The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-09-25
Earthquake Theories.
Written for the Democratic Advocated


Away up here on q beautiful summit, where
the firm based hills responded but slightly to
the great earth heart-throb that heaved the
bosom of half continent, all dispassionate in
our seeming safety, we have noted the differ.
emit earthquake theories and speculations
upon the cause which produced such disas-
trous effects at Charleston-which have left
such very distinctive footprints, but WHICH
NAV never be traced with any approximate
certainty back to their original or ultimate
cause. In all phenomena We naturally turn
to scientists TO put this and that together, and
from effect to trace for US the chain, link by
link, back to the cause, But in this case we
may we'll say ''who shall decide where Doctors
disagree ?n The theory that portion of the
Atlantic slope contiguous to Charleston is
sliding into a deep chasm in the Atlantic
ocean we can hardly accept without putting
some questions to the theorist, such as fol-
lows: Ifthe perpendicular depth oftbe subma-
Fine cavern into which the solid earth is sliding
be to the horizontal width of the sliding area
as one is to hundred, which we are told it
is, then we would further ask who, on exca-
waiting a ditch one foot deep, would expect to
see lateral motion of the adjoining surface
for a hundred feet back, moving toward the
excavation? To produce such vast land
slide earthquake there would have to be ad-
Joining those depths just as vast solid INCLINED
plane rising landYard, eQvered with stratum
Of soft mud or other soft material, with solid
earth above resting on the mud stratum.
Then might the upper section move seaward,
but, if fast enough to jar half continent,
would it not have caused tidal wave, whose
recoil on this side would have swept Charles
ton and other towns from their foundations,
sent its fluctuations to plash around the feet
that stood on dry land an the other side of
the Atlantic, and opened yawning land chasms
on parallel with our coast, wide enough to
swallow up cities. Could so extended an
earthquake be from causes other than Their
modinamic? Could other causes have shaken
so vast an area, and given 30 extended an
undulatnry motion2 Would not the powerful
pressure of heat produced, and pent up gases,
struggling with molten tidal waves, under,
against, COMPRISING and bending the under
surface of the earth crust, force all flexible
material upward through any existing crevices
that might be, and thus produce the overflow
of wells, the uplifting and bursting of the sur
face in denser soils, and cause an aocumula-
! ton of surface water2 If the excess of water
on the surface had been produced by the
ground reeeding, or settling slowly seward
| and downward, would not tide water in like
proportion have advanced landward, and each
| have SO remained? Does it follow that be.
cause that earthquake force did not make
such vast ignivimous demonstrations as We
suvius that it was necessarily not due to in
ternal heat, which might swell and surge be-
low, and recede unseen, while we might see
and feel the effects, without any we'll defined
traces of the cause? These suggestive in-
quiries are thrown out to elicit information
from ADLER minds. But while the cause is q
subject for deep thinking and speculative in
vestigation, the effect is a cause suggestive Of
honest. and, for that reason, purely devotional
reflection. The exodus from Charleston to
seek safer terra .tlrma has been large, while
half hundred intangible forms, with simmer
of wings, have planted their noiseless footballs
upon the unquaking planes of the eternal
shores.
How very interesting have been some of the
religious demonstrations since the earthquake;
but how very much more SO would such have
been prior thereto; and we conceive as far
more acceptable to Him who holds all des-
TIMES in His hands. While we cannot regard
as frst-class, perdition's fire and birthstone
thunder awakened religion, how far more ex.
ceedingly worthy is the love-won to loving
thirst for the holy and the pure, that leads