The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1906-05-22
OFFICIAL PAPER OF CUSTER co.
LIE Conte's views on earthquake
are annronriate at this time !:

es I appropriate az bnlS OlLhS :
1T is well known that there
are operating in the interior of
the earth forces tending to ele-
vate or depress or to crush to-
gether ~laterally the earth's crust.
In this way mountain ranges are
formed and continents elevated.
One effect of these forces is to
break the earth's crust into great
blocks many miles in length and
breadth, and several miles in
thickness. These blocks do not
remain in their original position,
but are always slipped one on
another, producing displacement
often thousands of feet. Such
great crust blocks separated by
profound assures and slipped
one on another + found every
where. They are in fact among
the commonest of geological oc-
currences. Some of these ifs
sures are doubtless now forming;
many of them are still slipping.
Suppose, then, a subterranean
force tending to elevate a por-
ton of the earth's crust, and
gradually increasing, but resist
ed by the rigidity of the crust.
1t is evident that the time would
come when the crust would
break, by a fracture extending
perhaps hundreds of miles in
length and through several miles
in depth of solid rock. Such a
fracture would certainly cause
an earth jar great enough to
produce all the dreadful effects
of an earthquake. But again,
the enormous crust blocks thus
formed would inevitably from
time to time settle or readjust
themselves to new positions.
Every such readjustment would
also produce an earthquake. We
conclude, therefore, that by far
the most common cause of earth
quakes is either the formation
of q great assure or else the re-
adjustment of the walls of such
a fssure."
Numerous observations OF the
conditions obtaining all along
the Pacific coast of both North
and South America show that it
is a center of disturbances of
this kind. The Coast ranges are
the newest mountains in the
western hemisphere. Having
been elevated in comparatively
recent geologic time, their stab.
ility is not ss great as that of
other ranges and their enormous
masses are still subject to re.
arrangement. Their elevation
is constantly going on, as can be
established by casual observa-
tion throughout the length of
the coast line. LIE Conte states
that the connection of earthquake
es with the bodily movements OF
great areas of the earth's crust
by elevation or depression is
very close. I'm 1885, after q
great earthquake which shook
the coast of South America over
an area of 900, 900 square miles,
the whole coast line of Chile and
Patagonia was found elevated
from two TO seven feet. Again
in 1892 after q similar earth.
quake in the same region the
coast line was found elevated
from two to ten feet above sea.
level. Now, in this very region.
old beach marks 100 feet to !, 800
feet above sea-level, and extend
ing 1900 miles along the coast
on each side of the southern enc
of this continent, plainly shov
that in very recent geologic
times the whole southern end o
South America has been bodil,
raised out of the sea to that ex
tent. 1t is impossible to doub
that the force which produce,
this continental elevation wa
was also the cause of the accom-
panyinR earthquakes" BY ana