volcanic countries, til,
ground trembles SO lightly that NJ
damage is done.
The inhabitants of those lands
where great earthquakes occur neve
know at what moment their homes
may become a heap of ruins. Th,
shock comes suddenly, and il Otter
happens that after hearing the rum
bling noise the people have no tim'
to rush into the streets before the,
are caught by falling walls.
Some terrible earthquakes hav
taken place on the western coast o
South America. In 1746, Lima,
beautiful city in Peru, was entirel,
destroyed. In less than four min
utes about three thousand house
and many large, magnificent church
es became heap of shapeles
rubbish. At the same time grea
tidal wave swept in from the Pacifi
ocean and completely carried ava
the seaport of Callao. In the morr
ing there was only barren sane
bank where the night before ha
stood a populous town.
Lima and Calao were both rebuilt
and for more than a hundred yea
Peru was disturbed only by sligI
shocks. But in August, 1868, a tie
rife earthquake destroyed nearly e
cry building in tae large city of Ar
quipa, which stood at the foot
MIST, volcanic mountain which f,
ages had been cold and silent. Ii
mediately after the shock the SUNNI
of MIST broke out in smoke and eli
ders, and huge pieces of rock we
hurled down its sides.
1t was at this time that a gre
tidal wave swept on to the Peruvi;
coast two hundred miles south of Al
quipa, destroying the sea- port of a
lea, and carrying inland several gre
vessels, among which was the Unit
States war-stcamer Wateree.
great was the force of this terriI
rush Of waters that the huge vess,