The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-07-25
Entering an Earthquake Era


Is the United States on the verge Of
| great volcanic upiieavai? Recent reports
from Mexico indicate an unusually active
revival OF volcanic phenomena. Some OF
| the largest Of the cones are n a state
OF eruption. and new volcanoes are form
| IN Outbursts in New Mexico and Arr
zona have been frequently chronicied- Re-
ports Of similar occurrences have been re-
eetyed from Idaho and Wyoming. although
| they are OF more doubtful nature. Earth
| quakes have been felc quite frsQ en- of
| late In various states. and IL the record
! Of little more than a score years Is taken
| into account a continual succession of erup-
| lions and quakings can be quoted. There
! seems. in fact, 10 be suestratum OF IN
rest underlying the surface of the United
States. and the feeling in scientific circles
seems TO be that the sudden uprising OF
! the god OF Vulcan and all the earth quak-
! ings that would accompany /, would De
no surprising event.
New volcanoes are reported to have aris-
I en- in the states of Vera Cruz. oaxaca.
and in Tehusntepec. The old volcano OF
Coi.na On the Pacific slope of the repuo-
! &c with its point rising i2oo feet above
| the sea level, has been in a condition Of
almost uninterrupted activity for six years.
Rpmor has also associated eruptive phe-
nouena with the giants of the Mexican
plateau. Popocstape;l ard or.zsoa. ba,
such rumor, except in so far as II IS sup
ported by the wreaths OF sulphurous va
! por. which from time 20 time curl GU, from,
the summit craters. and which have in
greater or less degree added scenic feat
Ures 20 the landscape, lacks proper coafir-
! nation. Yet il is by no means improbable
that these same giants, now in q condi-
! ton OF almost peaceful repose. wsll again
before long. shake to its foundations the
mighty plateau which. more than once In
the history of the land. had been rifted and
torn by similar forces. as Is evidenced by
the hundreds of thousands OF peaks. walls
and battlements which almost eSsryN here
scar the surface Of the country.
To the average inhahitant Of the Uni
ted States 1t is probably unknown that
volcanoes exist IN this country. /; Is true
that from time to time notices have ap-
peared nj the journals that disturbances
Of one kind or another. and attributed 10
volcanic forces. had been noted in the dif-
ferent states and territories OF the west
BIZ; such notices have usually been dis.
passed of with the assurance that they
were not founded on fact. The observant
traveller, however. who has made the trav-
erse OF the southwestern United States. or
of the Pacific tier OF states. Will have cas-
lily satisfied himself that volcanic phenom-
ena. even II they be not representative OF
vitality a the present moment, have ad-
del largely and in a comparatively re-
cent period. to the super-crust of the land.
In New Mexico and Arizona vast lava
fields. black and clustered as in the days
OF such eruption. roll OF from mountain
peaks which are yet perfect in form; the
peaks themselves rise 10 10 Co or 1880 fee Z.
elevation, with all that beauty OF shape
which indicates a mountain of recent con-
structcn.
Elsewhere giant walls of volcanic rock
traverse the country in Titanic grandeur.
aud COW ering pInnacies. dismantled except
as TO their bleak, narrowed and nearly
vertical sides. add further testimony TO the
violence of former activities. hardly yet
exhausted. In California. Shasta Butte.
with an altitude of Il. 4i2 feet. has the form
of the perfect volcano. So has Mt. Hood
in oregon, and Baker and Tacoma or Ra-
Eier i'll Washington. the last of which Is
generally conceded to be the most graceful
ami perfect mountain form in the national
domain. dominating the landscape from
the proud elevation OF l4.4H feet. Form
erly boiling with molten rock at the sum
nit. il today discharges fields OF ice. gla-
ciers of no inconsiderdbie magnitude. a.
the index of its quasi-peacefui retirement
The question now arises. what is the
prospect or the poss, bihties OF the near fu-
tiIrc: Science has its surprises. and Il
WORLD, perhaps, not be safe TO predicate
the future. Eleven years ago at a meet
ing OF the ritish Association for the adj
yano ement OF Science presided over by one
of the nicst eminent American geolOglsts
the statement wss haZarded In the presi-
Dental address that from the peculiar con-
stTuC ton OF the Atlantic border OF Bthe
United States. earthquake disturbances OF
any note were all hat impossible in that
country: during the reading OF the ad-
dress. while the arguments In favor OF the
thesis were being marmly advanced. a
cablegram was handed in to the effect that
the city of Charleston mad been ali but
overthrown. the result Of an earthquake OF
remarkable intensity and extent Of pass
age. With pleasing grace It was admitted
tEat while the theory Of the Thesis may
have been sound. the practice was con-
trsry, and did not support H.
PIotrscted periods OF inactivity form part
Of the histor,. OF the greater number OF
.he volcanic mountains Of the globe and
many of the mos, violent catastrophes ar
such as have followed. after long inter
vais. upon such periods. SO long the
mountain maintains the dominant form os
the structure which il represents. so long
mast its potency be considered. only par
tally, II a. all. impaired. Only after q has
been In the main disunembered or dlsuss n
tied can its energies be safely looked upon
as having passed. Many Of the volcano
mountains OF the national domain stlli re-
tain their perfect form: such are the p AXIS
that have already been mentioned. and the
geoiOgists would in no way be surprised
Il a; any time the activities which bu.lt
them up would reassert themselves and
further convulse the region % their birth
Even during the las; foriy-five years the
true spint OF volcanciiy was still exisnL
An eruption In PIumaS county. Caiifos nis
appears 10 have taken place IN tire cary
part OF 30. while. as is We. known. NJ;
Hood has been for many years feebiy sc-
tive in the emission q yapors. At Ba-
ker has had periods % activity n ia q
1870. and again IN 100 and Others - less
marked degree several Zines between ard
since these periods The occurrences %
October. ias. on the Island CT johanna
BogosIawsw. lying OF the coast % Alss-
IA gith a rearing up o. the ties cone
known as the Hague o. Gre .ngk.'
with re almSst Simultaneous erBgfiCa %
Mt &. Augustine. IA COOKS Inlet Alas
h. in is2. ingscate 'ns possibilities along
the range % mountain heights ~sich are
sitI6ced win hsodFe1s o. active partially
inactive. or fsily sxns ssts3 Fsngs tas Ia
cal continuation CT witch = carrie
tso continents for upward % T.
- aasies
Il = nCt aione IL Ire region q lts pres
en- high mountains tAst ths volean.c for
IS have beer active n tss United S;zfss
A. ciSse sna sisfinct Intervals between fhs Z
Atlantis saG Paciac. an bsfzsers ne ca
rzassn ts3.n6sfv Az TIE Afess-a- fer {