The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1894-08-03
EARTH To QUAKE
New York City To BE Destroyed by
An Earthquake and Tidal Wave
Friday, August z.
WHOLE COUNTRY TO SUFFER
California To Be Made An Island
Prediction Made by a Professor
Who Never Fails.

BELGRADE, July 81. - Earthquake
shocks have been felt at Macedonia, Old
S rvia and Eastern Bulgaria. Many
houses in Varna, Bulgaria, we're dam
aged and number of people killed.
Recent earthquakes in European and
Asiatic Turkey, followed by the seismic
disturbance in tennessee, Missouri and
Wisconsin, as reported in the telegraphic
columns Of the TRIBUNE, gives new in
terest to the prophesies of danger and
disaster which have been made during
recent years.
The matter, however, would not at
tract any special attention in this coun-
try but for the recent circulation OF an
alleged prophecy by Prof. Rudolph Falb,
of Vienna and Berlin, to the effect that
the city of Now York is to be destroyed
by an earthquake the 18th of August.
There has recently been published in
some of the New York papers a state
ment to the effect that there will be a
great submarine earthquake in July or
August, 1894, which will overthrow the
city of New York by tidal wave, while
Florida and California will be converted
into islands.
These publications appear to have
created some alarm since it is announced
that in view of the terrible dispensations
80 lavishly to be dealt out mass prayer
meeting, with room for 10000 people, is
advertised to be held every Wednesday
afternoon at Guttenburg, New Jersey,
at 3 o'clock.
The New York Herald takes up the
matter and devotes a column to explain
ing Prof. Falb's method of prediction.
He holds, in brief, that the interior of
the globe is mass of melted matter in
fluid state. 1t is inclosed in sotid
crust from twenty to forty miles thick.
This ocean of fire, nearly 5000 miles in
diameter, or, measured from its surface
to the center of the earth. 1000 miles
deep aud 24,000 miles in circumference,
is vastly greater than all the watery seas
combined, but, like them, it is subject to
the attractions 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
attracting or pulling power on the tides
is greatest. But this pull operates not
only on the oceans Of water on the sur
face of the globe, but upon the ocean of
fire in its interior. Thus, at the time Of
one of these coDjunctions. aud particu-
larly when the great luminaries are
nearest to the earth, this attraction is
greater than at any other time. and
from it result the specially high tides
that are known on all coasts.
II is claimed for Prof. Falb that his
predictions always come true, many IN
stances having been cited. The Herald
writer. after lengthy discussion of the
matter and stating the locations of the
sun and moon and the planetary posi-
tions for Aug. 16, declares that under
the rules observed by Prof. Falb there is
no doubt but there will be physical dis
turbances Of some Importance following
this opposition.
It may also be supposed that the
countries liable to be affected will be
that part of southern Europe lying be-
tween O degrees and 60 degrees east Ion
gitude- eastern Asia, Japan, the East
Indies and Australia, eastern South
America, and the Atlantic ocean east of
Newfoundland. There will probably be
a sharp heated term passing across this
country from west to east, accompanied
by fierce electrical disturbances
1t would be utterly impossible on any
known theory to predict a tidal wave
which should destroy New York This
could only occur after a great local
earthauake, or one under the ocean or
on the west coast of Europe, and it is
not possible to predict the force neces
sary to accomplish this result.
Directly contrary to Professor Falb's
theory Of earthquakes is that generally
received by modern geologists. They do
not believe in an interior sea OF fire.
They deny the possibility of upheavals
from the generation Of gases in the
crust of the earth or from the formation
of steam by the sea Of water being
brought into contract with the sea of
fire. Their notion is that the globe may
once have been hot, but that it is
steadily cooling, and as it cools it's
shrinks and becomes smaller.
In the shrinking process some trif1ing
displacement occurs and shakes down a
few houses 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
lust what they want to believe it is fair
to suppose that a big majority will &C
cept the latter theory and pay no atten-
ton to the earthquake prophets. That
has generally been the treatment accord
cd to prophets in every age, and as
consequence very few are prepared for
Al hnt tok