The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-07-30
mistellanp.
Cyclones and Earthquakes.

ferent parts of the West and South
during the past few months appear to
have been exceptional in destructive
effect as well as in number. In ter
rife quckness and thoroughness of
devastation they are only second to the
earthquakes which are so troublesome
and often fatal in South and Central
America. Where the accumulations of
the labor of years is swept away by
CONFUSION or gale of a few seconds
duration, and where such visitations
are among the expected probabilities,
much of the incentive to eXertion is
virtually taken away. Spanish-Ameri-
cans are lethargic, in part at least, be-
cause of the movements of the soil on
which they dwell, and if cyclones are
as severe and frequent as they have
latterly been emigration from the East
to the West will rapidly diminish in
volume.
New England has suffered from gales
of great severity and occasionally from
cyclones. We can recall none of the
latter, however, which can compare
with the recent hurricane in Minnesota,
where the loss of human lives alone APP
proXimated one hundred. Our ances-
tors, nevertheless, endured two earth
quake shocks, which, had they occurred
at the present day and in populous dis
tricts, must have involved fearful loss
of life. In 1927 there was an earthquake
shock whose center was in the vicinity
of Newburyport, Mass. Hundreds of
chimneys were overturned; good deal
of crockery was thrown from the shelf
and some houses were destroyed. Great
rents were also made here and there in
the earth As the shocks, though di-
minished in violence, continued to re-
cur occasionally for some weeks
the people were greatly alarmed.
What contemporary writers call a
general reformation " followed. The
earthquake was accepted as a manifesto
ton of divine displeasure at the in
creasing worldliness of New England
penitents thronged the parsonages and
communicates were added to the
churches by hundreds during the sue
ceeding months. Many of the minis.
tiers improved " the alarming provi-
dence, and printed copies of the earth
quake sermons form special feature
of libraries of historical societies and the
older colleges.
In 1865, just a fortnight after the
stupendous cataclysm at Lisbon, witt
which it was no doubt connected, {
second severe earthquake visited ouI
section of country. AS with its pre-
decessor, no lives were lost, but mucl
property was injured or destroyed
The people were much frightened, bu
not so panic-stricken as in 1927. Com
pairing contemporary accounts, W,
should infer that the second earthquake
did not quite equal the first in severity
though it was sufficiently alarming
Popular preoccupation with the oil,
French war, which was then raging
may have rendered the colonists NOR
obtuse to emotions both of fear an,
reverence than were their father
twenty-eight years earlier.
Residents of earthquake countries de
clare that old inhabitants are NOR
frightened when the earth begins t
tremble than are strangers. Famili
arity does not breed contempt, but en-
hances fear. There is something ap
palling in the fact that the groun
under our feet is insecure, even whe
no destructive effects follow the frs
movements. Yet, as all students Q
physical science know, our globe i
filled with internal fires, gases an
fluids, whose intermingling may at an
moment break it into atoms. We ar
safe nowhere unless an Almight
hand bids the proud waves of destru(
ton go no farther.
1t should be remembered by all tina
though the earth may not shake be
meath them, nor the whirwind swee
away their dwelling, death is sure
sooner or later, to overtake them i
one of its manifold forms. The longes
life must have an end, and an eterni
r life of bliss or sorrow must one day bt
gin for all. Tempest and earthquake
and pestilence, and still more the cor
slant fall of friends and neighbors bC
!, fore our eyes, should sound in our eal
the warning: " Be we also ready"