The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-04-04
49, t.KrnouANEs
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"-hs-a hevo Ssen e.. great earth.
Uuasos ir tho United States during the
present c,rtury," nsid Professor Gilbert,
the ccoicgls.. "Oue chat was very remark
ahlo occurred Ia istl and 1879 near the
head % thch sits Of the Mississippi. 10 en-
breccl nm, .,er os severe shocks az short
Intervals dCricg several months In fact.
thc disturbances lasted Tor about two years.
Tho ground was moved Ga visible waves.
ty which the trees OF the forests were rock
81 AMI IA some cases uprootcd, their
baGnchca being SO entangled that 10 WAS
Impossible - separate them.
"Grcat cracks ia the earth yawned aud
closed ayaia s., each sho.N. while from tho
faurcs mud was throWSi into the air so
Violently as o. lodge Ga the branches 81
tces Some lakes were drained hv the es-
cape OF the water into the chasms which
WEES opened. while others were created
hy the sinking az the land. One great
suukcn aroa this produced was SO miles
dong by G5 miles hroal.
Tie other two quakcs 20 which refer
occurred 50 lately as 90 be- remem bored by
the present generation. one OF them hap
pcncd in the lnyo valley 81 California. 10
was caused by renewed movement on
what we gcc,c,-is, would call great fault
plane o.. thr eastern base of the Sierra Ne
vads mouatSins In that part of the world
thsrc SIS extensive 'fguluug iu the struc-
tune 90 tta mountain ranges each range
consisting ~ enc cr uora huge blocks of
rock bound by faults sad lifted above its F..
ucichhors. A fault is made hy The sink /.
inc of one r'sss ut rock in such q manner T.
els ln change the relation Of Sos elevation
80 that nf a mass adjoining
.-Iac creation of such faults Is often I'M .
cidDl,I 20 earthquakes The renewed .
movement along The great fault line Of the .
luyo valley in 1872 produced a tremendous .
seismic disturbance Tie shocks contin-
ued for "a months Great f~-urcs were
formed along thr hasc Of thc mountain .
range for distance of 80 miles, the land
west 90 the fault rising and east of 90 fall .
INK several feet A fence was parted Tor
distance Of "a feet IN one spot Owens riv-
cr WAS temporarily swallowed mp. and the
numerous other phenomena excited the as
constituent aud alarm OF observers
1.-The memory Of the Charleston earth
quake Of 1856 is vet vivid. The focus Of
the disturbance was about IS 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 huckled.
The first great shock lasted for about
minute. others following, with gradually
decreasing violence. At the end of four
weeks they ceased % Dee destructive. but
tremors were felt occasionally Tor several
months Twenty seven people were killed
outright
'The invention Of the delicate recording
instrument called the 'scismograph has
revealed the fact that earthquakes are lar
more numerous and frequent than used TO
be imagined. In some parts Of the world
feeble shocks occur almost daily. proba-
bly, there IS no part Of the earth where they
cannot be detected at short intervals. one /
Of the most remarkable Quakes of the coun-
try took place ia Chilli IN 1923. On that .
occasion 700 miles of the coast were lifted {
= mum Der Of feet. IL has been reckoned
that enough rock was thus elevated 20 .
make a mountain the size of Mount Etna. / {
Tho Charleston earthquake was felt
distinctly a distance Of 900 miles. A com
parison OF time showed that the shock
travelled at the rate Of II 900 feet a second.
The assures in the earth 5 crust which are
among the most terrifying Of seismic phe-
must he of great depth some
times, though nobody has ever tried to
fathom them. They have been known 10
swallow rivers fer days without being FIJI !
ed up. Severe shocks are commonly &C.
companied by sounds like explosions near
or distant. Quakes under the sea produce D.
waves on the surface ike those created bv .
a pebble thrown into a pool, and some
times such waves rush upon the land. do
ing great deal Of damage Washington v
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