The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1886-09-22
Pro-. Cleveland Abbc Predicts a Long Rest fr0m
Earthquakes.
(From tho New York Hc;alD

(From the New York Hc;alD
WASHINGTON, September 12.-Prof.
Cleveland Able, who was absent from
Washington during the recent earthquake,
has returned and has given to your CORE
spondent some interesting views as TO the
event. lie has made a very extensive study
of earthquakes and the theories regarding |
them. His views are outlined rs follows;
Prof. Able considers the Charleston
earthquakes TO belong 10 the same category
as that which was 50 violent ut Long
Branch on August 10, 1894, and which was
felt from Maine to Virginia and westward
to Ohio. About one hundred and fifty such
earthquakes occurred between 1872 and
1882. and were studied in The article by
Prof. Able, published in the HcrdM on
August II, 1884 In this article Prof, Able
concludes that these shocks originated
above the Archaicn strata ard In the lower
portion Of the Sedimontary dCpoSitS-namc-
ly, from one to five miles below the car,h'S
surface. He holds that there is no reason
to believe in u hot fluid interior, but that
probably the rocks beneath this portion OF
the surface OF the globe are i'll 4 condition
of considerable cOnStraint due TO several
~causes-namciy, first, the weight OF super
incumbent masses; second, the contraction
due to slow cooling or tic expansion due
to warming in case chemical changes are
still going on; third, the strain due 10 bend.
ing; and fourth, the s'rain due to the slow
process of Capitalization, such rs occurs in
the formation of dikcs or masses Of granite,
marble, &c. Under these accumulated
strains the rocky strata arc pcrpctually
cracking, sliding on each other, resting and
again giving way. Every 'fanlt' met
with in n mine or quarry means a slight
earthquake.
4 | NypTn no, for fhn rtN-rilIlE Of liitlp
quakcs We should have to DO only with
greater earthquakes, which would, in fact,
be Of the nature of terrible paroXysmS.
When q severe earthquake happens it is
usually preceded aud followed by numcr-
our sligh,cr quakcs, indicating that the
strata arc gradually being relieved Of their
strained condition, but that the main relief
is oun in the main shock.
The distribution Of the one hundred and
fifty Appalachian earthquakes show that
numerically they arc least frequent from
May 10 September, but that these are pre-
ciscly the months when the scvcrCr earth
quakcs are likely TO occur; and, again, that
Il period of few earthquakes Is especially
likely to be followed by onc or two severe
ones that become stronger the longer the
period of dcarth has existed.
Charleston lies precisely in the region
where the earthquakes nave been least fire
| lucHl lOl inc liiSt utlCCn years. NC"OIulbg
to the study made of the number Of earth
qualics already mentioned, the whole cOuh.
try is nov entitled to II period Of rest ut
least rs long ms those between the carti-
quakes of Boston, in 100: Of New Madrid,
in 1911, and the present one OF lSS6-ramC.
ly, from tifty-cight TO scvcnty.tivc years.
With regard TO earthquake tidal waves,
there was from the beginning no occasion
for fear IN the present instance. Tho
waves OF 1155 In Europe and America; that
of India, in 1919; that of st. Martins, No.
vcmbcrlS Is, 1850; that Of Callao, 1876; africa,
August, 1868, and Conception, February,
1896; that of Japan, December %, 1874, and
that of krakatoa, July 1888, all illustrate
the general principle that ocean waves at.
tend only such earthquakes as originate
under the OCEAN, or on Tic immediate
coast. The ocean water must receive ::
nearly vertical shock in order TO start The
wave. Shocks that originate under TIC
continent, some distance from the ocean.
strike the latter with n nearly horizontal
movement. and so far rs our records show
these appear never TO produce severe earth
quake ocean waves, at least not in tic
ncighborlood Of their origin. If any such
wave attended the Charleston earthquake,
it would be felt in the Bcrmudas and Ia.
rope rather than on our coast.