The Topeka state journal., 1906-05-22
THE SLEEPING GIANT.
Tecumseh Man Has Some Original
Ideas About Earthquakes.

To the Editor OF the State Journal
That the Island of Alcatraz was not
disturbed by the earthquake at San
Francisco is a remarkable phenomenon
and can be accounted for only upon
one theory. That is that there be a
great fi~--lre in the rock formations be-
tween san Francisco and Alcatraz is
land rent in such a way as to have the
rock formations overlap one another
that prevented the volcanic gases from
escaping at the time the earthquake oc-
CURED and cut the communication be-
tween San Francisco and the island
This great crevice or fssure in the for
nations must extend to great depth.
perhaps partly filed with sand or ocean
aIDris that had not metamorphOsieds suf-
f1cient to form solid body. hence had
sufficed to cut the communications OF
the earthquake shock between the two
places. There is a great difference be-
tween what we call natural gas and
volcanic gas. Natural gas is Of recent
formation compared with the age Of
the world and is generated from the
hydrocarbonate Of black shale or coal
and is the kind we use for heat and
Illuminating purposes. While volcanic
gases are formed a mile or more below
the surface of the earth. and is
sulphurOus gas as poisonous as arsenic
in some instances and of terrific explos-
i've power when confined to narrow
limits and is generated from the
sulphate of copper pyrites Of iron and
olivine and other mineral deposits that
may be in the vicinity of where the gas
begins to form It is believed that these
gas formations are started by the
oceans water percolating through
crevices IN the rocks under the oceans
bed to those mineral deposits which
causes them to oxfdize BY reason of the
oxygen carried to them in the water,
besides the great weight of the ocean
added to that of the formations above
them. Starting with a gradual heat it
becomes an intense heat after thou
sands of centuries.
That there Is a vast deposit of this
volcanic gas forming under the Pacific
ocean in the vicinity of San Francisco
I have not the slightest doubt, and it is
forboding.
There will a time come; it may occur
in a short time, or it may not occur for
centuries when great chain of noun
tains will rise in the Pacific ocean be-
tween Hawaii and San Francisco that
will cause the whole country to be sub
merged bas-- to the San Benito noun
tains, including lower California and
the Sacramento valley.
That such a radical change may occur
on the western portion of our continent
and in the Pacific at some future time
is absolutely certain. All indications
point that way now from the recent dis
turbances that have occurred there and
lAe many SHOCKS mat nave Deen Ielt
previous to this last catastrophe all
confirm it. I would not unduly alarm
people by prOphesying evil that may
not occur in our day and generation,
bur the government has plenty of COM
petent scientists who can lay a cable
on the oceans bottom with an instru-
nent attached to it that viii register
every oscillation or elevation in the
oceans bed and can give timely warn
ing of what might happen and it should
lose no time in making ample provisions
for the knowledge and safety Of the peo-
pie This instrument can be arranged
so as to register in any office not only
the oscillations of the oceans bottom
but the amount of the elevations and
depressions also whenever a disturb
ance occurs. T. ". EVANS.
Tecumseh. Kan.