Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1902-05-22
mo MYSTERY AS TO VOLCANIC
ERUPTIoNs.
SCIENTISTS NOT AT SEA
Water Leaks Through from the Sur.
face into the Subterranean Boiler
Which Bursts With the Generated
Steam-Warnings Possible but Not
Given in West Indian Case.

New York Journal, says:
The volcanic outburst in the Carib-
been islands which has so astonished
ter of surprise for any geologist. In
truth, it should have been expected,
although, of course, nobody could ;lave
predicted the precise time when it
would occur or the exact point that
would be most affected, nor, indeed,
the extent of the disaster Our knowl-
edge of the earth's crust is yet too IN
complete for that.
Still, the character of the chain OF
islands running southwark from Guade-
louie and taking the eastern border OF
the Caribbean sea was well enough
understood to enable any geologist to
affirm the existence of danger there.
That line is VIGOROUSLY one of the dan
ger points of the earth.
Within a distance of a few hundred
miles are ranged three or four volcanic
vents whose appearance and history
show that they are fully the rivals or
Vesuvius in destructive power Being
surrounded on all sides by water, they
have the proper environment to induce
an outbreak whenever other circum.
stances are favorable to such an oc-
currence
Moreover, the Caribbean sea bottom
is subject to earthquake disturbances,
which are, perhaps, the direct result of
the slow rising of the neighboring
coast of South America. Wherever
such an elevation is in progress a
strain is necessarily brought to bear
upon the rocks composing the underlv-
ing strata of the earth's crust in the
vicinity of the rising area, and every
now and then a sudden slip, or break,
| is certain to occur, resulting in the
formation of new assures and the
transmission of shocks which may act
like the pulling of trigger in releas-
ing pent-up forces of vast magnitude.
Then, too, there will not be wanting
those who will ascribe the catastrophe
to the tidal strain produced by the
moon which happened on the very dav
of the blowing up of Mount Pelee to
| be in conjunction with the sun and
close to its perigee point, or point of
nearest approach to the earth.
1t is well known that in such circum-
stances the combined tidal power OF
the sun and moon has nearly it's great
est value While the effect upon the
crust of the earth must be relatively
slight, yet it might be conceived 70
act, as just suggested in the manner
OF the pressure that causes a trigger
to fall and thereby let's loose the giant
force stored up in cannon.
But whatever the remote causes of
the outburst may have been, il is diff.
cult to believe that the immediate
cause can have been anything else
than gigantic explosion of steam in
the bowels of the volcano. 1t is known
that water penetrates to considerable
depths in the earth, even in the middle
OF continents. Wherever crevices and
caverns in the rocks exist water is to
be found deep beneath the surface of
the earth. Huge streams that may al
most be described as rivers flow deep
under some of the dry and barren lava
fields and semi-deserts of the far
west. Every farmer who. drives a
well to procure water for his stock
where no surface streams exist has a
practical acquaintance with the won
derful veinings of the earth's crust
with hidden water channels.
This water penetrates as deep as the
gradually increasing heat of the planet
will permit it to do while retaining
the liquid form. If it encounters no
excessively heated area of rocks cap
able of suddenly turning a great
quantity of it into steam it causes no
damage, and If slowly vaporized re-
condenses into water again before It
reaches the surface.
But when, as occurs at many points
near the edges of the ocean basins
and, among other places, on the eastern
side of the Caribbean seattle water
that has leaked down from above,
either from rivers or from the super
incumbent seas, encounters deep
cracks and assures which allow it 70
penetrate to a region where the heat
is sufficient to liquefy solid bodies. it
is changed into superheated steam
a thing whose resistless power defies
the mightiest bonds. If the assures
are of considerable extent and the
quantity of water is also great. even
the rocky crust of the globe cannot
wI,nstand the explosive energy thus
brought to bear upon it.
But. it may be asked. why do not
such explosions take place anywhere.
at random, instead of through the era
ter of an existing volcano? The re.
ply is that sometimes they do take
place at random, so to speak. and
when that happens we see the pbe-
romenon of the formation of a new
volcano. But ordinarily the explosion
occurs through the vent, or throat
of an already existing volcano. be-
cause the weakest points. or lines. IN
the eErtG's crust are the places where
new assures are most likely to be
formed. and along these lines of weak
ness the VOLCANOES stand like rows of
safety valves or chimneys.