The Portland daily press., 1897-11-18
THE PERIL OF LOS ANGELES.
A Hill That Is Fixing to Be volean
(Lucie France Pierce in Chicago Times
Herald.)

Herald)
The baby volcano of the Sierre Santa
Mouica! This is the appellation OF the
strangest geological formation on the
North American continent. 1t shows no
seismic tendency; there has never leen
any volcanic eruption. Yet 1T is an IN
cipient volcano.
On the gentle slope of the mountains
there exists an area of land boiling III
fierce chemical action, that is clutchlhg
deeper into the heart of the foothills and
singing its very vitals.
Below this foothill lies a cavern. vast
er than the mountain itself, filled with
liquid petroleum and vapors of oil. 1t Is
only one of the vast oil caverns which lie
beneath the city of Los Angeles, fed by
hundreds of minor cavities. 1t is gl-
gantic lake of hot, rancid, highly milan
mable, bituminous rock oil.
Toward that dangerous, seetning liquid
mass the action of sulphates in the SIDE
OF the toothill is approaching. Strong
chemical combustion, characterized by
S>t,cAAS1S AASetUJ 10 SIOOllLS PSASSSN-S
toward the lake of hot oil.
They are sure to meet. A generation,
perhaps two, may pass before the en-
counter. But when the clash comes
North America will bl able to boast OF
mean and desperately active volcano.
Local chemists, biologists and oil mi
ners have been watching this incipient
volcano for five years. 1t was discovered
then on the side of Elysian Park, beau-
tlful hill within the city limits. 1t was
white spot on the surface about one foot
N diameter, from which radiated an ex-
traord1nary amount of heat. Truly
peculiar discovery. 1t was passed over
with indifference and disregarded But
the spot grew larger from month to
month, from year to year. Finally 1t was
examined, and the nature of the action
ascertained.
1t was found to be more serious and
persistent than imagined. Vast quanti-
| ties OF sulphuric acid gas, fed from a IT'S
sure below. were attacking with liberia
| ton of heat stratum of lime and form
ing sulphate of lime, sulphate of iron
and sulphate of aluminium. Carbonic
ACID gas and water were freed by the re-
action, which, consuming the oxygen in
| the atmosphere. served to keep the spot
moist and the action continuous. Today
the combustion is more violent than ever.
There is no combustion in the ordinary
sense of the term. No fire or flame is
visible. 1t is chemical combustion, SINH
lar to that of the chemical fire engine de
signed to cast into visible fire chemicals
which have still greater affinity for
| oxygen, and which consume it SO fast
that the flame has nothing TO feed upon.
The chemical action in the young vol
cano is noiseless. Yet it is fearful in its
significance. Like an uncomfortable and
unquenchable monster, it is growing big
ger and bigger, deeper and deeper. II
grows by day and by night, noiselessly
working it's insidious way toward the
awful cavern beneath.
Why, the very line of action, the course
of its growth, is visible to the eye. Big
blisters are putting out more and more
on the hillside, excrescences growing
in size and number. The sulphuric acid
may be detected by taste.
The spot is now twenty five feet in di
ameter, and its depth unknown. How
| long it will take to reach the oil cavern
| beneath is matter of speculation.
There will be an exciting time in Los
Angeles when the two forces meet That
little foothill will be rent with hundred
assures. Great gaps will open up in it;
sides, to give egress to the demoniacal
FdpOFS liDpTlSOuGu W1rUlQ. A mighty
volume of smoke will rush out of the
bowels of the earth. followed by roaring,
belching flames, fed from below by an
abyssmal gulf of oil. Perhaps the lips OF
the crater formed will serve to keep the
! flames within the scope of the mountain.
| But there are greater possibilities for the
young volcano. Rivers of petroleum
wind in and out below the roots OF many
| foothills. That young volcano has SUI
perb chance of making a reputation for
ITSELF such reputation as the world of
volcanoes and earthquakes has never
known. Vesuvius, Kilauea and Shasta
will be humbled.
"There is nothing foolish in the fear
that the grandchildren of the present
generation may see that hill topped
with a cloud of smoke by day and pill
lar of fire by night said William Ma
| bury. chemist of reputation in the great
southwest 'sThe time for the beginning
of action cannot be determined, for the
reason that the exact depth to the infam-
mahle oils and vapors, the rapidity of &C.
ton and the certainty of combustion are
| all unknown quantities.
| Should this hopeful young American
volcano turn out successfully and produce
s)lfataric phenomena worthy of the
mountain that gave it birth, then it will
be the first known instance in the history
| of the world of similar volcanic growth
| No record of SO striking phenomenon
has ever been kept or established. And
the baby volcano grows apace.
|