Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-08-03
WHOLE NUMBER 1908.
GRAND SHAKE UP.
PREDICTION THAT NEW YORK
WILL TUMBLE.

California II to he Made an Island
The Whole Country 70 suffer
Predictions by n Professor Whose
Prophecy Never Fails.
Late earthquakes in Europe and
Asia, followed by shakes in this
country, give force to the prophecy OF
Prof. Rudolph Falb, of Vienna and
Berlin, to the effect that the city of
New York is to be destroyed by an
earthquake the 17th of August next.
There has recently been published
in some of the New York papers a
statement to the effect that there will
be a great submarine earthquake in
July or August, 1894, which will over
throw the city OF New York by a tidal
wave, while Florida and California
will be converted into islands.
These publications appear to have
created some alarm since it is an
nounced that in view of the terrible
dispensations so lavishly to be dealt
out mass prayer meeting, with
room for 10000 people, is advertised
to be held every Wednesday afternoon
at Grttenburg. N. j., at 3 o'clock.
The New York Herald takes up the
matter and devotes a column TO ex-
planning Professor Falb's method of
prediction. He holds, in brief, that
the interior OF the globe is a mass of
melted matter in Q fluid state. 1t is
inclosed by solid crust from 20 to 40
miles thick. This ocean OF fire, near
ly 5000 miles in diameter, or, meas
ured from its surface to the centre OF
the earth, 1000 miles deep and $4,000
miles in circumference, is vastly great.
er than all the watery seas combined,
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
attracting or pulling power on the
tides is greatest. But this pull oper-
ates 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 conjunc-
tioIs, and particularly when the great
lumin aries 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.
1t is claimed for Professor Falb
that his predictions always come true,
many instances having been cited.
The Herald writer. after . lengthy
discussion of the matter and stating
the locations of the sun and moon and
the planetary positions for the 10Th Of
August, declares that under the rules
observed by Prof. Falb there is no
doubt but there will be physical dis
turbances of some importance follow
ing this opposition.
1t may also be supposed that the
countries liable to be affected will be
that part of Southern Europe lying
between 0 degree and GO degrees east
longitude, 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 electri.
cal disturbances.
1t would be utterly impossible on
any known theory to predict q tidal
wave which should destroy New York.
This could only occur after . great
local earthquake, or one under the
ocean or on the west coast of Europe,
and it is not possible TO predict the
force necessary to accomplish this re-
suit.
Directly contrary to Professor
Falb's theory Of earthquakes Is that
generally received by modern geolo-
gists. They do not believe in an in.
terror sea OF fire. They deny the
possibility Of uphesvals from the
generation of gases in the crust Of the
earth or from the formation OF steam
by the sea Of water being brough,
into contact with the ses Of fire. Their
notion is that the globe may once
have been hot, bnt that it 10 steadily
cooling, and as it cools it shrinks and
becomes smaller.
In the shrinking process some
trifiing displacement occurs and
shakes down few houses and that ID
all there 10 Of earthquakes, which dc
not amount to much anyway. People
can take their choice, and as they
commonly believe just what they want
to believe it 10 fair to suppose that G
big majority will accept the lattsl
theory and pay no attention to the
earthquake prophets. That ha,
generally been the treatment accorded
to prophets in every age, and as q
consequence very few are prepared fol
the calamities that overtake them.