Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-04-25
SCIENTIFIC VIEW
OF THE DISASTER
PROFESSOR FENNEMAN GIVES
GEOLOGICAL ASPECT.
NOT VOLCANIC IN ACTION
No Scientific Support for Theory That
Earth Movements at San Francisco
Have Any Relation to Recent Dis
turbances at ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Geological Area of This Continent.
Madison. April 10

Madison, April 10.
Professor n. Nj. Fenneman, profes.
scr OF geology at the university. gives
what he considers the scionafic ex-
PLANTATION of the disaster at San Fran
cisco. That part of the western hemi-
sphere, he says, is geologically the
youngest portion of the continent,
and the rocks forming the mass of
that area have not settled as thor.
, orghly as in the older geological
areas. Some subterranean disturb
ance has precipitated a process Of set.
thing, causing a sliding and trembling
movement of the earth. This is the
geological part of the catastrophy, the
rest is the result of the earth move
ments. The adjustment of the great
mechanical works on the surface OF
the earth was disturbed; great build
ings trembled and fell or were cracked
and ruined. The water pipes buried
in the streets were bent and broken
and all the fearful results followed.
Professor Fenneman has followed all
the dispatches from the disaster, ana
he does not believe that the phenom-
enon has any elements OF volcanic
action.
1t has been suggested that the re.
cent disturbances at Vesuvius have
had something to do with the move
ments at San Francisco. nut scient.
lists at the university entertain no such
theories. A physician offered an
hypothesis, interesting perhaps as a
curiosity, but lacking university scien-
titic support He said he had met in
his practice with incidents where men
had been struck blow on the head
at certain point and at point near
ly on the opposite side of the head a
fracture occurred. The theory of this
held by surgeons Is that the force or
the blow falls upon strong point of
the skull, that II causes no fracture
IT that point because of the power of
resistance just at that point but the
force is distributed in a system OF
force waves or vibrations spreading
out in concentric circles from the
point OF contact. The force concen-
trates at weaker point some place on
the opposite side of the skull and
la'.ses fracture. II applied to the
earth. the theory is that the pro-
! longed disturbances at Vesuvius shook
| the earth with seismic vibrations OF
| waves of force flowing out from the
immediate center of disturbance as
the waves spread out from the place
where a stone falls upon water sur
| face. II is hypothesized that these
spreading waves of force went around
the earth and met at a place such as
/ IL halle the vicinity of San Francisco.
Not Felt in Madison.
While the shock of the earthquake
was detected as far east as Roches-
/ ter, n. y, and in Washington, end
doubtless its yibratory effect extend
ed 10 Madison, there are no instru-
ments here to detect or measure the
shock. At Washburn observatory
there was formerly "a seismoscope, an
| instrument Of delicate mechanism
used to detect earthquakes or -arth
movements but it has been placed out
of commission
! Tidal Wave Possible.
There is serious apprehension lest
the disturbances at San Francisco be
| followed by a tidal wave, so-called,
! that will overwhelm at least a part
Of the stricken city Whether the old.
time belief is correct or not it has
still strong hold on the general cred
| IL and many look for more disastrous
results to life from this source than
| from earthquake and fire 1t Is
claimed that a great wave, unprece-
dented in volume, swept in on Charles
ton three days after the seismic dis
| ;urbance. Many tidal waves Of i'm
| mense volume have visited the west
ern shores of South America along the
| volcanic zone, some off the coast at
/ Chill having reached the eight of SO
| feet. AS portions of the townsite of
| San Francisco are only Il feet above
sea level it can be seen that such a
visitation would bring unparalleled
horrors, and furnish a climax to the
| scenes of utter gloom