Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-05-04
RAINIER THE CAUSE
SAvANT TURNS HIM
SELF LOOSE.

OesNA " oA GA C0t nc
to volcano as the cause instead OF
being the effect of a cause which pro.
duces both-is now presented by DR..
w. j. Holland, head OF the Carnegie
Institute, OF Pittsburg, who claims to
be an expert in science and investiga-
ton of such phenomena. He is in Q
Philadelphia dispatch of the 22d re-
ported as saying that "the recent vol.
canic activity OF Mt. Rainier is most
probably responsible for the San Fran
cisco disaster, that Vesuvius has moth
ing at all to do with it, and that the
entire Pacific Coast is in danger of
subsistence beneath the waters of the
Pacific"
Doctor Holland has recently re-.
turned from long trip in which he
devoted bis time to an exhaustive
study of volcanoes and earthquakes in
Japan and along the western coast Of
this country.
"The extreme western coast OF the
Americas is subject to almost contin.
ued oscillation" he said. "The coast
line represents for the most part COM
paratively recent geological formation,
and there has been in recent geological
times a great deal of uplifting and
faulting. By faulting is meant the
cracking of the earth's surface as the
various strata overlap and form cracks
duo to the constant shrinking of the
earth's surface.
"There are series of what might be
called cracks in the: earth's surface ex.
tending along the western coast line
from Patagonia to Alaska. The stretch
of earth between the mountain ranges
and the coast is constantly uplifting
or sinking, and it is not impossible
that it all may sink.
"Coincident with such lines OF
faulting there is always found in prox-
unity to an ocean volcanic disturb.
ances accompanied by earthquakes.
Volcanoes are due to the fact that the
water of the ocean settles down, and
percolates to deeper strata, which are
heated by the internal heat OF the
earth. Steam is thus generated, lava
is formed, and there follows explosions
and seismic disturbances.
"There is no doubt there has been
. breakdown and q shifting Of strata,
perhaps at q great depth, in the region
Of San Francisco. There is certainly
great connection between this earth.
quake and recent private reports which
have como to me of intense volcanic
activity on the part of Mount Rainier.
I would say that it is not possible to
connect the disturbances in San Fran.
cisco with the activity of Mount Vesu.
vius.
"There has been q tremendous po.
tential activity along the whole West.
ern Coast. This potential energy is
being changed into actual energy, and
the whole coast is in danger of SUBJ
sidencs.
"This, to my mind, 10 the beginning
of a great volcanic action.
"Some parts of the world seem re.
markably free from earthquakes or
shrinkage Of the earth's crust. For
instance, there are no records Of any
recent disturbance OF the kind in
Pennsylvania, and yet in many places
in the State there are evidences oil
tremendous earthquakes that must
have been far greater than that in San
Francisco. Just beyond Harrisburg
and beyond Altoona, there are clear
evidences of whole mountains having
been lifted up on end by earthquakes,
and science is unable to tell when cav.
tiles have formed in the earth's crust
when . sudden letting down of the
surface may be expected. and the
whole region OF Pennsylvania be con.
vulsed."
From the fact that DR.. Holland
starts out with presumption that
does not exist, and attributes an up
heaval 900 miles away to an eruption
that has never occurred, and if it had
would have been the means of miti
eating q result instead OF promoting
the sction of pent.up forces to the
south Of US, very little attention need
be paid to his gloomy iorsb0dingl
of continued Wholesale disaster. Ir
another "learned profession" . prin
ciple has been reduced to adage, tha,
any statement false in part is very
likely TO be false in whole, and thil
applies with peculiar force to those
savants who have shown such ar
aptitude to rush into print whenever
the public mind is under excitemen,
with all sorts of theories whose mair
qualification must be that it differ
from the opinion OF others. and hav'
20 often only succeeded in making
themselves the laughing.stock of sen
sible people. 1t 10 30 in this Instance
Nobody need loose any sleep over 9
proposition that is founded upon .
palpable error, recognised as such b!
everybody who lives within speaking
distance OF Old Rainier and have beer
thoroughly familiar with his habit
from personal observation during thei
lifetime and by tradition for centuries
An Olympia boy thus describes I