The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1894-08-09
THE EARTH Will QUAKE
Terrible Seismic UpheaValS Predicted
for the Month Of August.
NEW YORK CITY TO Be DESTROYED
california aud Florida VIII TIE Con-
verted Iuto Islands by "a Subna-
riae Earthquake-The Prophecy
of a Renowned German Professor.

Recent earthquakes in Europe and
AsiatIc Turkey. followed by the seismic
disturbance in Tennessee, Missouri and
Wisconsin. as reported in the dispatches,
give new interest to the prophecies of
danger and disaster which have been
made during recent years.
The matter, however, would not attract
any special attention in ills country but
for recent circulation Of an alleged proph-
ecy by Professor Rudolph Falb, Of Vienna
and Berlin, to the effect that the city Of
New York is to be destroyed by an earth
quake the l7th OF August.
There has recently been published IN
some of the New York papers.a statement
to the effect that there will he great sub.
marine earthquake in August. 1894, which
will overthrow the city OF New York by a
tidal wave, while Florida and California
will be converted into islands.
These publications appear to have Gre
ated some alarm sinre 1t is announced
that in view of the terrible dispensations
so lavishly to he dealt ont mass prayer
meeting, with room for 1000 people il
advertised to he held every Wednesday
afternoon at Guttenbnr1, New Jerse.
The New York Herald fakes up the
matter and devotes a column to explain
ing Professor Falb's method OF prehie
tions. He holds. in brief, that the inter
ior Of the globe is a mass OF melted matter
in a fluid state. II is inclosed by solid
crust from 20 to 40 miles thick. This
ocean OF fire, nearly 5000 miles in diam
eter, or, measured from its center to the
surface OF the earth. 4 90 miles deep and
24,000 miles in circumference, is vastly
greater than all the watery seas combin
ed, but, like them, it is subject to the at
fractions OF the sun and moon, which are
supposed to make the sea tides.
When the sun and moon are in con-
junction, or are close together, their at
tracing or pulling power on the tides il
greatest. But this pull operates not only
on the oceans OF water on the surface OF
the globe, but upon the ocean OF fire in
its interior. Thus, at the time Of one Of
these eonjunctions. and particularly when
the great luminaries are nearest TO the
earth. this attraction is greater than al
any other time, and from it result the
specially high tides that are known on all
coasts.
1t is claimed for Professor Falb that his
predictions always come trne, many in
stances having been cited. TIE Herald
writer, after lengthy discussion OF the
matter and stating the locations OF the
sun and moon and the planetary posi-
tions for the 18th of August, declares that
under the rules observed by Professor
Falb there is no doubt hut there will be
physical disturbances of some Importance
following this opposition.
1t may also be supposed that the coun-
try liable to he effected will be that part
OF southern Europe living betw cen de-
gree and 90 degrees east longitude, east
ern Asia, Japan, the East Indies and
Australia, eastern Sonth America and the
Atlantic ocean east Of Newfoundland.
There will probably lie sharp heated
term passing across this country from
west to east, accom- panied by fierce cleo
trical distur bances.
II would be utterly impossible on any
known theory to predict tidal wave
.xbi..h aha,lI Iaotrnu Nau NcrE IT,.
could only occur after great local earth.
quake, or one under the ocean or on the
west coast OF Europe, and it is not posi-
BILE to predict the force necessary TO az
complish this result.
Directly contrary to Professor Falb's
theory OF earthquakes is that generally
received by modern peolosistS. They do
not believe in an interior sea OF fire. They
deny the possibility of upheavals from
the generation Of gasses in the crust of
the earth or from the formation Of steam
by the sea Of water being brought into
contact with the sea of fire. Their notion
is that the globe may once have been hot
but that it is steadily cooling, and as ii
cools it shrinks and lie ONES smaller.
In the shrinking process some trihing
displacement occurs and shakes down a
few horses and that is all there is Of
earthquakes, which do not amount to
much anyway. People can take their
choice, and as they commonly believe
just what they want to believe il is fair TO
suppose that big msjoiy will accept
the latter theory and pay no attention to
the earthquake prophets. That has gen
orally been the treatment accorded tn
prophets in every age. and as n conse-
quence very few are prepared for the
ealamities that overlake them.