The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1886-11-04
lie EARIHls iNTERIoR.


"Talking about Earthquakes, " said
Prof. Van Benthuseu 10 u reporter for
the New York Mail and Express,
calls to mind a question which,
standing alone, is Of startling signiii-
canoe 10 the people of this continent.
IL is one that has been under discus
sion for many years, but believe
that the problem was solved when the
shock occurred In 1854. The parlieu-
lar place where that earthquake
originated affords little room for
speculation. The main fact proved
by that shock was directly TO the
point that the interior 81 the earth is
in a highly heated condition.
There are no facts To disprOve Of
this assumption, but many To support
il. fit Is not in a fluid condition 80
largely as 10 interfere with its Tigidity
which Is counted equal to a ball Of
steel, this IL said to be because Of the
great weight with which the exterior
presses toward the center. NOtWith-
standing the fact alresdy mentioned,
a cooling process is steadily going on.
Biologists claim that il has required
twenty-five millions Of years to ac
quire its present external form Of
sOlidity, and that during this period
the mountains were formed aud the
hOllOws Of the sea made by q sort OF
wrinkling of the surface as the globe
of liquid fire and heated gRses con
tracted to its present shape. Accord
ing to this idea, the solid crust Of the
earth extends down from ten to forty
miles, there being beneath that a
/ greater OF less thickness OF plastic
| material from melted rocks, etc., un-
der high pressure, while the crust Of
| the earth is always in high state Of
tension from the gradual cooling OF
the interior, causing cavities and al
| lowing the uperincumbent earth tO
i crowd down closer to its heated core"
Another theory prOpOuuded by the
/ professor, aud one which admits OF
very little criticism, Is 10 the effect
that the access Of water, also by per-
collation. from the earth's surface 10
these subterranean ovens, 10 h
thought, may in some cslses. cause eX-
/ plOsiOns, dislOcating vast quantities Of
material, and perhaps by opening
communication with the still hotter
/ portion yet lower down be the cause
| of some Of the most destructive vol
canoes. These explanations, while
being TO q small extent Hypothetical,
accord with all that is known by
acknowledged authorities. Another
significant point IL that they afford
the best theory yet advanced To &c
count for the earthquake which Is
now agitating the minds Of people
over the globe. The biologists wax
ting warm 10 his subject, insisted that
we have hardly made u scratch upon
the crust Of the earth. The further
we 20 down the warmer Il is. An H.
lustratiOn Of this Is supplied In the
fact that the aFtesian wells supplying
the city Of Paris from q depth Of near
" eighteen hundred feet yield water
Of 81 degrees Fahrenheit, and the
lower levels Of the COmstOek mines
have an almost uniform temperature
OF 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It Is e5ti-
mated that the heat increases At the
rate Of one degree for every hfty feet,
and this would give a temperature 20
melt the hardest rock in less than ten
miles. On this theory the present
volcanic and earthquake regions Of
the globe are located along the axis OF
those supposed wrinkles or eOrruga-
lions from the contraction Of the
/ CRUST NIluAlA ~ NC - NlErEuA III NAiN
state OF greatest tension. The most
marked Of these are down the east
coast Of Asia, including the Japan
and Philippine islands. and extend
ing to Java, where the great earth.
quake OF 1883 occurred. Another also
extends down the Pacific COST OI
North and South America, the mani
festatiOns Of which have been very
I -. 4 a.
commencement Of historic times, bul
Of whose presence i'm South AmOrica
we have had many striking proofs.
WAsHTNGToN, ID. c., October 3d.
The OleOmargarine law will go intc
effect Monday next, and the internal
revenue bureau has completed all the
arrangements necessary for its en-.
foroement. The demand for stamps
has been very great, and indications
are that a large amount Of the COM
modify viii be put on the market
next week. The production OF cleo
margarine fer domestic consumption
Il estimated by Commissioner miller
% the rate Of 100000, 600 pounds 4
year, and the amount exported is alsc
believed 70 be very large.
Lighting the Parsees' sacred flre Is
an expensive aud elaborate process
on the Institution % q new temple.
Sixteen different kinds Of wood In
1,O0l pieces Of fuel are required to OBJ
tain the sacred fame, which Il after
ward fed with aaudaiWO0d, aud The
/ cnst Of the process averages e, 500.
There are SIN three large aud thirty
three small IRE temples e Bombsy.
Engagement Of james Russell Low
ell % DOBager Lsdy LyttletOn. widow
Of the late aud aunt By marriage 81
the present Lord Lyttlelon, i an
nOunced. Lady Lytlelion has, IKE
81; Lowell, been already twice g