The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1886-10-05
A Few Words in Regard TO Earth
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Considering the well-established
fact of the slow but steady move:
fment of depression now operating
along the eastern coast of the United
States, may it not be possible and
probable (let a scientist smile, should
the jovial manifestation be anywise
helpful to his glorious profession
that, in the gradual settling of over
lying strata immense caverns of lpte
have been forming, and through their
great increase have caused too much
tension Of the superintendent lay
ers of earth and rock. Such a sup
position would not conflict either
with the popular idea Of grand
central molten nucleus in the earth,
or with the less accepted notion of
merely isolated centers of incande-
scent matter.
One could add that cavernous spa
ces, such as mentioned, might COM
municate, through collapse and
breakage of intervening terrestrial
masses, with volcanic regions, by
which previously no influence has
been exerted, because of the extent
of the distractions placed between
them and the new area of disturb
ance.
Colossal masses Of subterrestial
air migat collect, become heated, and,
expanding under more intimate, if
still indirect, contract with the gi-
gantic lava cauldrons of the equa-
torial belt, be the agents of terrific
convulsions Of the land and sea rest
ing either Immediately above them
or even lying at no inconsiderable
distance, in any direction, from the
vortex of the material temptest. Ter
rible as the earthquake in the South
ern States has been, it sinks into
insignifcance beside 5he description
of the one that, in 1883, convulsed
the Sunda Straits, when the noun
tain Krakatoa was shattered to frag-
ments by its own awful, fiery passion.
Then bodies by thousands remain
ed without burial, the greater num-
ber of them, in fact, being washed
by the waves far out to sea: and for
days after the consummation of the
catastrophe the crews of ships cross
ing the Sunda Straits unanimously
affirmed that not only bodies, but
heaps of bodies, Uttered the waters
of the ocean. The Dutch ship Ba-
tavia reported that on September 3
she had encountered numberless
corpses, whose multilated and man.
gled members hoated on the sea,
most of them appearing to be the re-
mains Of Chinese, as the scalps of
the heads were devoid OF hair.
Finally, it is related that at Sc
rang, on cutting open fish Of the
East Indian seas, called kakap, the
fingers of a hand with the nails still
adhering were discovered in the crea-
lures stomach
With word or two borrowed from
Reclus. the kind reader will cease to
have to honor drafts on his patience.
Whatever may be the nature Of the
first shock, whether itproceeds from
sudden swelling up of lava or va
por, or whether. it be caused by the
falling in of upper strata upon the
subjacent beds, the effects produced
will always be the same as regards
observers who are above the central
point where the phenomenon is pro-
duced. They will experience a shock
tending upward Even when falling
with the ground they might well fam
cy themselves raised as the aeronaut
whose balloons is falling toward the
earth sees the country mounting to
him. Around the central point of
disturbance, where the shock takes
place in all its violence, and is felt
vertically, in manner more or less
irregular, according to the number
OF shocks, the movements become
more and more oblique, and are pro-
pagated across strata of the earth in
direction which ultimately becomes
perceptibly horizontal. The phe-
nomenon of undulation, which is
produced in solid rocks is perfectly
analogous to that which may be OBJ
served in water when a stone falls
into it-a series of concentric waves
is formed round the center of the
shock and gradually disappears in
the distance"
Terrestrial waves that are form
ed thus are very long and very fiat
on account of the infexible nature
of the rocks through which the
movement is transmitted. There
does not, however, exist single an
thentic measurement from which
the dimensions Of each wave may be
deduced. The observer feels them
pass rapidly under his feet during
IN earthquake, and is often able to
notice the rocking Of houses and tow
ers, asSwell as to and fro motion of
church-bells, but these movements
are much more marked than those
of the ground, and the movements
eff the eartn have not been clearly
distinguished On any occasion. >
Detroit Free Press.
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