Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1885-04-02
EARTHQUAKES.
fhe Theories Of Scientific Men and Seis-
mOlOgists In Regard to Them.

fhs Theories Of Scientific Men and seis-
mOlOeists in Regard to Them.
The intimate relation between earth
1uakcs and volcanoes is universally ad-
mitted, though earthquakes do occur in
regions which give no indications of
either past or present volcanic activity.
Along the southeast coast of Spain,
however, there is ample evidence of
such activity in past times; and has
been remarked by writer on the sub
ject that an earthquake is simply an in
tegrated volcano. As to what, how
ever, is the exact cause of chronological
action geolOgists have not yet Iaade up
their minds. The mathematician have
cOmpc led the::i to give up as quite I'M
tenablc the old idea of thin crust over
a molten interior which in its surgings
would break through in the shape of
volcano, or reprodu. , in the shell the
huge waves which would swell along
the internal surface. Tae hypothesis of
. solid shell and a solid nucleus with
mSlten matter betWeen has Jared little
better. The earth, it is now held by
tie best biologists and physicists, must
be. solid body to a very considerable
depth, if not, indeed, to the core At
the same time we may be assured shat
the most intense heat exists at no very
great depth below the surface, heat 80
great that but for the immense pressure
e>e:ted by the sup erincumbent mass the
matte would actually melt; it is held
that it does occasionally do SO when
frosa any of the many forces which are
at York the pres ure is relieved. and
gives rise to volcanic or earthquake
phenomena.
Others, however, maintain that these
manifestations can be satisfactorily ac-
counted for by chemical and mechani-
cal action. 1t seems to be generally
admitted that great masses of water are
constantly filtering INFO the depths of
the earth from the ocean bed: and that
the molten materials which issue from
1Olcanic rents have absorbed enormous
quantities of steam and other gases,
Prof. judi tells us, we have the most
indisputable evidence. 1T is to the
molten rock masses, as the pressure
upon them is relieved, that nearly all
the active phenomena of volcanoes mi.st
be referred" And what accounts fus
volcanic action may also account for IT
least certain class of earthquakes.
For there may be other causes, most of
them, however, referrab,c to the move
ments which must be almost constantly
taking place in the interior, owing to
the cooling of the earth's crust. Varia-
tons in atmospheric pressure have be n
thought to account for some earth
quakcs. and it is noticeable that n sharp
fall of the barometer was observed all
over the south of Spain in the afternoon
before the first great shock, and that
there have since been frequent fluctua-
tions. The mere falling of an internal
cavity would almost certainly produce
vibratory phenomena. Indeed Prof.
Milne seems to believe that the earth is
full of cavities of all sizes, like huge
Gyuyere cheese, and that consequently
vibrations of greater or less intensity
are constantly occurring, as we should
find had we instrume ats delicate enough
TO measure them. But it is possible,
perhaps, to have seisinographs of much
too fine structure, SO fine as to record
the vibration of every passing jinriksha.
Essentially the explanation of all these
phenomena seems to be that our planet
is cooling body, and they will only
cease when every particle of heat has
left the heart of our old mother, when
also, geologists tell us, there will be no
more sea, when the air itself will have
van; shed, and the earth will be as dead
as the mOon.-L0niOn Times.