The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1906-04-27
GREAT EARTHQUAKE
Was Caused By Slipping, and
Waves Ran North and South.

III there was any connection be
tween the erupdons of Vesuglus and
the Cis-Caucasus and Canary Island
earthquakes, said Prof. James +.
Kemp. who occupies the chair of
geology at Columbia University,
other places in all probability would
have suffered too. New York, fo1
instance, Is on the same parallel as
all these places. While ! would not
deliver an absolute opinion, to my
mind these disturbances have moth
ing to do with the California earth
quake.
The California coast is a place
where earthquakes Of more or less
violent are frequent The Pacific
Coast line IS one Of the latest addi-
tons to our continent. Conditions
there are absolutely unsettled; 1t
Is SIN in the making. The coast,
wlhch / visited last year, travelling
for about 200 miles along it, is very
abrupt It has few good harbors and
Is very mountainous It is more
unstable country than any other part
u the United States.
The present earthquake in all
probability was started by a slipping
along some fault line, as we call It.
in the interior Of the earth A fault
line is line where two or more
geological deposits from the same or
different formative periods meet
Accelerated By one cause or another,
these deposits slip apart and create
a rift There is consequent ad-
justment Of the crust OF the earth
TO the new conditions in the inerior,
and this generally is the cause Of an
earthquake Fault lines are very
common in the mountainous country
OF California"
Prof Kemp. as an illustration Of
the geological contrasts that often
cause earthquakes, pointed 10 the
geological formation Of the Palisades
and that Of Manhattan Island.
II We were to project the Pail
sades on Manhattan Island the bot
tom layer of the Palisades would go
over Manhattan Island It is a later
formation, and the contrast TO the
formations on Manhattan is very
great.
DO you think there is any danger
that the seismic wave which caused
the devastation Of San Francisco
might travel east?' Prof. Kemp was
asked
| Il do not think so, re replied
The direction OF these waves on the
American continent are not east AND
iwest. but north and south. The
| lines OF weakness which are the lines
OF upheayal follow the great noun.
tain ranges, and these run parable
with the coast lines OF the continent
so far as we know.
Prof Kemp said he thought tn'
earthquake in California was not q
volcanic origin. and therefore had NJ
connection with the great upheavali
that have occurred from time II
time la Central America and Ih'
Northern part Of South America.
The outer portion of the earth,
he SAID from time to time adjust
itself to Interior conditions. NJ
exact theory for these adjustment
has been formulated, but two or tire
suggestions have been advanced a
to the causes,
. Some think that the adjustment
} are due tn the earth radiating hea
) and consequent shrinkage in III
interior
Others believe that they are du
! TO the fact that the earth Is grad
ually slowing up In its rotations
causing flattening at the poles an
n swelling at the equator, and tn
= crust 81 the earth is readjusting IL
: self to this new shape. Our noun
$ tain ranges provide the lines of ny
. beayal in these occasional readjusl
i ments. The vibration of a slippin
e In the bowels Of he earth, NATURAL
) will extend over a certain TERRITORY
the vibrations weakening in propol
lion TO the distance from the cente
The entire Pacific Coast regio
has been formed by some violer
npheaval at a 4me prehistoric eve
T. as geological periods so. The su
l. face Of tne Pacific in those past ag'
Fl must have been much higher tina
is ms present level We know mi
$ because we still can discover Il
,e traces OF beaches on the bluffs f
abovc the sea. There has been
r. rising Of the North American Cont
Is nent south Of Alaska since it becm
d the home OF the white man. Sou
n America has been raised within y
%, last century or SO There We can ST
er find shelfish cliugng to the roc