The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-10-04
ABOUT EARTHQUAKES.

On Sunday afternoon, August 10,
1884, the Atlantic coast of the United
States, from Virginia to Maine, was
shaken by an earthquake. The shock
was the mos violent on the coast of
New Jersey, in New York City, and on
the shores Long Island Sound. Prob
ably every little reader of Young People
in that section of the country felt the
strange movement, and wondered about
this strange, mysterious earth upon
which we live
When the earthquake occurred we
were sitting quletl y in house on
Brooklyn Heights, enjoying the beauti-
full Sabbath stiffness. The sky was
overcast, and all nature seemed hushed
and tranquil. Suddenly we heard
strange sound like the rumbling of
heavy artillery, deep under the ground
Then the house began to tremble, and
the floor seemed as if rocking under
our feet. The glass pendants on pair
of antique candlesticks which stood on
the mantel trembled and swung against
each other with silvery tinkling. Then
the sound and the strange motion died
away, and all nature was tranquil once
more. The mysterious disturbance last
ed about half minute.
We knew the instant the subterranean
sound began that it was an earthquake
and we sat very still watching intently
the marvellous display of natures pow
er. But when it was over, we began to
talk about it, and to pull down from
the library shelves all the books that
contained accounts of earthquakes in
all countries. Here are some of the in
teresting thing we read about
1t is very difficult to explain the
causes which produce earthquakes 1t
has been clearly shown by scientific
men that the glObe we call the earth is
not solid mass. Its interior is sup
posed to be in a heated, fluid condition,
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 cayerus. 1t seems nat
ural that such gigantic 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 CONFUSION is accompanied
by the explosion of vast volumes of
gases, as is supposed sometimes to be
the case, 1t IS not strange that the sur
face of the earth gets violently shaken
Think how far away you can hear the
noise and feel the jar of an explosion
above ground or even of the firing Of a
large cannon, and then consider how
insignificant are these small manifesto
tons 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, over
throwing cities and ever mountains in
a moment.
The most wonderful destruction of a
mountain was that which took place on
the Goth of August, 1883, whom the
island and volcano of Krakatoa, in the
Strait OF Sunda, vanished beneath the
sea. In the afternoon of that day there
came suddenly a tremendous burst of
subterranean thunder, and Immediately
the volcano of Krakatoa threw forth an
ink black cloud which overspread the
chJs LII IL INV iiOlhCDto ~
section of the island of Java was turned
into barren waste by violent earth
-rffaake. and many persons were killed.
Terrible explosions took place in the
mountain. Its great sloping sides were
blown out into the water, and the vol
cano, together with the island on which
it had stood for unknown ages, crum-
bled away and disappeared. 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 q choking smell of sulphur per-
yaded the air.
There is no portion of the earth s
surface where shocks OF earthquakes
are not occasionally felt, but, except in
volcanic countries, the ground trcm-
bles so slightly that no damage is done.
| The inhabitants of those lands where
great earthquakes occur never know at
what moment their homes may become
heap of ruins. The shock comes sud-
denly and it often happens that after
hearing the rambling noise the people
have no time to ush into the street be-
fore they are caught and crushed by
falling walls.
Some terrible earthquakes have
taken place on the western coast of
South America. In 1746, Lima a beauti-
tul city in Peru. was entirely destroyed.
| In less than four minutes about three
thousand houses and many large, mag
nihcent churches became a heap of
,hapeless rubbish. At the same time
> great tidal wave swept in from the
Pacific Ocean and completely carried