Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1886-09-09
The Great Earthauake.

~ o4uahy culanlitOuS earthquake has
ever occurred in the United States. and
It would be difficult to find upon record a
more widespread disturbance of the
eafth's crust many part Of the world.
coincidently win tho Shocks which
either wrecked or-rsndered sininhabitable
two-thirds Of the houses Of Charleston.
the ground trembied and elites and vii.
lagos were shaken over half the, Union.
It seems proyidcntiafs that not more, and
perhaps less than o hundred persons lost
their lives under the falling walls Of
Charleston.
In the unusual duration Of the shocks.
and their rapid recurrence-ten or a doz..
en- distinct tremors having been felt with.
IN twenty four hour-this CONFUSION re-.
calls the terrible experience of the pro-
vince OF Granada In Spain q year ago last
winter. To. read Of one of our W cities
overthrown and deserted, and its suryiv.
Ing inhabitants encamped around Il.
afraid TO return to their shattered and
crumbling dwellings, Is bringing the
danger from earthquakes much closer
home than most OF US had, perhaps.
dreamed of. '
That the centre of the disturbance was
located at or near Charleston is indicated
not only by the greater force and dcstruc.
uveness OF the shocks there, but also by
inc fect that the slighter tremors were
only felt in that region. MANY of the
dreadful Accomplishments of the historic
earthquakes of Lisbon and Caracas nm.
pear 10 have attended the Charleston con.
vulsion, such as the opening of assures
IN the ground out of which sand and other
material was spouted, and the presence
oil a strong sulphurous smell In the M.
mosphere. The story told of the scenes
OF terror and death amid the falling and
burning buildings of the beautiful Caro-.
one. gs "Pp"'nS
The powerful upward thrust OF the
snock was particularly noted in Wash,
ington, and this fact seems to indicate
that me source Of the disturbance was
ueeP IN the earth. The bursting of sew.
erai mil dams more than HUNDRED miles
rom Charleston shows also the t%erriffic
shocks. piine'Pai
A word as 10 the probable cause W.
must remember that we are dwelling mn.
on the surface of q little cxtincnished
@ when ages upon ages ago became
covered win a rocky crust through the
gfaauai loss OF temperature, but which
sun retains in its interior a remnant Of
.nc pristine heat that is slowly leaking
oa'. Every schoolboy understands that
Mheh y nealed body cools II shrjnks in
SIZE: The earth does the same. and nd
.he inferior mass thus slowly contracts
inc hardened crust settles upon t. But
,he crust cannot thus settle without break.
ing Far back In geological time, when
.nc coonhg process was much more rand
,nan ~ is now, the settling Of the crust
broke n conterted II with tremendous
power, and the edges and sides Of the
cracked strata of rock were tbrnst nm In
" miountaih chains. Now, when the
cooling Is very slow and the CONSEQUENT
contraction comparatively slight, noun,
.a.ns are no longer created by the stress
pun inc settling crust, but slow. almost
s~lpercepuble changes of level in diff.
iereht parts of the earth's surface result
rom IT,. 30 slowly, In fact. does the IN.
Terror OF the earth contract at present
.nat inc settling Of the crust IL accom-.
Plsned Tor the most part without The
knowledge OF Its inhabitants. Yet IL does
eon,ract, and the careful observations Of
earth iremors which have been conduct
~ roo o. iaIe years show that ifa complete
record OF the motions Of the earth,s crust
could be obtained. II wonld be- shown +"
be slightly trembling Id some part Of NJ
extent most Of the time. =,
Iiere arc certain regions where the
eartn's crust yields to This internal strain
more readily than elsewhere. There re.
Srohs are usually inthc neighborhood OF
ancient cracks or faults nIthe rocky shalt
OF the planet. The Atlantic edge az our
continent has never, in historic times NJ
,cas., peen the scene Of great and disas,
Hous earthquakes, and yet Its geological