Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-11-06

the vessel was 10 danger of shipwreck he
simply said: 1T is nothing to me; am
only passenger.
In this present century n Frenchman
named Eugene Huger wrote book TO show
that chemical process of metamorphosis
was in progress, which would render the
waters of the high seas inhammable; then
any fool could set the rivers ON fire, and the
world would really dissolve in ashes Us the
old monkish hymn predicts. The same
idea has been written up in the press OF
San Francisco.
Fifty-three years ago one William Miller,
a clergyman, living in the State of New
York, began TO preach the second advent
of Christ. He declared that it had been
revealed to him the world was to be de-
stroyed on a certain day in 1943. These
were the days of religious delusion. Three
years before, in 1880, the Book of Mormon
made its appearance, aud not only COM
manded attention, but made converts.
Miller's revelation was accepted by large
number of enthusiasts. As the day set for
the end of the world approached the faith
of some of the disciples was cooled by an an
nOuncement that the catastrophe had been
postponed tor q year. But their place was
taken by others whose faith was so robust
that it was not to be shaken by any impOs-
ture, however gross. They firmly believed
that the end of things created would come
in October, 1843 Some of them sold their
property. Others retired from business.
Some gave all their goods to the poor.
Vast numbers strOye by practices of piety
to insure the record of their names in
the book of life. A few went mad. A
very large number experienced the
sensation which condemned criminals I'M
dergO rs the day of their sentence APP
prOaches 1t was 4 relief, rs well as sur
prise, when October, 1S43, came aud went,
and the world went on Us usual. But the
apostles of the new faith were not dlScOm-
forted New days were setfor the destruc-
ton of the world in 1S47, 1S48, 1857 and
1861, and when all these days came and
went without any convulsion of nature 1t
was ingeniOusly explained that the prophe-
cies had been metaphorical, and that they
had really referred to the financial panic of
1857, and to the outbreak of the civil war
in 1861. The Second AdyentiSts formed
themselves into a sect. which flOurishes,
with churches, ministers and newspapers
of its own; but it no longer processes to
know the day and the hour when the mil
lennium may be expected.
That no scientist, much less an ignorant
and unscientitic clerk in weather bureau,
can possibly fOresee the occurrence of an
earthquake is proved by the simple fact
that no one knows the cause of earth
quakeS. There exists whole libary OF
theories on the subject. For three CEN
turtles philosophers, from FromOndi to NAL
let, have formed coniecturers, more or less
plausible, and have sent them forth with
out satisfying the world of science. Men
Understanding of Humboldt, Button, Becea-
ria, Priestly, Herschel, Darwin, Babbaae,
Danbree, Davy, Danherry, Lyell, have all
had their say; but the light they have
thrown on the origin of earthquakes is
obscure. 1t is the custom nowadays to ac-
cept Mallet's theory rs the one which is
probably nearest the truth. This theory
pronOunces an earthquake to be the passage
through the surface OF the earth ola wave
of elastic compression, produced by the
sudden generation of, steam under the
crust of the earth, being cool, has ceased
to contract, while the interior, which Is
still in a state of more or less active COM
bustion. contracts as it cOOlS; that the con-
sequences of this uneven contraction causes
portions of the crust to crush and sink
down; that the sinking OF immense
masses of matter creates prOdiglOuS
heat, and converts the water in
the interior cavities of the earth into
steam, aud that this steam produces the
wave of elastic compression known us the
aortbnuoLe Rut II Is enough to Say of
this theory that it is irreconcllable with
the speed of the earth wave. Mallet him
self found the velocity of the earth wave
at Naples h 1857 to be 9S9 feet per second
and we know that the earth wave of 1874
crossed the Pacific from Japan to Calitor-
mia. in five hours. Steam has never been
known to travel at any such rate rs this;
the only agency which does is electricity,
rs to which rs cOmpetant Judge rs Pro-
lessor lie COnte of the Uni
versity of California declares
in opposition to Humboldt that
it can have nothing to do with earth
quakes. Summing up the whole evidence
we cannot reject the conclusion that the
ablest scientific minds Of the day, after de
voting lifetime to the study of these phe-
mona, have failed to discover the cause.
And the cause being unknown the effect
certainly cannot be predicted. We know
lust rs little about the agencies which con-
troll the forces imprisoned in the bosom Of
the earth as we did when Hutton pro-
claimed his famous proposition. I'm the
economy of the world can find no traces
of beginning, no prospect of an end"