The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-23
HARrnorAxrs ar ayr TIVE
PearisburR, va, Has Had Them for TIVE
Years-One in the February Blizzard.

| EehftnnuTkt No.s mas u8u AuSW hui avn
Yenrs-One in the February BliEzard.
1t is safe to say that the seismic disturb
ances which are terrorizinR the people OF
western Virginia have their origin in tho neigh
borhood Of the town Of PearisburR. So fire.
quent and so alarming in their severity have
these earthquake shocks become as to create
a widely spread conviction among the people OF
the shaking locality that they will eliminate
In some very serious CONFUSION OF nature
there In the near future.
Pearisburg is the county seat OF Giles county.
one Of the most mountainous parts Of the Old
Dominion. the OWE being surrounded for
many miles by those rocky elevations which
flank the great Allegheny system. The dread
ed earthquake shocks began there some two
years ago. and have been keeping up their Wis
~itations with persistent frequency ever since.
Outside OF tho Sta ". however. these facts are
little known. owing to the comparative obscur-
iy Of the locality. its remoteness from the
great centres Of civilization. and the meagre-
ness OF. its facilities for communication there
with. Scarcely a week passes In which a shock
Of startling intensity is not felt. while slighter
earth tremors and mumblinRs are often OF
daily occurrence.
One Of the most severe shocks which has
occurred for several months was that which
visited Giles county early in the morning Of
Feb. 10 last. during the intense cold which
prevailed at that time. The stiffness OF the
hour o'clook-added to Its terrors. Sleepers
everywhere were awakened by the unearthly
roar Of the phenomenon Houses swayed.
chimneys cracked and In not q few places
fell. and before the alarm caused by the first
shock had subsidized a second shake OF less in
tensity. but OF considerable severity. ensued.
The vibrations OF the first convulsion lasted
nearly half a minute. On the day following many
lnpdaltIaa ranNrtai In aNpnn ipatan0aa
cliffs overhanging the country roads were
plunged down upon the highways. On Feb. Is
three distinct shocks we're felt. the vibrations OF
the fret two being very pronounced. yet accom-
panied by only a faint roaring sound. The
third shock. which occurred about 3 p. NJ. was
not remarkable for the severity Of its pulsa-
tions. yet the noise by which II was accom-
panied was unusually loud and OF long dura-
ton. Many unpleasantly perceptible shocks
have been occurring at intervals OF at most
only a few days duration ever since.
1t Is perhaps not very extraordinary that a
rural population. innocent Of any pretension to
scientific lore. should regard these frequent
disturbances OF nature as evil omens Of some
impending cataclysm. Similar disturbances
extending over a period OF several months
preceded the severe earthquake and it's accom-
panying tidal wavo which wrought dire havoc
on the southern coast OF California about a
year ago. and frequent seismic commissions OF
greater or less intensity have been the
forerunners OF some OF the great earth
quakes Of history. But so far as west
ern Virginia is concerned there is not
much to fear from those internal throes
Of nature. No assures have occurred
there. nor have there been reported any subsi-
dences or elevations oflevel land lying between
the mountain submits or subsidences or ele-
vations in the submits themselv es. These
earthquakes cannot therefore be associated
with any serious volcanic phenomena. At
some remote period there may have been VOL
canic activity in the AlleRhanies. and after the
long period OF known inactivity the various
strata raised ~ such volcanic activity may be
settling. subsidinR by erosion so suddenly and
in such large masses as to cause the
prevalent. structure OF the m noun ins
m III inyW2 aesra IS H. not intreaHently the case
Each range may consist Of one or more huge
blocks Of rock bounded by ,"faults'.i. e..
weak s%trata-nnd lifted above their neiRhbors.
ment.,subsidenee through "faults%ehhaWVeo oe-
Cured on old fault" lines. accompanied by
II. New Zealand in iss5,
Though in all probability there is no danger
AlleGhany regions. it is almost as. difficult to
persuade persons Of that fact as it is to assign
present seismic seismic e e H"hsse"'t there eSeSs sti f4f i tf Is
not dlfle Hi to t9rmuiate even another possible
cause. winch. Wnlle undemOnStrateu appears
whore deforming forces are not OF such nature
and distribution as to sink or upraise either
mountain ridges or level land. there are
V V%st9'ss' Snd s moss Ss 'e is . 'PHsl'z ef their heir
not being very apparent. And with. these
differentlal movements it is reasonable TO
SUPPOSE that there are associated powerful
suffice to overcome the elasticity OF the rocks
involved. either viscous fexure or rupture
must result. II the conditions determine rup-
ture as the means OF dislocation an earthquake
and elevations due to earthquakes are very diff
fcult to detect. and are rarely very apparent
except where the region affected borders on
Of comparison. This may account for the fact
that in spite OF the many severe shocks recently
felt IN western Virginia no elevations or de-
pressions have boon reported.
These. constantly recurring earthquake
shocks In the region of the Alleghanies pre-
sent a splendid opportunity for Investigation
by seismoloeists OF those phenomena OF which
ask the question as to when the next one is
likely to occur ia superiuous. At the rate
these earthquakes have been taking place for
might be experienced during any week in the
weather. A shock in cloudy or rainy weather,
or even when the wind. is high. has rarely. II
which imme lately p~recedes or follows them
is OF rare beauty and brilliancy. the sun
appearing or disappearing, as the case may
the great luminary, being tinted with a slight.
though none the less pronounced. shade OF
purple. This phenomenon is even more no.
ticeable at sunset than at sunrise. All OF
has a powerful though mysterious influence
upon the atmosphere surrounding our earth.
Admiral Dewey Entertains n Volunteer.