The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-05-17

ORNING.
THE EXPLANATION OF II.
Discussing the recent disaster in Mar
Unique, The Hartford Comm Times
says;
Eight hundred feet down in the crater
/ OF Mount Pelee In Martinique big pond
! Of water had gathered during Its long
l condition of quiescence, and II was this
water which was Transformed into steam
at the moment Of the outbreak. We have
here an explanation why the eruption be-
gan with steam and mud. and continued
with ashes and FIRE
Unfortunately that 10 one Of those ex-
plantations which do not explain. That
water Is transformed into steam IL moth
ing new. and that explosions are thus
caused Is also well known. When water
IL suddenly let into dry and hot boiler
1t Ia converted into steam so suddenly
and with such violence that an explosion
frequently follow. As all know who
know anything of steam and Its uses.
Boiler explosions occur at times wherever
steam is used. and frequently with fright
full consequences.
We can understand that the open crater
| OF volcano must catch immense auanti-
| ties Of water during the long wet seasons
which prevail In all tropical countries.
but what goes with 1t? Why does It not
come In contact with the IRE below at
any time? II during its long condition
OF Qulescence." there Is no fire and no
| heat. where do they come from and what
starts them? The Times tells us that
this big pond of water was transformed
into steam at the moment, Of the out
break. though we imagine that steam for
nation occurred just before the outbreak
But all this doesn't take US to the ultimate
cause Of the trouble. Among the
scientific men who have already spoken
Of this disaster Professor Shaler of Har-
ward University tells The Hartford
Courant;
There is no doubt that a volcanic out
break Is an explosion of steam under high
pressure: but he says that there is doubt
as to how the water gets down to the
boiling place to make the steam. One
view is that the water gradually leaks
through from the surface; but the more
generally accepted opinion Is. Professor
Shaler explains. that the water enters
rocks during the capitalization period:
that these rocks are brought into the
ocean through the natural action Of
| rivers; that the rocks are buried deeper
and deeper under the pressure Of sedi-
ment until they reach the region OF
tremendous heat; and that the steam thus
produced explodes with tremendous force
| whenever the contractions and wrinklings
of the surface afford assure for its
| release.
That is all right. perhaps, as far az 1t
goes, but 1t is merely the opinion of one
scientist. Professor Milne, of the Isle Of
| Wight. says the volcano in Martinique
| "blew Its head of" and that the sudden
| suicidal attack was caused by 1.-THE in
filtration of surface water" and that ap-
pears to be all he knows about 1t. Then
comes Professor Hill, of our Geological
Department, who frankly says that
nobody knows anything about it.
Now, suppose we offer an explanation,
which is probably as good as the others.
Those who know anything about mining
or who have kept up with the history and
progress of mining, know that mine dis
asters are often caused by a sudden in
flow of water. The miners. steadily ad-
vancing into the bowels of the earth, APP
proach a subterranean lake or stream of
whose existence they have no knowledge,
| The separating wall continually grows
thinner and weaker until 1t Is unable TO
| withstand the pressure and the mine is
flooded. II is a not unusual occurrence
in mining. and one which seems to be
beyond the power of man to always
foresee or guard against. If, now. the
interior of a mine thus situated was a
mass of seething fire or molten material
would not this sudden influx of water be
converted into an enormous volume of
steam and blow the earth to atoms?
Nothing else could be expected.
Now it is well known that many-per-
haps a majority-of the great volcanoes
of the world are situated in the neighbor-
| hood of the ocean. or at not very great
distance from 1t. The continual action
of the water under the great pressure
exerted at considerable depths gradually
/ eats away the edEln anu TIC TOCh LOWdTuS
| the overheated bowels of the volcano
| Finally the wall is worn through, or an
| earthquake shock opens a assure and an
| immense volume of water pours into the
intensely heated cavity. In either case
the water and the heated mass come
together and the explosion is inevitable
May not this be tenable hypothesis?
BY the way. The Hartford Courant in
dulges in some natural If slightly frivol-
GUS reflections on the subject as follows:
Mans brutality to man is a fine theme
for discussion. in the United States Sem
ate chamber and elsewhere: but for un-
conscious. pagan brutality to man nothing
equals nature. The mere cruelty of such
an operation as that by which the town
of st. Pierre was wiped out last Thurs
day Is almost incredible. 1t was a rain
OF death upon the just and unjust upon
the father and the child 1t was obltera-
ton, extinction. for thousands of helpless
persons. Nature. or the laws under
which nature works. ought to set bet
ter example to man. But that Is exactly
the kind of a world that we occupy. in
its frosts and its heats, its droughts and
its tempests. its earthquakes and its
volcanoes; and man Is absolutely unable