The suburban citizen., 1902-06-14
HISTORY OF VOLCANOES
TERRIBLE RECORD OF LAVA STORMS
IN THE PAST.
During the Worlds Existence Many I'm
portant Geographical Changes Have
Been Made Through Earthquakes and
Volcanoes-Many islands Volcanic.

Been Made through Earthquakes and
Volcanoes--ManvI Islands Volcanic
Volcanoes and earthquakes have al
ways been the most dreaded by hui
manity Of all calamities that could be-
fall community.
The causes producing the two geo.
logical disturbances so prolific of fear
and terrific havoc are practically the
same.
They result from the fact that the
interior of this globe is still Intensely
hot, radiating heat into space and con-
sequently contracting in bulk. Por-
tiOns of molten rock are from time to
time elected and sudden seismic dis
turbances occur which cause destruc'
ton like that at st. Pierre from vol
canic eruptions, or the earthquakes
which have recently killed hundreds of
people In several Of the Central Amer
ican countries.
During the existence Of this world
many important geographical changes
have been made through this natural
phenomena.
Scientists have found traces of this
m many quarters Of the globe where
there have been no heavy earthquakes
or volcanic eruptions for ages and
ages.
Volcanoes range in size from dimin-
utive cone TO a huge mountain. In
both cases they are formed from mate
rial which has been belched forth from
the earths interior.
They can break through any kind of
geological formation, and have come
through granite of immense depth,
and also through silurian rock, such
instances of their awful power being
demonstrated by extinct volcanoes
that have been discovered in France
and Scotland.
Those known as Etna and Vcsuvius
emerged from ben6Nh soft marine
strata.
They are generally classed as active
dormant and extinct. In many cases.
however, it is impossible to distin-
guish the latter two, and many that
have remained Quiscent for hundreds
Of centuries have been known TO sud
denly break forth in the most violent
manner.
Such a one was Sornena. which after
being dormant almost beyond time
immemorial, became active in the first
century Of the Christian era and ulti-
lnately produced Vesuvius.
The latter in 20 A. d. vomited forth
lava and deadly gases in such gigantic
volume and so rapidly that the inhabi-
tants Of the city of Pompeii and sew
eral other adjacent towns were de-
stroyed as were the people Of st.
Pierre.
But Pelee, the volcano which so
quickly ended st. Pierre and its peo-
pie was another one which was always
considered extinct.
Mt. Epomeo on the island of Ischia,
furnishes another illustration Of the
uncertainties Of these dread creatures
of the earths hidden mysteries. 1t
remained dormant for about seventeen
centuries and then, in 1902, burst forth
with the utmost violence.
In operation a volcano emts gases,
lapors, ashes, boulders and lava.
Sometimes the acids are as destruc-
tive to life as is the lava and ashes.
The orator Of Idjen, volcano in Java,
turned loose a huge lake Of acid water,
which rushed down the mountain side,
and the poisonous properties of the
liquid caused widespread destruction
among human beings. cattle and birds.
The ashes sent forth by a volcano
are generally so fine that they will
penetrate house through the smallest
cracks and crevices. They are gener-
ally so hot that the inhalation OF the
smallest amount will cause death.
Ashes have been known TO fall over
q country covering a radius within 100
miles Of the volcano from which they
were discharged. That occurred when
Vesuvlus broke loose in 1922.
On another occasion, when the Cose-
quina volcano in Nicaragua became
eruptlve IN 1885 utter darkness pre-
vailed within n circle Of thirty-fve
miles, and eight miles away they COW
cred the ground to a depth Of ten feet.
Four days later some Of the ashes,
which had been caught in an upper
air current, fell at Kingston, Jamaica,
700 miles away.
Huge stones have been sent hurling
through space for great distances by
volcanoes in violent activity. Many
were found in the ashes which buried
Pompeli.
A volcano at Antuco, Chile, is said to
have sent stones thirty-siX miles, and
Cotopaxi Is said to have hurled a 200
ton boulder nine miles,
Molten lava can rush down n noun
tain side at n faster rate than a mile
an hour.
After it stops flowing a crust will
form over the top of the bed. which
becomes hard and cool, while the body
Of it will retain fiery heat for years.
When Mauna Loa, the terrorcreating
volcano Of Hawaii, had its awful erup.
tion in 1852, it belch.d forth solid
fountain Of lava which WAS 1000 fppi