The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-09-04
Earthquakes.

To the Editors OF The Appeal;
The peculiar and deep impression
experienced by the writer of the NeWs
and Cottfi.r 10 similar to that which is
always experienced by all who first
experience of an earthquake Is given,
and is accounted for by Humboldt in
his Cosmos, pages 213-l6, volumn /,
in this way. 1t is not the result of a
recollection OF those fearful pictures OF
devastation pre~ent.d to our iuagina-
ton by the historical narratives OF
the as, but is rather due to the sud-
den revelation of the delusive nature
OF the inherent faith, by which we had
chung to q belief In the immobility OF
the solid parts Of the earth. We are
accustomed from esrly childhood to
draw a contrast between the mobility
OF water aud the immobility Of the
soil upon which we tread. We may
fee from the eruption Of volcano, or
a falling house, ETC., but wherever we
10 during an earthquake that spot ia
the focus OF destruction. This feeling
is confirmed by the evidence OF our
sensep. Animals are similarly
affected, ESPECIALLY dogs and
swine, aud the crocodiles OF the
Orinoco leave the river and flee to the
forests. The most destructive earth
quskes are usually Coufued to near
the eeacosst, whether they arise from
the wear and tear of the action of the
ocean upon the crust oil the earth az
or near the intersection OF the land
aud water, causing the crust Of the
earth to become thinner a. that point,
and thereby destroying the equi-
librium, am unable 10 say. Tue great
est number OF lives that have ever been
lost was in A. d. 526, at Antioch, dur
ing the Feast OF the Ascension, when
1t is estimated by Gibbons that $50, 900
persons persisted In 1873, in Gala
bria, whom the city OF Messina, in
Sicily, was destroyed, 100000 lives
were lost. Earthquakes are not only
able to elevate and depress whole dis
tric!s above and below their ancient
level as, for instance, the Ula Bind
Goods Wall), after the earthquake of
Dutch, in 1919, east OF the della of the
Indus, which upheaval was about, il
my memory serves me CORE fly, four
feet and remains TO this day; and
in Chill in 1922, when the
country between the Andes aud
the coast was elevated from
two /, seven feet and the bottom OF
the Pa ifc ocean for hundreds of miles
was at the came time eleva'ed. The
area (land) raised has been estimated
at 100000 squsre miller. In Java, in
1872, when Papaudayang, then one of
the Hottest Of the volcanoes OF the
region, was in action, an area rud-
denly sunk, including the mountain, OF
from fifteen miles long to six miles
broad, but various substance. hot
water at Catins in 1918, steam at New
Madrid in 1872, mud and smoke at
Meesina in 1871, irrepressible Ra.es,
which injured the flocks grszing in the
Andes, Plato eaid the gods cent
earthquakes as punishment for
mans wickedntss. This condition Of
man (spoken Of in the beginning OF
the artiole) is not of long duration,
and when a series Of faint shocks sue
coed one another the Inhabitants oil
the country soon lose every trace of
fear. Ia Lima long habit aud the
prevalent opinion that dangerous
shocks are only to be apprehended
two or three times in the course Of a
century they are regarded with scarce
" more attention than a hail storm in
the temperate mes. Humboldt,
after experiencing few shocks, car.
ried on his ecient tic pursuits without
regarding them. Such is the I rec Of
habit, or custom upon which the com
mon Law Ia founded. THEN.