The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-08-24
MORE EARTHQUAKES COMING.

Il
Dr. Hayes, Of United States Geological
| Survey, Suggests Shocks in Peru,
Ecuador and Mexico--These in Line Of
Faulting-Why Quakes Follow Pacific
Coast
Washington, p. G., Aug. Ia The
l.backbone Of the American continent has
meningitis, according to Dir. G. Willard
Hayes, chief geoIogist Of the geological
survey and one of the worlds experts
IN seismology That was the way Dr..
Hayes put it, as he laughinrly sunlmar.
lied an explanation Of scientific phases
and showed the relation III the recent
San Francisco to the Chilean earth
quake horror DR.. Hayes, explanation
Of what has happened in the last few
months Of remarkable seismic activity
is, by Inference, also d prediction of
more troubles in future. Indeed. DR..
hayes went farther than merely to
show the possibility OF further disturb
ances; he suggested the probability of
them, and where they would be most
likely TO take place. III DR.. HAYES
reasoning is good, the period of extreme
seismic activity may be regarded As
most likely TO bring outbreaks in that
region Of the American Pacific morn-
tain ranges not yet affected; that is,
along that section Of the Pacific coast
mountains between Chile and California.
Peru, Ecuador and Mexico would. by
this reasoning, be next in line for trou-
bles.
These mountains of what is mistak-
emily called the backbone Of the Ameri-
can continent are among the newest in
the world" explained Dr. Hayes. "That
is why they are so high. They rep
resent a much more recent geological
time than do the Appalachians vet it
Is probable that the Appalaehians we're
once a. high as the Rockies: they have
been worn down by erosion: YOU can
imagine how long a process it would
be. There are no volcanoes amone
them; volcanic activity is always in
the regions where the newer mountains
are. Earthquakes are caused in two very
different ways One is by volcanic ac-
tivityy the other is by the slipping OF
the earth's crust along fault line. re-
1t TO the new distribution of
pressures. The volcanic earthquake IS
saused by operation of forces lying much
nearer the surface, and therefore Is
more local in its effects If Won 90
Town into the earth enc foot and there
explode a pound Of dynamite. IL win
make disturbance covering small
urea. Go to depth of ten feet. and
explode one hundred pounds and Won,
will get greater disturbance. coyeriur
| wider area. The earthquake OF most
widespread effect comes from deeper
eated causes than volcanic activity.
The Californian and Chilean earthquakes
ne not volcanic.
"The earth crust il thinner along the
me OF these newer mountain sytsems.
he pressure OF the immense weight OF
he mass is so great that the earth Is
OF solid inside; at depth probably
t fifteen miles granite would not be
Old It would flow like tar. because
f the pressure. Now. in the processes
+ cooling and adjustment OF The crust
2 conditions within, there Genre times
men great strains accumulate on tile
utter crust; something has 10 give:
nd when the crust at last BIZ q sudden
iovement adjusts itself to the new con.
itions, there is 4 slipping along the line
fault in it. This fault line Is like
! TO follow the course OF one Of the
ever mountain rarges. That is what
lppered at San Francisco and in Chile
DIR. Hayes then explained the error
the common impression TINT the
ockies and Andes together constitute
le backbone of the continent. He said
lere is no real connection: the Andes
'llow the Pacific coast Of South Amer;-
l,up to the northern part Of the con
nent, then turn eastward and run into
e ocean; the Winward islands and the
ssser Antilles, are in fact the continue
on OF the Andes mountains. and the
,leanoes Of the West Indies are part
the volcanic system of South Amer
4. The so-called backbone of the con-
lent doesn't continue through the 18TH
ian region at all. But while they are
1erent system OF mountains, IL is new
theless true that the Rockies of North
nerica and the Andes of South Amer.
! are of approximately the same geolo-
, age They stand over great line
fault in the crust. That fault being
line of least resistance. has been re-
ntly taken advantage Of BY great
smic forces. enforcing rendiustments
the crust to internal conditions. II
fair TO assume that as the readiust.
mt has been effected in California and
lie and not yet effected between those
yions the pressure must be severer
m ever in the intermediate region:
srefore, II is reasonable TO assume the
niger of more troubles in that region.