Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-05-22
NO 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.

The volcanic Outburst in the Carib-
been islands which has so astonished
the world can hardly have been a mat
ter OF surprise for any geClog;st. In
truth, it should have been expected,
although, of course, nobody could have
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 can
ger points of the earth.
Within distance of a few hundred
miles ar. ranged three or four volcanic
vents whose appearance and history
show that they are fully the rivals Oh
Vesuvius in destructive power. Being
situated on islands and consequently
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 nj
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 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 it's perigee point, Or point OF
nearest approach to the earth.
1t is we'll known that in such circum
stances the combined tidal power OIL
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 "a
| act, as just suggested in the manner
OF the pressure that causes a trigger
| to fall and thereby lets loose the giant
force stored up in cannon
But whatever the remote causes of
the outburst may have been. it is diff
cult to believe that the immediate
cause can have been anything else
than a gigantic explosion of steam in
the bowels of the volcano. It 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 C.
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 TO
penetrate to a region where the heat
is sufficient to liquefy solid bodies, it
is changed into superheated steam
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
Withstand the explosive energy thus
brought to bear upon it.
But If NAV ho aclyod NV IL 49,.
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 phe-
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 earth'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.
1t was remarked at the beginning
that the Martinique and st. Vincent
should in a general sense
have been foreseen. While earth |
quakes are not always connected or
associated with volcanic eruptions, |
yet 1t is probably true to say that no |
great volcanic eruption ever occurs /
without being preceded and accom-
panied by local earthquakes of greater