The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-09-09
PRIVATE DALzELL
on the Earthquakes-Hs DlseOuFses on the
GThsOriss Of biologists.

ON the EarthquHkes-lIe Dise0uFses on the
ITheOrlss Of biologists.
7oths Editor ne InisllgNe5,
SIR;-Aiter the Charleston calamity, on
referring to the Encyclopedias and other
scientific authorities, notably Humboldts
Cosmos, q iaVorite book with me, and the
works Of Seneca and Pliuy, | found line
upon llne, theory upon theory, but moth
ing satisfactory,
It Is Of volcanic origin-the tibroture,
and the seismic disturbance" reaches
further than the thin crust OF the earth,
even penetrating the thicker crust Of
philosophiC skulls, and disturbing the
equilibrium OF their alleged brains.
For ioolishness double lnstilled and
strong enough TO bear up goose egg, COM
mend me to the learned nonsense Of tine
geologlsts. Take the CTust of the South
and explore the interior for six months to
the daily newspaper press, and their oc'
cupation would be gone. l wish the
thing would dip inside out once II 1t hurt
nobody, II for nothing else than con-
yienCe Tor the whole tribe Of geogn0stic
guessera that they know nothing, Until
Geographic communication Ia fairly estab'
Observation-Disclosures VI ttAAa tluhANAVhFAplS
and the enterprlsing reporter descends
into the bowels OF the earth and writes
them up, ! fear that We shall know but
little more about the suhterranean explo'
sions and connections than the philosO'
pliers and Scientist" do-preCisely moth.
ingI Why they have theories, lots Of
them, and that makes them all doubtful,
| II they could agree upon one theory to
explain this internal racket, We could
swallow that-no matter what 1t
WAS, even the steam explosion
theory, could believe that the bottom
dropped out Of the Atlantic, and seventeen
thousand lakes bigger than Lake Erie
with fifteen thousand mountains bigger
than Mount Blanc dropped down three
thousand miles into the hot hollow sphere
and Jared the thing, and generated steam
enough 10 shRtter the shell and make Il
SILVER with planetary ague, and would
call this the seismical Ague Theory, and
atop right there, and not bother my head
any more about 1t. Certainly Between
YOU and me don't know what creates
these seismiCal and other long-worded
disturbances OF this none too solid globe,
The more you read about It the more
words you got. But that ia all, The &C.
ognoBsts and other sClsmiCalists get along
first rate the fret plough turrow deep they
get into the earth. They turn that over
and look at 1t scientifically" and explain
that well enough. They can even 90
down to the bottom Of deep vel, or the
floor Of the sea itself aud tell you all about
that.
No earthquakes there.
Tho old shaker Is deeper than that,
Where? Idon't know. What2 don't
knowl No one can know, for no one has
been there. And 80 insist on these
learned spectaCles and goose quilts con-
lining themselves to the surface Of the
surface OF the EARTH, since what Is more
profound Is involved in insCrutable
mystery. The cause oil earthquakes
and all history proves twas as well
known to Pliny and Seneca as it is TO Va,
and they gave 1t up for bad jobl On
we can guess. That Is all. Enough for
us to know what transpirea on the lace Of
the globe, without making ourselves-I
mean us philosophers, ridiculously spin
ming theories about the unknown.
Hero Is city in ruins, people suffer-
ing for the common necessities OF life, a
peril still threatening that no human pow.
or can avert or control In the least. In
our ignorance and lCebleness there Is but
one thing We can do, and that Ia to meas.
ure the scope Of tho calamity before US,
and minister to the wants OF our country.
men. 1t is humanity, not philosophy
that Is demanded now, 1t Is the heart OF
sympathy and the hand OF charity that are
needed among the ruins Of Charleston
now; and the cold and feeble brain Of
philosophy may well prepare its idle
dreams until Christian benevolence has
rebuilt these ruined shrines and poured
its balm Of consolation into these stricken
souls. PRIVATE DALzELL.
Calltuel, O., Sept I.