New-York tribune., 1906-04-19
CAUSE OF EARTHQUAKE
EARTH'S CRUST SETTLING.
Origin of San Francisco Disaster
Explained by Scientists.
From The Tribune Bureau.I

Washington, April lS-An authofiIali'e Soioh
tihc explanation of the earthquake at San Fran
cisco is given by DR.. G. F. Becker. chief of the
division of physical researches of the United
| States Geological Survey who lived many years
in California and who has made special study
! OF chronological disturbances for the govern
ment. Dr. Becker says the earthquake In Cali
fornia has no relation to the recent eruptlons OF
Vesuvius. He ascribes the shake to an un-
usually acute development in the process of
faulting" which has been going along the
Pacific Coast for thousands of years. This pro-
cess consists in a read1ustment of the rocks
forming the crust of the earth.
California is n chronic sufferer from earth
quakes in mild form, he says but the severity
Of the recent shake" due in his opinion. to
the fact that there had been q suspension of the
shakes IN recent years and consequently the
disturbance due to ar accumulation. in
other words, greater amount of earth was
shifted. or fauled." in yesterdays shake" than
! hqS been the case before
THE people of California" said Dr. Becker,
have not been having their usual monthly
| shakes recently and this time they got them
IN a lump. The might be likened to that
| of man suffering with fever, whose regular at
tack of chills in mild form had perhaps been
postponed for long time and then the disease
| shook him all at once In aggravated form.
The coast line of the Pacific has been rising
Tor thousand years This is shown by the
seooslc formation on the coast old beaches
pelng found high upon the cliffs where the sea
evidently at time washed. There is q Pc
cuila- geologic mark to be noted also in the
traces of a fish known popularity as the date
! fish, which burrows into the beaches The holes
made by these fish found high up on the
! cliffs, showing that the coast has gradually
! risen above the Along the coast of Cali
| fornia at relatively short distance from the
| shore the shoa water suddenly becomes very
| deep, and from n depth OF a few fathoms
| changes abruptly to depth of perhaps thou
sands of fathoms. This great submarine cliff
extends all the way to Chill, the same geologi-
/ cal formation being noted generally. Continu-
| ing the examinations still more, we find that
this same general formation extends to Japan.
Actually it may be described as a great line of
uplift in the earth's surface extending all the
way from Singapore around TO Valpa raiso.
GREAT EARTHQUAKE LINE.
1T is a line characterized by deep adjoin-
/ ing abyss. That line is the great volcanic line
and the great earthquake line of the world. 1t
| passes through the volcanic regions OF Japan
| through the Aleutian Islands. along the coast of
Alaska and to Mount Shasta. which, though not
an active volcano. is representative of the type
| then extending to South America with char
| acteristic volcanic developments. All along the
! South American coast there have been deep up
! lifts on this plane. 1t is peculiar fssure of the
earth
! Now there have been changes in the eleva-
! ton along the line Of this fssure. due to
changes in the elevation and changed conditions
inside the earth, and it is owing to these changes
or faults that the ground is shaken in California
| while the earth's rocks readjusting them
selves The process is going on all the time.
! but generally 1t is gradual that 1t is not ac-
companed with any great tremor in the locali-
! ties affected.
Furthermore. If these disturbances attend
ing the uplift occur at numerous periods then
| it is likely that they will be only mild in char
acter. If they should be postponed for a long
period then, when the accumulated uplift does
come, the shake will be relatively severe. I am
not prepared TO say this particular earthquake
was accompanied with measurable uplift that
! will have be determined by scientific investi-
cation, but following out the general rule the
Pacific Coast, it is to be expected.
In my opinion. there be no connection
whatever between the San Francisco earthquake
and the Vesuvius eruptions. The first and con,
elusive reason is that Vesuvius is not on the
! same fssure of the earth as California. Then
! too the shakes caused by Vesuvius could
| affect only a local The violent eruption
would undoubtedly affect the surrounding neigh
| borhood. but from a geological standpoint the
| formation of the earth liz the two regions is of
such a distinctly different character and the
! distance of six thousand miles more is so
| great, that the tremor would not be carried so
| far.
1T would not be surprising If heard of
| severe shakes along the fissure extending from
! California to South America, which 1 have de-
| scribed and possibly will hear reports of a
| disturbance in Chilli similar to that in San
! Francisco, but it would be due to the same
! change in elevation. I would like to add that
! do not think there is any danger of a recur-
! renee Of severe earthquake of this kind in
| California for a very long period of time. OF
course there may be mild shakes for some time
| but the readjustment OF the earths crust in this
disturbance. probably complete that
there will be change in the geological forma-
ton for many years. The people of San Fran
! cisco should be encouraged to go ahead and
! build up their city greater than ever, because
, they may feel confident that the worst Is over"
NO CONNECTION WITH VESUVIUS
| Professor Charles ID. Walcott director of the
| is any relationship between the San Francisco
earthquake and the eruption of Vesuvius.
''The fact that these two catastrophes hap
| pened to come so near together. of course. con-
nected them Immediately in the public mind"
/ said Professor Walcott but as they are on op-
| posite sides of the earth and merely surface
! disturbances, they can have no possible connec-
! ton.
IAN earthquake shock or a volcanic eruption
may be likened TO the appearance of a plmple
| on a person. The presence of one on one part Of
| the anatomy cannot very we'll be blamed for
( the appearance of another other part.