The morning call., 1891-09-17
THE FLOODS IN SPAIN.

The destructive inundatiOns which took
place in Spain at the close of last week are
remarkable because they cannot be con-
nected with spring treshets. 1t appears that
the chief destruction of life and property
occurred at the town of Ccnsuegra, in the
province of Toledo. about thirty-fve miles
south of the ancient city of that name; and
likewise in the province of AlmeTia, some
200 miles distant on the Mediterranean.
Whether all intervening points suffered
equally information to hand does not enable
Us to state. The railroads are interrupted
and travel is impossible. The shape which
the disaster took is familiar. Water poured
down from the mountains filled the rivers,
caused them to overflow their banks. and to
drown out towns and villages in their viciu-
ity, If the occurrence had taken place in
spring it would have been ascrbed to
melting SHOWS in the mountains; IN Sep
tember it argues a eloudburst of unusual
dimensions, or some terrestrial disturbance
which remains to be explained
Spain is peculiar in regard to its physical
geography. 1t Is country of volcanic ori-
gin, cut up in every direction with mountain
ranges, between which rivers flow through
alluyiai lands TO the Atlantic on one side
the agricultural portion of the kingdom is
unproductive without irrigation. In the
northern maritime zone which fronts on the
Bay Of Biseay the rainfall is copiOus, and on
tie Mediterranean coast there are heavy
rains, which are generally tOrrendal But in
the so-called table land Of the central portions
of the peninsula the precipitation is not
over fifteen inches, and in many places barely
4or In uf trrra l. crtrpliaI ku
an elaborate system of irrigation, parts of
which date from the old r man days. 1t is
in such localities that cloudburst5 are to be
feared.
We shall have to wait for fuller accounts
of the inundation before it can be the sub
iect of intelligent speculation. But from
the Information thus far received it looks as
though the event might justify an inquiry
whether changes are taking place in the
physical geography and meteorolngy of the
peninsula. Seven years ago a succession OF
severe and destructive earthquakes took
place in Southern Spain. The area of dis
turbaHce spread from Malaga to Granada,
and embraced the historic town of Alhambra,
which was destroyed. There is no historic
record of any previous destructive earth
quake at that locality. The event was a
contradiction of the theory that earthquakes
occur in a we'll known zone, and not outside
of it. Now We have an iUundatiOn springing
from unknown causes which devastates a
line of country extending from the northern
foothills of the Toledo mountains to the
ancient seaport of Almeria, and which, like
the earthquake, appears to be unprece-
dented.
That the work of creation is not complete
the upheaval of some coast lines and the
subsdence of others long ago demonstrated.
Even the most apparently substantial por-
tons of the solid earth are in motion. The
most careless observer of the Colorado
Desert cannot fail to discern proofs that it
has undergone many changes within the
historic period. 1t is possible-nay, prob
able-that changes are taking place else
where; and it may be that this disaster in
Spain is evidence of one Of them.