Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-01-29

ogy Of the earth justifies the belief that the
chief cause of tremors of the esrth's crust
is the percolatioa and final sudden rush of
water into heated mass in the interior OF
the globe, and that the superheated vapor
which results, by its expansive force creates
a shock that makes the earth's surface VI
brate.
1t must be confessed that the manifest
atoms of volcanoes, the fact that the crust
of the earth everywhere shows the enor-
nous effects exercised by the lateral
pressures that have been in operation
in all epochs," and the additional
fact that the shocks are nearly always
closely related to an area embracing chains
of mountains that testify to upheavals, all
fortify the conjecture of the French scieD-
fist. He admits the reasonableness, how
ever, of the theory that earthquake shocks
in deep cavities in the earths bowels.
Volcanic shocks of severity are generally
in the region of volcanoes, certainly they
are there more frequent than elsewhere.
Each eruption is preceded by earthquakes,
the violence of which abates on the begin
ming of the eruption. The main ana
greater cause of these distu1 blnces he at
tributes, as we have said, to the vapor of
water. 1t is hardly possible to conceive of
- kol
under such conditions as exist at their Gre
alton in subterranesn depths. Even when
the vapor bursts asunder the most tena-
cious boilers and tubes, the evidences are
that pressure equal to thousands of atmos-
pheres is exercised. Applying this force
to the earth, with the knowledge we have
of its depths, and as the essayist says, sit
is not difficult to conceive very simple dis
positions in which the vapor of water will
suddenly provoke shocks or series of
shocks thai will often make themselves
felt on the surface" 1t is reasonable TO
hold that there is continuity between the
solid masses of volcanoes and the fluid
masses in fusion beneath. These volcanoes
discharge vast quantities of vapor,
and the supply of water for the
recreation is drawn from the surface.
These supplies he holds may be transmit
ted even through the pores of rocks.
" Simple capillary action in conjunction
with gravity may force water to penetrate
against very strong counter pressure from
the superficial and cooler regions of the
globe to deep and hot regions, where, by
reason of the temperature and pressure it
acquires there it becomes capable of pro-
ducing very great mechanical and chemical
effects. II the cavities instead of forming
a single reservoir are divided into several
parts or distinct compartments, there is
no reason why the tenson of the vapor
should BIZ the same in the different re.
ceivers, provided they are separated by
walls OF rock. If a separating wall is
broken by excess of pressure or melted by
the heat, vapor at high pressure will be set
in motion, and in the presence of the solid
masses upon which it will strike, it will
behave Just as if there had been an in
Simultaneous formation of vapor" He
holds, therefore, that it is most thinkable
to conclude that earthquakes are volcanic
eruptions suppressed for want of outlet.
The theory is not new by any means, but
the great disturbances of recent years have
added testimony in It's supper! and enabled
NJ, Daubree to fortify it strongly.