Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-08-08
VOLCANOES.
Some Interesting Facts Concerning an Impor.
tant Subject.

proved by the st. Pierre and St. Vim
cent eruptions is the underground. con
nection between volanOes.
This is also the most important fac
to be remembered by all who live nea
these treacherous destroyers of lf'
and property.
Almost all VOLCANOES are like man
holes along sewer. They are located
in rows above long cracks or assures in
the earth's surface, so that when one
of the volcanoes in the row begins tc
throw out lava and fire the others are
very liable to follow suit and become
equally dangerous.
These fissures are not, as might be
imagined, actual crevices or gaps in
the crust of the earth. They are, as
geologists say, lines of weakness -
where the crust OF the earth is unus.
ually thin and pierced at intervals by
the shafts OF volcanoes.
AS the earths fires cool the earth
shrinks. Its hard crust cracks and
the gas and molten lava explode where
the crust is weakest, thus forming vol.
canoes and mountain ranges.
These immense assures or lines OF
weakness" are often hundreds, and
sometimes thousands. OF miles in
length. Wherever they extend there
is danger OF earthquakes and volcanic
eruptions.
There are q number OF these cracks
or fissures in the United States, most
of them running from north to south.
Prof. r p. Whitfield, head curator
OF geology at the Museum OF Natural
History, said recently:
"A line OF assures runs from the
Aleutian islands southwark through
North and South America to Tierrt
del Fuego, and all along the course ol
this gigantic crevice there may be an
earthquake at any time"
According to the experts Of the Uni.
ted States Geological Survey there lie g
fissure or cline of weakness" which
begins at Troy, N. ", and runs south
ward through Baltimore. Washington
and Richmond, Va.
The principal rivers OF the Atlantic
coast have their source near this long
break in the earth's crust.
The chain OF eruptions on each side
OF Mount Pelee has shown the practi.
cal importance OF this discovery by the
United States Geological Survey. II
has made the fact known that Vir-
ginia, Maryland, District OF Columbia
and New York are in the same danger
zone.
The same connection exists between
Troy, N. ", and Richmond as that
which has recently been shown to ex.
ist between Martinique, 81. Vincent
and Jamaica.
Compared with the Adirondaks the
Rocky mountains are but of yesterday
as their sharply defined peaks and
jagged sides show. Consequently, the
whole course OF the Rocky mountains
and of the Andes as well, marks out
the longest line Of weakness" in the
world, extending almost from the north
pole to the south pole.
From Mt. st. Elias, the giant noun.
tain of Alaska-lS, 5000 feet, to tho vol
canic region OF TERRA del Fuego, there
is q I" line OF fissures" nearly 10000
miles in length.
A series OF short assures runs paral-
lei with the great Rocky mountain
fssure. The Cascade mountains are .
volcanic belt. From Mt. Hood to Las.
sens Peak there is line of extinct
volcanoes, several OF which have had
eruptions since the glacial epoch.
The Sierra Nevada and San Fran
cisco Ranges are also located along a
cline OF weakness" and have a number
of burnt-out craters which were in
their day as dangerous as Mount Pelee
and La Soufriere.
The famous Yellowstone Park repre-.
sents tract of weakness rather than
o fissure. The whole region is vol
canic and in q constant state OF erup-
ton.
A short line of weakness" extends
through Colorado and New Mexico,
containing several extinct volcanoes.
And from Guatemala to Costa Rico is
a volcanic belt with cones from 5000
to 10000 feet high.
No scientist can predict when one
OF these disturbances is about to occur,
but when one has occurred it is very
probable that there will be others in
the same danger zone.
The sympathetic eruption at 81.
Vincent might have been predicted as
soon as the explosion Of Mount Pelee
was known.
Al Prof. T. A. Jaeger, of Harvard
University, says: I" A thorough study
of volcanic mountains would be the
means of saving life in this and other
countries"
A FATHER never thinks that hif
children are old enough to think fol
themselves until they agree with him
They talk of the path OF the trans
gressor being hard. but every good
man thinks it is dead easy.