Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-09-08
THEORIES ABOUT THE QUAKE.
A Travelled Colored Man Talks
knowingly on the Subject.

knowingly on the SUBJECT.
A great many theories about the earth
quake of Tuesday last have been ad-
vanced. Among other opinions as to its
cause are those of Stausbury Boyce, a
colored citizen OF Baltimore, who has
travelled extensively, and whose views
as expressed in letter to the Baltimore
Sun, are az follows:
81 have read Maj. PowelPs opinion
upon the cause of earthquakes, and
though L approve of his premises, yet l
think his conclusions are incorrect. His
! premises are the same as thoee of Prof.
Rudolphe, who wrote several years ago
some very interesting treatises upon as
tronOmy in the New York Weekly, and
who was also Of the opinion that gold was
! the largest component of the earth's mat
ter, since of all substances it was the
heaviest, less volatile, and less subject to
| incineration; it was, therefore, the most
| capable OF resisting the great internal
| heat, which, at fifty miles depth, was as
| a blazing cauldron. IL the earth be a
globe of 5000 miles diameter, we can
| guess what thin shell protects
US from destruction - no thicker in
comparison than that of hens
egg. We can also fancy what
would be the effect If Major Powell's
correct. BY crushing in the she'll of an
egg, If the interior substance of the egg
was not liberated, at least visible de-:
preston would be apparent. His opinion
holds good, however, as to the cause Of
eruptions of volcanoes. OF this we can
form an idea by watching a coffee pot
boiling and imagine the spout to be a vol
caro-, but should we close this spout
and other means of escape of the steam
| ~ nI1iH n ravr f.1t Ion, 90
the earth upon its axis forms an immense
vacuity or expansion in the equatorial
parts of the earth, and makes the crust
| in this region thinner than at the axis.
| The wise provision OF the Creator is
apparent in the binding OF the earth
50 as 10 strengthen it with bands OF rocky
elevations or mountains, which are per-
forated here and there by vent-holes or
volcanoes, thereby preventing casualties
which would occur from depression or
collapse o. the internal caverns. An
earthquake Is caused by the heat OF the
sun and other agencies, whereas an erup-
ton of a volcano is caused by a liberation
OF the internal heat OF the earth, and they
have the same relations TO each other
that a surface well of water has to an ar
tesian spring. l have visited hot springs,
and lived MANY years in South America
and the West IudIes. and have felt many
ally, and could there almost infalliby
predict an earthquake. The simple cause
is the too sudden decline Of temperature
The surface OF the earth in the West Indies
is often penetrated by the heat OF the sun
so as TO cause the earth to crack open to a
great depth. and so thickly as 10 be i'm
passahle 10 animals. A sudden cooling
off by heavy rains causes vibration or
succession Of lateral movements different
from the sin gie shock, which the collapse
of an internal cavern would cause.
The quiverlng OF an earthquake,
though H. may embrace wide area. IL
not Of sufficient depth TO affect the vast
caverns in the earth. These, when formed
by the internal heat, become the recepta-
Giles Of water, petroleum, gas, elc., which,
when liberated, are forced to the surface
by the heat below. The surface Of the
earth is generally composed of unstable
material, such as pebbles, sand, clay, ETC.,
which admit OF being rudelv shaken up,
while the substantial walls OF tho inner
caverns enjoy complete immunity and Sc
curitV,O