New-York tribune., 1885-01-11
GREAT EARTHQUAKES.
THE POSSIBILITIES OF DESTRUCTION.

In the year 1853 Lisbon was almost destroyed by
an earthquake so tremendous that DIR. johnson re-
fused to believe that 80 terrible a catastrophe had
really taken place. Men remembered then, that
though there is no great volcanic outlet IN inc
Spanish as IN the Italian peninsula, and though
| earthshakings are far more frequent in Italy than
| IN Spaip yet the earthquakes which have occurred
in Spain and Portugal have been far more destruct-
i've than those in Italy, though i'll these thousands
of lives have been lost. 1t was estimated that not
less than So 900 perished in the earthquake of Lis
bon and historical records show that some former
earthquakes in Spain aud Portugal have been fully
as destructive of life and property. Tins tho
earthquakes which took place in Spain on Christ
mas Eve and Christmas Day last, though many
lives were lost and some small towns partly de-
srOyed, not in reality to be compared with the
great Spanish earthquakes Of past times.
Yet this affords assurance that hereafter, nay
soon, earthquakes even Elore destructive than
that of 1855 may not take place in this part OF the
south European volcanic SYSTEM There Is some
thing terrible in the irregularty with which great
earthquakes in certain regions of the earth.
FIR years earhshakihgs felt, and felt so often
and so markedly that visitors from regions where
earthquakes scarcely known wonder how the
inhabitants can remain waere the crust OF tho
earth seems so unstable. Yet even in such dis
pass without any really destructive earthquake
At length. however, some moro or less fortuitous
combination of shbteTanea1 relations causes the
earthvayes which have 50 long swept athwart the
region without doing harm TO grow into earth-
pillows of tremendous energy. and to destroy III
few honrs or even minutes well-built cities and
many thousands Of lives.
know not as yet whether the earthquakes OF
December - and % will be found to indicate any
very widespread subterraueau and subaqucous DIS
turbance in the southwest European volcanic
region. Usually Spanish earthquakes have pro-
duced effects more less remarkable, over singu-
larly wide areas. In England and Scotland. for
example. only few minutes after the great earth
quake at Lisbon inland lakes were disturbed as
though the whole Of the British Isles had been tilted
up and down though few feet only. indeed but over
it's entire area. In Derbyshire in the middle or
England in Surrey in tho south, in Scotland les
peeialy around Loeb Lomondl in tho NORTH IN
Oxeortlshre in Wales and in Ireland, the effects of
the great earth-throe in the Spanish peninsula
were felt, and felt so soon after the chief shock
took place in Lisbon to suggest To many the idea
that the movements in Portugal aud in Great
Britain were simultaneous have as yet heard or
No movements outside of Spain during the recent
earthquakes. Yet it is noteworthy that some time
before the moro destructive throes were felt great
wave flowed in at several New-Engand ports and
at New Haven a schooner was sunk by this sud-
den disturbance of water which q few minutes be-
fore had been perfectly still Tae idea then was
that some volcanic disturbance had taken place
under the western parts OF the Atlantic; but II IS
quite pOssl bic that these were the rst Indications
on this sIle of disturbances beginning undsr the
eastern parts of tho Atlantic and showing their INST
terrestrial effects in Malaga and Granada We are
apt 10 overlook the force of the evidence when
/ L., fhA
movements produced By subterranean disturb
snces After the great Peruvian earthquake OF
| 1868 a wave spread over nearly the whole water
surface Of the earth, insonuch that regions 10000
| and l3 600 miles from Peru were reached -thstis
regions On the opposite side of the earth The day
after the great earthquake at Krakatoa series OF
waves flowed in at San Francisco they were ab-
surdly called tidal waves in many pane.St the
disturbauc Of the water lastiDs several hours.
As for the south Earopsln volcanic system, all the
evidence seems TO show that, as pointed out III
The London Times 1871 all the regions OF subter-
ranesn disturbance in Southern Europe belong to a
| single volcanic system.
We have had such remarkable evidence during
the last ten twelve years of the energy Of the
earth's internal forces, that many are asking
whether the esrths vitality has not Of late been In
crcasina rather than dying out, as had been sup
posed, or rather whether her normal vitality has
not for while changed into feverrsh disturbance.
If we consider however the real nature of the pro-
cesses which arc going ia the earths interior $50
far as the evidence enables us to iudgel we shall
sec that while The oie hand there Is no reason to
expect any recognizable loss of energy in periods
| so short as few thousands of years, there Is on
the otner no reason fear any great accession of
subtcrraneau activity. In former times. volcanic
| ernptlons and earthquakes were attributed 10 in-
terna res generating from tme.to time great vol
un,es Of gas and vapoT steam, In particular, was
recognized as n potent disturbing fac 'orl, by which,
al length, the resistance OF the crust
and an outlet of escape found for the imprisoned
gaseous and mo ten matter the crust rendng the
! out5urst was effected While we still recognize
internal neat as the immediate cause of subterra-
mean movements. recognize as the cause of this
heat the energy pervading the earths mass. Ii is
the eartbs attractive energy. steadily acting upon
her crust which generates the heat by which that
crust is disturbed. "By virtue of this force as
polnted out last year in Tie Contemporary Recier
the crust of the earth is continually undergoing
changes. as tho loss of heat and consequent con-
traction or chemical changes beneath the surface
leave room for the movement inward OF the reck-
substances of the crust. with crushing, grinding
action, accompanied by the generation OF intense
heat Thus so long as the force of gravity con-
times to have mltter to act upon efficiently, the
earths vitality will continue. Theforce of gravity
itself will last forever, may be we'll assured, but
As The matter of the earts crust is steadily drawn
inward terrestrial gravity will have less and less
work of contrac ion to do. and the earth viii show
less aud less OF that kind OF vitality winch is shown
Inv earth-throcs. But tho amount of contraction
| taking place in year. IN life tme or even IN
the life time of nation race is so small that It
| might be regarded almost as nothing. The earths
| vitality is apparently the same now Is 1t was 9
thousand years ago, and as 1t will be thousand
| years hence. ..,,,oh., Zoo, ,.o.
sorb-shakugs are due primarily to the contraction
of the earth IS a stun bling block to many who are
nor acnu,uted with modern researches into the cor
nsiatin. Of the nh vsic2l fOrces. TleV cannot SEQ