The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-09-08
ABOUT EARTHQUAKES.
THEIR ORIGIN, EXTENT, AND EFFECT.

THEIR ORIGIN, EXTENT, AND EFFECT.
Some Notable Earthquake kes..-Connec.
tion Between. Earthquakes and
Volcanoes-.Atmosphe Relations
-. Geographical Distribution ass
! Physical Changes-..Nature of the
u Shocks.
i american Cyclopaedta.
Earthquake is a shaking of the solid ground
by more or less violent movements, produced
by natural forces. Such shakings. 10 which
every part Of the world Is liable, are often inn
perceplible except TO very sensitive instru-
incnts, but on tie other hand are frequently
productive Of fearful destruction Of life and
property.
On November IA, 1861, another great earth
quake occurred In switzerland, simultaneous
I ly with which IL was noticed that In the arte-
sian wells at Pussy, Paris, the sediment sud-
denly increased from 956 TO 2,26s grains per Gu
bic metre, after which 1t began to decrease.
In general 1t has been noted that the springs
OF this place are similarity affected by almost
every earthquake of western Europe.
In Portugal. the city OF Lisbon was visited
on the INC, m9rning Of November 1s'S Sne oy one
In history. The rumbling sound that pre-
codes most earthquakes was Immediately fol-
lowed by the great shock which threw down
the principal portion of the city. The SEQ re-
tired, leaving the bar dry, and returned In ~
minute as q great wave or breaker 5O feet or
more in height. 1t Is believed that $1,000 per-
sons perished in the space of six minutes.
The part OF the city that was permanently en-
quilted beneath the waters Of the bay was COW
cred to the depth Of 600 feet. The portion OF
| the earth that was shaken by this earthquake
was estimated by Humboldt as equal to four
times the extent Of Europe; but many OF the
reports and estimates in reference to 1t have
been greatly exaggerated, and from more ex-
act considerations Reclus states that proba-
bly, an area equal to SIX times that OF France
was senSibly disturbed. The shock was felt In
the Alps and on the coast OF Sweden In Bo-
hemia the warm springs OF TeplItz disappear.
ed for q time, and again burst forth, deluging
the region with Ochre stained waters. Many
towns were destroyed In northern Africa.
The waves OF shock reached Scotland, proba-
bly, passing under 1t, causing temporary
changes in the waters OF Loeb Lonond; which
suddenly rose Iflore than two feet and then
fell TO below their usual level. Almost If not
quite simultaneously there began the great
eruption of the volcano Of Kotluggia In Ice
land. The velocity of propagation of the
wave of shock was about 1000 feet per second,
and its origin was probably under the ocean
some distance west OF Portugal. The great
sea wave that swept over the coast of Portu-
gal was nearly GO feet high at Cadiz, and en-
tended to Madeira, and possibly TO the West
Indies. The numerous other earthquakes
and earthquake waves experienced during
the same month throughout Europe and
America may very probably have had some
connection with that at Lisbon, but are not
to be confounded with the shock OF Novem-
ber !.
In India, by the earthquake of 1919, a tract
of 1000 square miles OF country near the
mouth Of the Indus was submerged, and q
neghboring region elevated into mound.
The great earthquake of january 10, 1859, has
been studied by Oldham with results of great
value. The origin OF the shock was point
under Asaloo, somewhat deeper down than
by Mallett. Eruptions Of sand and hot water
took place through the tissures, forming
cones. The entire lower valley OF the Ganges
was embraced in the field of disturbance, and
the shock was felt quite decidedly at Calcutta.
In mid ocean there are certain regions fire.
quently visited by earthquakes, If we may
rely on the testimony of those navigating
| them. Among these may be specially deslg-
mated the portion of the Atlantic ocean near
the equator and about half way between
Guinea and Brazil.
In the United States, in 1911, occurred the
| famous earthquake Of New Madrid III Mis-
souri,. In the valley of the Mississippi river.
Humboldt remarks that 1t presents one of the
few examples of the incessant quaking OF the
ground for several successive months lar
from any volcano. Over an extent OF coun-
try stretching for 800 miles southward from
The mouth Of the Ohio river the gronnd rose
and sank In great undulations, and lakes
were formed and were again drained. me
surface burst open In hssures that generaily
trendcd n. Z. and =. W., and were sometimes
more than half a mile long; from these fis-
sures mud and water were often thrown rs
high as the tops of the trees. During the con-
tinuance of these convulsions the inhabitants
distinguished two classes OF movements, the
vertical and the horizontal; ); the latter were
regarded as far more desolating than the for
ner. The disturbances continued over what
has since been called 1.-The sunk country" un-
| til March 26. 1912, when they ceased coinci-
IDENTITY with the great earthquake of Caracas:
The most severe earthquake that has been
| ,l.klt la Elcf nrT f0f
was that Of November IS, 1863. The shock
then felt in New England was undoubtedly
wave promulgated from either the same CEN
| tire whence enlanated the tremendous disturb.
ance that had destroyed Lisbon on the first
day Of the month, or from centre whose &C.
tivity had been stimulated by the continual
quallings that then prevailed from Iceland 70
the Mediterranean. This earthquake or the
18th began in Massachusetts with q roaring
noise like that of thunder; after minutes
continuance Of this there came the first Sc
we're shock with a swell like that OF q long
rolling sea-a swell so great that men In the
open fields ran to seize something by which
| to hold ON lest they should be thrown down.
After two or three lesser shocks there came
the most violent Of all, producing a quick
horizontal tremor with sudden Jerks and
wrenches: this continued two minutes, and
after slight revival died away. Numerous
other shocks followed In the course OF
month. In Boston the main shock threw
down or dslocated and twisted many chin,
Throughout the country 1t threw down the
rude stone walls bounding the farms; new
tho hurbor felt the shock; large Numbers Of
| fish were killed and floatcd on the surface OF
| the water. Nine hours afterward, at 2 o CLOCK
p. NJ, II sea wave ~ feet high, that had un-
doubtedly originated at the source OF this
earthquake, arrived at the harbor OF ST. Mar
| tins lin the West indies. On October ~, 1870,
occurred the most considerable shock that mas
been observed in the Middle anu Eastern
1,4
source of this disturbance has been traced
with some probability to the volcanic region
80 to 100 miles N. L. Of Quebec; from this re-
tTS and tence was 5 felt % Westward to
| Chicago any sOuthward TO New York. The
velocity of the wave OF shock was about a.
zoo feet per second. The occurrence OF the
shock felt ut Quebec was telegraphed TO Mon
trcnl by the Operators of the Montreal tele-
graph company In time to call the attention
OF those at the latter city to the phenomena
about 50 seconds before tho shock reached
them. In California, the earthquake or no.
destroyed one of the southern missions. That
| of March 2G, 1872, was the most severe that
has occurred there during many years; spe-
clal damage was done in San Francisco by the
cracking OF the walls Of fine public buildings.
In Nevada. the mining regions suffered In
1871 by the destruction of Lone Pine and 9TH
er settlements. In Mexico y disastrous earth,
quake occurred June ~, 1853. 1t extended
throughout the valley Of Mexico. dcmolisll-
ing the aqueduct that supplies the city with
water: il was felt in most of the surrounding
provinces, where it also did great dalnaGe,
and was In some places recorded as being the
most severe ever experienced there.
Connection Between Earthquakes
and Volcanoes.
The intimate relation of these phenomena
Is apparent at once to even the most careless
observer, but correct and eX;ut ideas on the
subject lave been attained only within the
present a.c. On Ihp one hand, earthquakes