The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-09-20
Is Not Necessarily a Mountain
\ Says Experts.
1T Is NEVER BURNING
Neither Does 1t Emit Fire nor
Smoke.

erroneous.
For. in the first place a volcano is
not necessarily a mountain, although
most of the present ones are. because
they have been in a course of eruption
extending over long periods and have con-
sequently built themselves up from the
accumulation of their erupted material.
"A volcano may be merely hole in
the ground. Then a volcano is not burn
ing, neither does it emit fire or smoke.
What IS mistaken for smoke are clouds of
steam, and what looks like fire is merely
a reflection on the clouds of steam of the
molten, glowing fluids below.
"Vesuvius sometimes emits steam,
sometimes cinders and mud and lava, or
molten rock, or even a combination of
any Of these, and they are one and all
manifestations of the same force or pow
er, namely, heat.
There may be sufficient heat onlW TO
vaporize water and then we get steam
and mud, and if there be present the
debris or ashes Of a former eruption in
the crater, they will be blown out by the
pent-up steam. If there is sufficient heat
TO melt the rocks. then we have lava, the
most destructive phase OF all
"A study of Vesuvius. even in a state
Of eruption, reveals but the superficial
results. not the causes. A warning is
generally given before an especially vio-
lent disaster like that of a few days ago.
but one cant be positive that the eruption
will follow, nor is it impossible that an
eruption should come unheralded in this
manner
1T was formerly thought. and in fact
school text books even today teach, that
the earth is a hollow shell filed with I'M
quenchable fires. and with a crust of from
fifteen TO forty miles in thickness.
Although we say the earth is practical
~ solid in reality there are numerless
pockets and interior lakes that are filled
with liQueied substances, and it is not i'm
possible that there is even a complete
shell of molten matter at no greath depth.
1T is not necessary to enumerate more
than one or two ways in which these vol
cano feeding pockets may arise.
Proximity to field of special chemical
activity. where alterations and chemical
combination are carried forward with par
ticular energy, and where through such
processes an extra quantity of heat is lib
Grated, may bring about local lique-
faction.
''vesuvius rises with gentle sweep
from the Bay of Naples in Southern Italy.
When visited the mountain a few years
ago the top was occupied by great de-
preston or pit Of possibly three hundred
feet in diameter and eighty 10 one hun
dred in depth. from the bottom of which
issued vast curling wreaths Of vapor and
more or less frequent showers Of nearly
white-hot rock material-"cinders" they
might perhaps be called.
Now and then through the vapOrs the
glowing material which formed cinders
and lava was easily distinguishable. and
the eye could follow without difficulty its
ascent through the funnel or neck Of the
volcano When the pent-up energy had
sufficient force to elevate the seething
mass. 1t would throw the lava out lat
other times il broke through the confin-
ing fluid and allowed it 10 fall back into
its interior home
4 repetition of these performances
constitute volcanic action. There was no
smoke and no flames.
Close examination of the exterior OF
y
regular ACCOMMODATION Of the materials
thrown out in eruption. Extensive lava
beds radiate from the central parts, and
between them are heaped up great guam
titles of thrown-out blocks and cinders-
Were we TO slice the mountain from
top TO bottom we should find the same
structure in the interior. the materials
bedded together perhaps with certain
regularity.
''Vesuvius has been in a state Of almost
steady eruption of more or less violence.
during the past quarter Of a century,
while during the two thousand years
since the destruction OF Pompeii there
have been periods Of inactivity lasting
centuries.
The intensity Of the eruption depends
to a large degree upon the length of time
the mountain has been massive or, rath
er. what is nearer the top upon the firm
ness with which its openings have been
sealed or plugged by the cooling lava
from the last eruption.
The tightly fitting lava has solicited
like a plug in the neck of the volcano.
. and for a while it resists the internal
ressure so that when finally the erup-
ton comes the longer it has been pent-
up the more violent the explosion viii be.
II is believed that Vesuvius blew its en-
tire top of when it destroyed Pompeii.
LAS for the theory that there exists
q belt OF weakness around the earth At
the equator within the limits OF WHICH all
the great volcanoes are found. it is alb
solutely absurd and without the support
OF fact Vesuvius is in latitude 40 north.
Mt Pelee in "A north. a difference of Is
degrees. and the large volcanoes OF South
America are around 80 TO 80 degrees south.
while the lately discovered mountains n
Alaska totally dispei any such idea.
1T is curious thing that as soon as
we hear Of one volcano IN eruption. there
comes almost Immediately reports from
three or four others scattered over the
globe The explanation is simple
''Craters like Nesuvius. Etna. Strombola
and others in South America ase TO a
greater or lesser degree in a state OF
constant eruption. and the inhabitants
OF the surrounding country become 50
accustomed to the sight day after day
for years that they disregard il and be
come almost a : unconscious Of the spec
tscle as one does OF the ticking Of q clock
when. however. there are news dis
patches OF some disastrous eruption else
where their attention is directed 10 their
own mountain. And then the news comes
hat the mountains in question are also IN
n unusual state OF eruption. whereas
they may have been spouting for years.
Angry Vesuvius. splitting up oeath-deal-
ing fire exactly as il did centuries ago,
when Pompeii was destroyed. has once