The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1884-09-18
THE ElRrHQUAKE OF AUGUST 10.

THE EARTHQUAKE OF AUGUST 10.
Very few people living in the United
States, except residents of the Pacific
shock previous to the afternoon OF Sum
day, Aug. 10, when one was experienced
on the Atlantic seaboard from Maine 10
Virginia, extending as far inward as West
Virginia, and over the greater portion Of
Pennsylvania and New York The shock
was most severely felt on the south shore
of long Island, near New York city, and
Id the southern part Of the city itself, and
the adjacent coast of New Jersey, between
90 and 81 p. M. The length of its durs-
ton is variously given at from five to
twenty seconds, the latter interval proba-
bly, including the beginning aud ending Of
the remor, not so plainly perceptible as
the very violent shaking so plainly per-
ceived by every one for from five to seven
seconds. There was no damage done Of
any consequence anywhere -only some
glass and crockery broken, ceilings crack
ed, and loose chimney bricks dislocated-.
but the most massive buildings In New
York were shaken to their foundations,
and those who happened to be In third or
slight additional force would have been
needed to bring down many structures
! and cause greats1oss of life. As it was, in
several parts of New York city, and at the
points near by where the shock was most
felt, people rushed from the house in
fright, which it took some time to allay.
| The state Of the weather just preceding
the shock-in the particulars Of which are
found SO many portentors omens and neg
lected warnings in the great earthquakes
of history-excited no comment here. It
was simply continuation of the rather
unseasonably cold and damp air We have
had for several weeks, while western Eu-
rope seems to have been getting our ordi-
nary proportion of high temperature
There was fresh northeast wind blowing,
and the sky was cloudy, the thermometer
registered $50 f., and the barometer 80
083 inches. The motion Of the shock was
lateral, not vertical, as has been more or
less the case with the most destructive
earthquakes, and its general direction was
northeast and southwest. There was no
observed tidal effect, vessels on the water
not feeling it at all, except some tied up ut
docks broke their hawsers. A heavy rum
bling sound, as of subterranean thunder,
was almost everywhere heard, with greater
or less distinctness, but in the city this
was generally attributed to the rolling of
heavy trucks on the pavement, or some
similar cause, until after investigation
showed the true cause. z.r.r
The particular place where the earth
quake originated affords room for no little
speculation. We really know nothing
about it, but in accepting any set of facts
we are partially, also, adopting certain
theory as to the cause. The most preva-
lent opinion is that the starting point was
not far hem due east Of New York city,
and probably under the bed of the Atlantic.
There are no facts to dispr0ye, and many
to support, the assumption that the in
terror of the earth is in very highly heat
ed state. IF it is not in fluid condition
so largely as to interfere with its rigidity,
which is counted equal to that of ball OF
STEEL this is said to be because Of the great
weight with which the exterior presses to-
ward the center. Nevertheless, it is stead
lily cooling, geologists claiming that it has
Required twenty-five millions of years to
acquire its present externally solid form,
and that during this period the mountains
were formed and the hollows of the seas
made, by sort of wrinkling of the sur
face as the globe of liquid fire and heated
gases contracted to it's present shape. Ac-
cording to this idea the solid crust Of the
! earth extends down from ten to forty
miles, there being beneath that q greater
or less thickness Of plastic meaterial, from
melted rockss ETC., under high pressure,
while the crust of the earthis all the time
in high state of tension, from the grad
ual cooling of the interior causing cavities,
and allowing the superintendent earth to
crowd down closer to ITS heated core. The
access of water, also, by percolation from
the earth's surface to these subterlaneau
tovens, it is thought, may in some cases
cause, explosions, dislocating vast quanti-
ties of material, and perhaps, by opening
communication with the still hotter por-
! ton yet lower down, be the cause of some
of the most destructive volcanoes. These
explanations are largely hypothetical, but
they accord with all we know of the earth's
surface, and they afford. the best theory we
yet have to account for earthquakes and
volcanoes, as we'll as to explain the present
structural condition of the esrth's surface.
This crust Of the earth we have hardly
made pin scratch upon but we know
the further we 60 down the warmer il 10,
Paris from depth of nearly 1900 feet
yielding water of 82s Fab, and the lower
level of the Comstock mines having an al
most uniform temperature of 1909 Fab, Il
is estimated that the heat increases at the
rate of one degree for every fifty feet, and
this would give temperature TO melt the
hardest rocks in less than ten miles. -
On this theory the present volcanic and
earthquake regions OF the globe are To-
Gated along the axis of these supposed
wrinkles or corrugations from the contrac-
| ton of the crust shought to be at present
in the state of greatest tension. The most
marked of these are down the east coast Of
Asia, including the Japan and Philippine
Islands, and extending to Java, where the
great earthquake of last year occurred.
Another also extends down the Pacific
coast of North and South America, the
manifestations of which have been very
light in the northern part since the COM
mencement OF historic times, but of whose
presence in South America we have had
many striking proofs. One also extends
on an irregular parallel between the Him.
alayas and indian Ocean another near
the coast line of South America ON the
Caribbean Sea; and smother which gives
every evidence of having not many ages
since been q region of most terrific activi-
ty, extends northward along the western
coast of Africa, the Azores, Madeira,
Canary, and Cape Verde Islands, largely
consisting of extinct volcanoes, and aug
costing that they may be the surviving
surface Of the tabled island or continent Of
Atlantis, once said to connect Africa with
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