The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-12-02
Earthquakes.


Teachers Institute.
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Earthquakes.
What is known and believed about
earthquakes by geoogists was condensed
into an hours talk by Professor John S.
Newberry, at a recent meeting of the
New York Academy of Sciences. In the
course of the lecture, which took an
extended range, the character and causes
of the recent disturbances on this CONT.
nent were referred to as likely to be better
understood hereafter than at present.
The speaker said that although the
Charleston earthquake had produced
startling effects and killed some people,
as an earthquake it was not very great
affair. There had been earthquakes that
had carried of 10000 and 10000 and
G0,000 persons at once, and 2j0, 1000 lives
were reported to have been lost in the
island of Java in what might be regarded
as single earthquake.
An exhaustive inquiry in regard to the
seat and depth of the Charleston earth.
quake had not yet been made, he contin-
ued. From all quarters, inquiries had
come 10 him about the Charleston earth
quake. Because be was geologist he
was naturally appealed to for information
in regard to the most striking of earthly
phenomena, and while he did not assume
the title Of Professor of Earthquakes"
he felt that he ought to answer the ques.
tions as far as he was able. The peculiar
terror inspired by these shocks was not
lessened by familiarity with them. 1t
was not surprising that profound sensa'
ton had been caused by the Charleston
disturbance, and that the statements with
regard to it were widely contradictory.
An earthquake is neither novel nor q
mysterious occurrence. 1t is among the
most common of terrestrial phenomena.
Not an hour, perhaps not minute,
passes in which some portions of the
earth are not vibrating from this cause.
An earthquake is movement caused by
the shrinking, from the loss of heat, of
the interior Of the earth, and falling in
of portions of the crust in consequence.
That the interior of the earth is intensely
hot is indicated by wells and mines sunk
in all parts of the world. Heat increases
about one degree Fahrenheit for every 80
feet below the earth's surface. DR.. New
berry gave the temperature of different
wells in this country and Europe as
demonstrating this, instancing particular.
ly q we'll in Europe sunk 1890 feet, at
which depth the thermometer indicated
115o, and another little over mile in
depth, where the temperature was shown
to be 1872.
There we're some exceptions to this
rule, butsthe statement that below 5000
feet in certain wells it had been found
that the temperature declined, was a
fraud. At the rate that he had indicated,
the heat would be so fervent that ell sub.
stances would be melted. 1t was believed
that the earth's crust was thicker than
this would indicate, because the increase
of heat might be slower at great dis
tance from the surface. The heat Of the
interior was constantly escaping to the
surface. Since the outer crust had lost
its heat, it no longer contracted.
Mountain chains resulted from read
iustments Of the earth's surface caused
by earthquakes. The folds and fractures
seen in every mountain belt could not
have taken place without great distur-
Dances, and in every mountain range are
evidences of many earthquakes. In the
highest mountain ranges, like the Hima-
layas, the work OF elevation is constantly
going on. D;splacements are constantly
taking place all over the world. They
occur in paroxysms, and the pressure
being relieved, earthquakes follow. AS
the population 3f the earth increases, the
number of observers increases, and the
loss of life is correspondingiy greater.
In New England, during the last cen,
tury, there have been great many
earthquakes. In 1927 the country about
Newburyport was shaken up in the same
way that it had been at Charleston re-
Gently, but the damage was small in
comparison. Chimneys and stone walls
were thrown down, there were ruptures
of the surface, and jets of sand were
thrown up. In 1888 there was great
revolution in the topography of the
country, and as shown by Brigham in
his work on volcanic eruptions in New
England fro;n 1858 to 1869, there were
231 earthquakes worth chronicling during
that period, besides many smallor ones.
At the time of the shock felt in this
city on August 10, two years ago, the
Professor was alone in his room i'll The
college. He heard sound like tie
rumbling of heavy wagon in the street,
and the buildings shook. In the geolog.
ical cabinet the marbles were thrown
down in the case. In Japan, where
there are inccssaut earthquakes, an exten.
sive system of taking observations has
been instituted. 1t will doubtless be
found that the line of disturbance in the
Charleston earthquake was parallel with
the Aleghanies, and its depth from
10000 to 20, 900 feet. 1t is not likely
that the center of the disturbance was
under the ocean, as some supposed, for if
it had been it would have caused great
wave. An earthquake wave coming from
below often exerted its greatest force en-
the surface, as in the game played by
boys, called Swapping the whip" the
last boy felt the effect the most.
The place of disturbance causing the
earthquake in Charleston was, in the
speakers opinion, to the Westward of
that city, and not underneath it. The
earthquake was in the old crystalline
rocks that underlie Charleston, stretching
from the Westward. It was reported
that there was slight change in the
depth of the water at that place. The
area of vibration was probably anellipse,
with the longest line running North and
South. 1t has been estimated that the
maximum depth of earthquake disturb.
arces was s! miles, and the minimum
2! miles. The pressure of subtcrranean
reservoirs of water arc among the causes
of earthquakes. The twisting of chin.
neys and monuments did not necessarily
indicate a gyraory motion in the earth
quake. An adhesion of a portion Of the
base might account for it. Explosive
earthquakes were probably caused by
large quantities OF water being brought
in contact with molten lava, and steam
had played Il large, thuug h generally a
secondary, part in producing them.
Earthquakes are merely incidents in the
process of mountain building.
The theories of Sir William Thomson
and others as 10 the great thickness of