Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-03

rOr many years PROFESSOR meyer mas
been making a special study of volcanoes,
and he burt recently visited Hawaii to
make a careful investigation Of the condi-
ton Of Mauna Loa, and it's brother vol
caro. Mauna Kea. Upon his return to
Europe he reported that he had found
them both su~spHciously active, Ind he
feared that they might become dangerous
at any time. For years the volcanoes
lave been quiet. Occasionally they have
shown some indications of life, but the
eruption of MRauna Loa on July 4, was
the first serious dist that had oc-
curred in twelve years.
Some idea of the force Of such an
eruption may be gained from the fact
that the disturbance of the earth was felt
as far as San Francisco. There is APP
peared as a series of earthquakes THAT
shook the California coast almost from
end to end. 1t SO ~happenedth at several
biologists We're present at the time, and
they found considerable evidence in sup
port of the theory that the earthquake
felt in California was h Direct result
of the volcanic eruptiOns on the island
of Hawaii.
If such a small disturbance "a be felt
so far. how much more serious it would
be If the great Mauna Loa, or it's almost
as gigantic frother should entirely blow
off it's head.
1t now seems to be the opinion of SCI
entists in general that natural pheno-
mena like the history OF mankind always
repeat themselves. The first deGuge of
which man has any record is that which
is chronicled in the Bible, and it is now
believed that that flood, from which on
ly Noah and hls family were saved, was
due to just such a cause as that which
is Illustrated by the falling of Krakatoa.
Scientists also agree in the opinion that
before and since that time there have
been many similar floods, not deluges
that have swept the face of the earth,
but floods la ave HAD serious local ef-
fects. The traditions Of every race Of
people on thief ace of the globe bear rec
ord to usch a flood, and it is not ait all
likely that all refer to the same deluge.
In fact, there is every reason to believe
that these floods have been of dates that
are widely separated and 1t is this fact
that is inspiring science in it's study Of
the volcanoes. They know o f"the disas-
tiers that a v occurred and they know
that others will come. The only ques-
ton is, When?
During the past score of years hat
scientists have learned many new things
about the volcano, and 1t is hot at all
improbable that some day biologists will
b. able to figure Otu just how mony years
of preparation it takes for a deluge to
develop, or how many years it requires
for a volcano to become ready to sink
nito the sea. To-day no man has any
idea as to the length of this period. For
/ a we know the time may be 500 or even
1000 years distant, or, on the other hand.
it may come at any day, but when it
comes, however, if it is a Loa that
sinks, the scientists have figured just
| what will happen. Every continent of
the world will be swept by the gigantic
tidal wave, before which nothing can live,
and every achievement of art or science,
everything hat represents the advance
ment of civilization will be swamped n
destroyed.
Such are the predictions of the latest
prophets of evil, and we can only hope
that their horrible visions MAY be as
far from tibet ruth as those of the many
prognosticators that have preceded them,
for If they should be any chance be true
no art of man would be able to prevent
or ever postpone the coming of the fatal
day.
| In speaking of his predictions Profess
sor Meyer said: II certainly believe that
the performance of the little Krakatoa
will some day be duplicated by the
gigantic Mamma Loa. l do 70 mean
to say that this will happen within the
' lifetime of the present genera tion, but it
is not at all impossible that it may oc-
cur to-day or tomorrow. When 1t does
come the catastrophe, starting at Hawaii
will be a million times greater than the
miniature eruption in the eastern Archi-
| pelagO."