Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-10

the story of the long extinguishment of
the volcanic fires Of the adjacent cascades
of southern Oregon. Were it not for the
mud lakes of Lassen Buttes and the hot
springs Of Klamath and other suggestions
OF volcanic activity there would be moth
ing except the CONCEALED lava cap over
lying the land to indicate now that at some
remote period in the past the great cluster
of mountains at the junction pf the Sierra
Nevada and the Cascades had been ablaze
with volcanic fires and that streams of
molten lava had issued from them
Most of the evidences of volcanic activity
here and elsewhere are more than likely
due to local causes-to chemical combna-
tons in the formation which the action of
water incites into life. The idea that the
edrth's center is mass of molten matter
Is no longer tenabe. Lord Kelvin, tho
greatest mathema tician of modern times,
has demonstrated that such a condition is
impossible. The source of some volcanic
phenomena is known to be superficial. The
1celandic geysers and the geysers of the
Yellowstone derive their origin from the
action of the water upon the chemical COM
ponents of geological formation imme-
diately underlying the surface. The decom-
position of the rocks in the older forma-
tons of New Zealand through the action
of the water is responsible for the volcanic
phenomena in evidence there and which a
few years ago blew out the side of a noun
tain and destroyed the famous pink ter
races. Since then the same agents have
been at work restoring the wonderful ter
races. In some parts Of California, notably
in Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino counties,
many of the visible signs of what IS COM
monty supposed to be volcanic activity are
traceable to similar natural chemical pro-
cesses. All chemical action is productive Of
expansive gases, and what eruptive action
may be visible here and there throughout
the state is easily accountable through the
escape of gases thus generated.
How much the generation Of natural gas
in the earth through the petroleum belt Of
California may be responsible for local
at Nina
Such a process may be largely responsible
for these seismic phenomena. Underlying
large section Of the state is oil-bear-
ing and gas-producing stratification. They
extend, so far as traced. from Cottonwood
creek in Shasta county to the Mexican
boundary line. They underlie the great
central basin and the minor valleys of the
coast range and the southland, following
the western base of the Sierra Nevada and
Sierra Madre. Gases are generated from
petroleum at comparatively low tenn
perature. The solvent powers of water on
the chemical properties of the rocks in the
place are in constant operation and the
chemical changes thus produced may pro-
vide the necessary heat for the generation
of gases in the natural reservoirs of the oil
belt. just as IT generates elsewhere the
eruptive agents of heated vapor and COM
bustible and explosive gases from other
sources. There is much stronger force to
the theory that what seismic phenomena
we witness in California are due to some
such cause than to the other theory that
they are the result of volcanic activity over
1900 miles away in the Hawaiian Islands.
In modern times the theater of true vol
canic activity lies in the south Pacific
ocean within circle. on the outer edge of
which Japan, Java, New Zealand, the So
ciety Islands and the Hawaiian group are
located. Within that circle the chief seis-
mic and volcanic phenomena are occurring.
Islands of volcanic origin are appearing
and disappearing in the waters Of the Pa
cific almost yearly, and there is scarcely
time but one or more of the volcanic
cones scattered through the various archi-
pelagoes belching forth fire and steam
and lava to indicate that that part of the
earth's crust is undergoing a chemical as
well as a physical evolution.