New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-02
THE EARTHQUAKE THEORY,
OBSERVATIONS In WASHINGTON.
THE VIBRATIONS RECORDED WITH rMpRov,.,n -
sTRuMENTs - WASHINGTON MONUMENT VI


sTRuMENTs - WASHINGTON MONUMENT, ~
DISTURBED.
| WASHINGTON, Sept. (SpeciaD The earth.
quake the chief and almost tho sole topic OF on,
| satien In Washington to-day. During the dav 49,,
were constant inquiries for the latest psvs r.
Charleston and the meagrs bulletins dispsysd ~
eagerly read by hundreds Of interested and suxious
| people There was the usual "run" on the seisnua~
bureaus for Information In regard 10 earthauakss a.
| general aud this one In particular. Several OF tia
bureaus provided with self-registerng appars,us
for the observation of seismic disturbances but mona -
1t seemed to be in order ready for last nishs
J. w. Magee of the United States Geological survsyy
observations the results OF which are riysS
by Director Powell As follows: "After the culminstor
OF the first shock the phenomena were timed rousN
substitute for seismoscope i'm provised out Of =
tumblcr OF water placed stand in the ID
ROOM and tho high headboard OF the bedsesd served n
rude seismometer." Tho record OF the observation
| Director Powell gave as follows:
Time-Cumi nation OF the first shock 18th meridian
9:549 p M duration OF first snocx estimatsd thirty
time OF termination Of Sigh. tremor 10 p M CssverA
slight trem0rs followed but were not timed Time az
Ss Of saISnsien ~ SECOND :sSos
duration OF second shock about thirty seconds time
OF termination OF second series OF tremors, 1913
Direction OF VibrationAs indicated by the mprovlsed
seismosc cope the horizontal direction was from %
degrees f. TO f.. e.. very little north Of east but
there was an lndeterminato vertical component 10 the
incubation very psrceptioe In ths motions Of nquds
pulse OF each vibration appeared TO DO third or half
OF the lateral impulse;
swinging headboard OF a bedssead during the second
shock and found 70 be il5 or 1870 per miSae .s r.
the headooard ola feet nigh swung through an ARC Of
aSp a OF asS during the ssss @:
twice or thrice as great
On tho general subject of earthquakes IN the United
States Major Powell sad
During 1885 there recorded the following earth
auakss in the United s,stes snd ss. ,
sissippi Valley. Pacific slope. - total. 80
been recorded in the United States aud Canada 3Oi
earthquakes. distributed as follows Atlantic slope
From this let appears that in the entire area earth
quskes an average once In twelve days AMI
once month the Atlantic slope Many OF thesedls.
turbances are however so slight as - be 1npercevod
oy majority Of the people. and It should be observed
and frequently shaken Atlantic slope than In either the
seldom shaken Mississippi Valley or the sparsey popu-
The explanation OF earthquakes usually accepted ~
gsoloslsts is something IKE tnls Ias e1rtn Is neesea
I'm different regions This crust rests upon material
in a more or less nai condition 50 taa. ~ ,sady
IRON The reasons for believing that the Interior Is 10
somewhat nuld condition are various Inc most I'M
I.-From very many observations made in mines,
srteslan wells etc. IL Is dlseo , .uss ..e,e
and this increase s so great that degree OF heat
BY certain geologic agencies rock. from b.
low are brought to the surface in mountain oaliee
ami these rocks show evidence OF having been greatly
! heated, and even Of having been msltei
3-Molten matter IN very large Quantities comesup
FROM the interior of earth through creyices aud VOC
Besides these lines OF evidence there many aeces-
sorry facts which tell the story. The interior Of ns
earth Is constantly losing heat In variety of ways
small is probably conducted TO the surface aud
radiated into space. A large amount o.
