Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1894-08-24
AMERICAN EARTHQUAKES.


The Severest Ones Occurred at San Fran
cisco and Charleston.
"Ihere have been three great earth
quakes in the United States during che
present century" said Professor Gilbert,
the geologist. zone that was very remark
able occurred in 1911 and 1912 near the
head of the delta of the Mississippi. 1t EN-
braced n nuEher of severe shocks at short
intervals during several months. In fact,
the disturbance lasted for about two years.
The ground was moved in visible waves,
by which the trees of the forests were rock
ed and in some cases uprooted, their
branches being so entangled that it was
impossible to separate them.
Great cracks in the earth yawned and
closed again at each shock, while from the
assures mud was thrown into the air so
violently as to lodge in the branches of
trees. Some lakes We're drained by the es-
cape of the water into the chasms which
were opened, while others were created
by the sinking of the land. One great
sunken area thus produced was so miles
long by 80 miles broad
1.-THE other two quales to which refer
occurred so lately rs to be remembered 10y
the present generation. One of them hap
pened in the lnyo valley of California. 1t
was caused by a renewed movement on
what we biologists would call great fault
plane at the eastern base of the Sierra Ne
vada mountains. la that part of the world
there is extensive 'faulting' in the struc-
ture of the mountain ranges, each range
consisting of one or more huge blocks OF
rock bound by faults and lifted above its
neigh bors A fault is made by the sink
ing of one mass of rock i'll such a manner
as to change the relation of its elevation
to that of a mass adjoining.
'The creation Of such faults is often in
cidental to earthquakes. The renewed
movement along the great fault line of the
Inyo valley in 1872 produced tremendous
seismic disturbance. The shocks contin-
ued for IA months. Great assures were
formed along the base of the mountain
range for distance of 40 miles, the land
west of the fault rising and east of it fall
ing several feet fence was parted for a
distance of IA feet in one spot. Owens rlY-
er was temporarily swallowed up, and the
numerous other phenomena excited the as
constituent and alarm of observers.
'The memory of the Charleston earth
quake of 1856 is yet vivid. The focus OF
the disturbance was about 10 miles west
of the city. Numerous big cracks opened
in the earth of the surrounding country
Water and mud were thrown up, and rail
way tracks were disloCated and buCkled
The first great shock lasted for about u
minute, others following, with gradually
decreasing violence. At the end of four
weeks they ceased to be destructive, but
tremors were felt occasionally for several
months. Twenty seven people were killed
outright
'"The invention of the delicate recording
instrument called the 'sesmOgraph has
revealed the fact that earthquake are iii
more numerous and frequent than used 81
be imagined. In some parts of the world
feeble shocks occur almost daily. FrH.a
bly, there is no part of the earth ~ There ii.H'
cannot be detected ut short intervals. iiH'
of the most remarkable quukcs ui the 'HI H
try took place in Chill in 1923. ba t.a
occasion 700 miles Of the coast wcr- I.lIH
a mum Der of feet 1t has been rrrA sf.'7
that enough rock was thus elevated G.
make mountain the size Of Mount itha
1.-THE Charleston earthquake vas fet
distinctly distance of 300 miles conn
parison of time showed that the -hora
Travelled at the rate of H. Uo feet q second
The assures in the earth's crust which ar
among the most terrifying OF seismic Pine
nomena, must be of great depth some
times, though nobody has ever tried e
fathom them. They have been known L
swallow rivers for days without being III
ed up. Severe shocks are commonly ac
companied by sounds like explosions neal
or distant. Quakes under the sea produce
waves on the surface like those created by
pebble thrown into pool, and some
times such waves rush upon the land, do
ing a great deal of damage. -Washington
Star.