The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-10

name generated from the lSlilttoi4 - 80
canic gases.
The list is not long one. as compared
with the one 1 compiled for an issue of the
Journal soon after the West Indian dis
aster; nor it might be said with equal
truth. was that list long in comparison with
what it might have been made. but as com
pared with the records at hand for any one
year it is imposing both for the number
and the magnitude OF the outbreaks
In January Nova Scotia. Croatia, Mexico
and Lisbon were shaken.
In February there were visitations in
Russia and Schemacha.
Several cities in Turkey and two in Italy
were shaken in March
In April there was the great earthquake
that destroyed Quezaltenango in Guate-
mala and there were several shocks in Ice
land.
May, which has been the most prolific
month for both seismic and volcanic dis
turbances since history began. witnessed
the great outbreak in Martinique; earth
quakes and eruptions in St Vincent; earth
quakes in Spain and two districts in
France; the minor eruption of Mount Re
doubt in Washington. and earthquakes in
Croatia, Mexico Guatemala. at San Fran
cisco and in Florida. South Africa and
Greece.
In June there were earthquakes in Italy.
Russia and Chile and the volcanic out
breaks of Mount Baker and Mount Chaco;
earthquakes in Cheshire. Sicily, India and
the Himalayas and volcanic recrudescence
in the West Indies.
The July record covers Turkey and Sa-
lonica in Europe. decreasing shocks in the
West Indies and Guatemala. and in the
United States shocks at such widely scat
tered points as California. Nebraska. Mich
igan and South Dakota Shocks also con-
tinued from the 9th TO the 18th various
points in the basin of the Persian gulf
August has opened energetically with
shocks at most of the points visited in July,
with the addition of Iowa, Mexico, Portu-
gal and Spain. If this record is kept up,
1902 may well pass into history as the
year when the earth trembled.
1t is worthy of remembrance that the
last week of this month brings us down to
the anniversaries of the great eruption of
Krakatoa, in the Straits of Sunda. 1888;
the Charleston earthquake, 1886. and the
has way of repeating itself in the way of
great events. and with Mother Earth shak-
ing herself as she has been from the begin
ming of the year it need not be surprising
if the present seismic era eliminates in an
other cataclysm.
l have always held that the Charleston
earthquake was not an earthquake proper,
but that it was subsidiary to a volcanic
CONFUSION. l know this is not in accord
with the scientific theories of the biologists
and the geognosts; but then. L am not a
scientist. and l find myself in this regard
in very good company, for nearly all the
intelligent seafarers along the Atlantic
coast believe substantially as 1 do. 1t is a
matter OF record with the Weather Bureau,
then a branch of the War Department, that
for several days prior to the 31st, the day
of the earthquake, there were no atmos-
pheric disturbances along the Atlantic
coast, and that along the South Atlantic
coast in particular it was almost a fiat
calm. On the Goth a small steamer that
had been purchased by the Nicaraguan
government and fitted out in Baltimore to
serve a gunboat and revenue cutter in
the waters of that country left Hampton
Roads for her long voyage. On the morn
ing of the 31st she was reported at a point
off the North Carolina coast, indicating a
speed that if continued would have placed
her, at the earthquake hour, a little after
at night, about thirty miles east north
east of Charleston. From that day to this
/ she has never been heard Of No floating
| wreckage found that could be identi-
! fed as from her, but piece of a hatch
! grating and a small fragment of charred
/ and broken white boat were seen and re-
ported once, a few miles northeast OF
where she should have been the time OF
B the earthquake. The set of the ocean cur
rent would have carried those fragments
in that direction. All other vessels, both
steam and sail, known to be on the coast
al that time afterward reached port in
safety and none of them reported being in
collision with any known or unknown YES
sci. Careful Investigations were made, and
it found that none of them was within
fifty miles of this point at the crucial time
All of those vessels nearest to Charleston
waters reported tidal waves of varying
height and proceeding in various direction
thus indicating concentric progression
from identical origin, and coastwist
points also reported tidal waves.
At the time of the destruction Of AMER
coincident with the Krakatoa eruption the
first phenomenon was a volcanic outburs
in the sea, few miles off the mouth oil
the harbor, great flames bursting uI
through the water and engulfing the boat:
of a fishing feet there gathered in tn,
calm for the MONDAY meal and siesta Of
the crew l believe, and all the coastwist
seamen with whom L have talked have ex
pressed their belief TO me- that such a vol
canic eruption preceded the Charleston
earthquake and was it's immediate cause
Else how did this little steamer so abso
lutely disappear from the face of thu
waters? This theory is supported by tn,
fact that al Summerville, twenty-five miles
from Charleston. and at other points nearer
to Charleston, assures opened in the earth
from which came gases. steam and Jet
Of flame. These are phenomena OF vol
canic and not of seismic origin. They con
tinued for several months and wheneve
they increased in force and activity tn
earth tremors were the most noticeable
So, under the circumstances, l think Their
is some ground for disagreeing with tn
accepted scientific theories Of this. tn
greatest earth disturbance the Unite,
States has ever known.