Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1886-12-01
EARTHQUAKES ANDHEAT
The Nebuler Hypothesis Developed
by La Place and Herschel.
What the Earth's Interior Is Composed OF
The Earth's Internal Temperature
Heat Proportionate to Depth
In Mines and Wells.
rs.. Ions olobe-pemocrat.I !


1t IS assumed that the sun, the center OF
the solar system, was once surrounded by
vast volume of incandescent, or glow
ing gas, extending far beyoni the present
orbit of Neptune, the most remote member
of the SUMS planetary family. This mass
contracted by the loss of heat caused by
radiation, and threw off, in its rotation
about a central axis, which was the sun,
fragments OF matter, which subsequently,
broke up into planets and satellites.
Eventually, by similar condensation, con-
traction an I rotation, continued through
great cycles Of time, the earth became
cool and rigid enough to be fitted for the
abode of plant and animal life, and the
physical changes were completed before
man appeared upon the scene. Some of
tie other mcmb-rs Of tie system, as Mars
ana Venus, are assumed to have reached
physical stage similar to that Of the
earth, and others, as Jupiter and Saturn,
are supposed to have not yet alta ined that
stage Of globe development.
There are three leading theories regard
ing the in erior Of the earth. One is that
It is vast ocean of intensely heated fuid
matter, surrounding which IL a compara-
lively thin crust. from a hundred to three
hundred miles in thickness. Another the.
ory is that the Garth is solid to the center,
and still another theory, and the latest,
Is that the center Is as solid as we know
the surface to be, but that between these
tN regions there Is highly heated fluid
zone. This hypothesis has been forinulat-
ed with good deal of ability by Prof. J.
w. Dawson, the well-known Canadian
geologist. He and those who accept this
theory infer that the earth's crust m ust be
about two thousand FIVE hundred miles
thick on all sides of the globe, and that
the fluid portion must be smaller in extent
than even the solid null US which they
assume exists at the earth's center. Vol.
canoes, artesian wells and boiling springs,
or geysers, prove not only that the inte-
rior of the earth is hotter than the sur
face, but that this heat Is not received
from the sun. Observation demonstrates
that there is steady increase in heat,
proportionate to the depth In which the
earth is entered, at every point upon the
earth. The temperature at the deph OF
one hundred feet under the surface is not
the same, however, in hot and cold coun-
tries, and it may vary at two points close
to each other, although in each place the
increase downward is practically con-
slant. This has been very thorou ghly ex-
eniplifled in mines. Tie average increase
in coal mines in Virginia is one degrees Of
Fahrenheit for every sixty feet of depth.
In England 1t has been found to be one de-
gree for every forty four feet, in Sax ony
one degree for every seventy two feet and
N Prussia one degree for every sixty four
feet.
Artesian wells furnish good illustrations
also of the increase in heat. Tests have
been made upon wells at s.. Louis, Louis
vile, Columbus, o., and many her places
i'll the United States, as we'll as in Europe
The depth OF those mentioned is as fol-
lows: ST. Louis, e,199 fe It; Louisville,
2,0s8 feet, and Columbus, 2,77775 feet Heat
In the ST. Louis well increases a degree for
every eighty eight feet of depth, in that of
Louisville one for every sixty-seven feet,
and in that of Columbus one for every sew
enty.three feet. The average increase in
heat in wells and mines throughout the
wcrli is estimated at a degree of Fahren-
beit for every fifty-five feet of depth.
The temperature of water in many ther-
NAL springs in various countries reaches
the boiling point, or two hundred and
twelve degrees Fahrenheit. This shows
that the heat Of the earSh's interior must
he at least equal to that of boiling water
II the depth of these springs could be
learned it would somewhat simplify the
question of the thickness of the earth's
crust and the state of the earth's in terror.
In volcanoes immense volumes of boiling
lava are elected sometimes hundreds OF
feet in the air. The depth from which this
hoe hao
and artesian wells, whose depth can be
readily measured, afford, as we have
seen, some data on which to base an esti-
mate approximately to the depth at
which such heat could be attained. From
this it would appear that at a distance of
about 15S,0oO fee. downward, or about
thirty miles, the heat woul be su uNc:ent
70 melt rocks or any metallic substance
known to Us. SThe inference from
this would be that the earth's crust could
not be thicker than about thirty miles. No
geologist OF repute, however, at the pres
ent time supposes that the earth's surface
is so shell-like and fragile as this would
make it appear to be. Consequently the
conclusion is Irresistible that the heat in
crease, which is at the rate of one degree
for every fiftv-five feet down to the COM
paratively short distance to which man
hes penetrated the earth, must be Iessened
from some unknown cause in the region
Immediately beneath.
All plausible theories, therefore, pre-
suppose state or intense heat in the in
terror of the earth, whether it be assume &
that the fluid composing IL is deep or
shallow. This bsing esta' lished earth
! quakes can be explained in ssveral ways
on strictly mechanical principles. The
earth, it may fairly be assumed, is steadily
cooling. The fuid portion sh. in,is as :
!, c-nscque2ce, which causes the crust
| 10 sag, as il were, creating a press ure,
| horizontally on the su.facc. This
pressure tends to corruzate the crus', or
! raise it int, miniature ridges, which may
! produce assures where the earth remain
upheaved, or a disiocation, and overlap
ping in other cases. This upheaval and
| fracture, even where it is not attended Y
by the overlapping and folding, would b.
! sufficient to cause the vibration and jar
ring to which the destruction IS due. o.
water from the numerous subterranean
reservoirs may sink through assures in the
earth's crust, and come in contact with the
| intensely heated rocks or lava, when
! bteam Win LtS COuscQutut iuSIanIaneOuS
expansion, would result. This. il in suffi
cient volume, would produce the CT ushing
: Of rock masses, the vibratory movement
| and the election of sand, mud AMI frag-
ments Of rocks which usually accompany
earthquakes. However, the recent STOCKS
viii undoubtedly stimulate th- siuly OF
these phenomena. and eventually lead to
! . more accurate knowledge Of their causes
and mode of operation.
/
IM;ddietou Conn specIaLl
The Connecticut sea-serpent gave ar
early morning performance in the Con.