heat is conveyed from tie interior through
the agency OF hot springs suen spriaSs
a few districts very abundant, aud through them
conveyed from tue interior to the surface
which there raiated into space Inc avas mat are
brought up yield vast stores Of heat all OF which 10 lost
70 the earth through radiation Inc secular .oonns
which results from the above causes must necessarily
diminish the magnitude OF the earth ana as II shrihAs
the sold exterior crust must 10 some manner yela 20
to conform to the lesser magntude mus pr9incei
Tho produced IN tho crust OF the ean Dy ths
s9ra.ne OF re neO are s.bsa Sy rn aai
rivers anu In the aggregate large bodies OF material are
gradually hIled up and especially deposited along tue
shores OF The unloading OF land areas ami the
callzesi Aeala the hut or plastic material OF tne
changes IN position beneath the crust OF hs
dlional set OF stresses Is established Thus stresses
are established through the agency OF contracting IN,
through the ow OF Interior matter TO lava beds where
such matter the surface The Stresses
produced by agencies thus described gradl'
ally become so great thar a. last tle u me eaa
must yield and earthquakes are produced.
The Occurrences OF earthquakes in the eastern portion
OF the United states seems 10 be reato IN very later
estns way certain geologic facts observed 10 ins
region A. least a considerable share OF the Atlantic
slope earthquakes are supposed TO nave a SEQ enuN
connection with \ line OF displacement passing through
tho Carolinas. Virginia. Maryland. Delaware aud New.
Jersey. THIS line OF displacement mas Tor somN tms
past been subject OF investigation by tie Geoogcn
Survey In Georga and the CarohnAs IL Is represented
by general seward fitting to the surface unqn-s'n
ably conncctei with snDterranetn movements, 49, a
Virginia this widespread fitting begins TO concentrate
definite line OF displacement which IN tie lAtitile 81
strata are there locally bent downward. AMI here, as
well as elsewhere along the displacement, the laad W
ward the sea n Depressed anu that Io"std the Mo.
tsns elevated. In the latitude OF lshnfIoI me Is
placement becomes either Close hexure %, s
and lies IN the eastern nranch us "mouhI h"Ie 800
feet At the heal OF the Chesapeake Bay the dlsiic
reaeinr 200 or 300 feet in tho lower Hudson Valley.
The whole OF This movement has probably occurred u
tquaernary times. ami Is still Ia progress lbloea
1t may bo questioned whetner any genera oros, .pss
movement any part OF the e1rth- surfsce during wy
srg-tic and rapid than that now tasi1c m'c.
along tho Atlantic slope and our e"mP.,rr,T'
uted not much absence 81 these great earth move
mems. resulting IN the formation VI mountain ehans .n
oven OF continents As 10 she prOnapy e'
profound depth OF this great than h.'s o,
most mountainous regions. and especially 10 ineI~
that no volcanic vents nave been 80 ah.i.hcL
star reporter visited Professor simon New''mN. AZ
the Navy Department ami inquired II Ihe earihqnaEeot
last night could be explained upon any astronomer
basis He said It could not The reporter cHei hlsaF
tention to the fact that tho remarkable weather ot '
season had by some ascrb,d to planetary changes
taking place. "That is all nonsense. replied he fro-
fe.sor Thorc arc planetary chan ses occurring sni
when tti. remembered that the changes We have mai
during the So ,son DO not adct the earth foot beneath
It. surface the absurtity OF the theory sapParen"
Altar the Hell Gate explosion several years arc,
commission was appointed by Major Powell TO inve'i-
gate earthquake effects Tho enoers are a. fo'io"'
Cantain Dnitou OF the Geological survey; Professor
Davis, OF Harvard College; Professor Mendenhal' ot
the signal Service; Professor Hall OF tho N'v" onser-
ya,ory and Professor Clarke OF tae Geo
logical Survey. This commission issued IN fe'nNy
circular giving to stationed In vArloa'
parts OF the conutry a series OF questions wh'eh theY
sbould answer in regard tho occurrence 81 An EARN
ou,ke The Information sought TO be obtained i 'h'
time duration and character OF the phenomena DIV
patches received NJ the signal once from dlu''o's
nars O, the country indicate that the creates. force 81
m. o,rthon.ke wa. about tho region OF Augusta "A
and a, f.nted from there 20 NewYork losing some OF