Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-04-27
Washington STANDARD
OLYMPIA. WASH.
FRIDAY MORNING. APRIL q. 1906.
The Prevailing Topic.

The Prevailing Topic.
As all the talk nowadays is of earth.
quakes and their wonderful power, as
compared with the best manifesto
tions OF mans puny strength, it may
be OF interest to consider facts and
state some theoretical discoveries oil
our wise men. Earthquakes are de
fined to be subterranean Disturbances
propag ated through the earthcrusts
by series Of elastic waves. Many oil
them are SO closely associated with
volcanic phenomena as to confirm the
belief that they are produced from the
same cause, violent development OF
a gigantic force from some cause that
can only be surmised. 1t seems "a.
tional TO believe that this must be the
generation OF gases from great heat,
as the tremendous election OF rivers of
molten lava from the craters of many
volcanoes gives ample cause to con-
lecture by existence OF just the condi-
tions which by natural law we know
produce such results. Nobody can
tell just the change that takes place
of steam in the boiler when it explodes,
but they can guess pretty nearly, by
results, that it was the sudden liberia.
ton OF gases from the water and steam
held within rigid bounds by the tensile
strength OF the boiler. The bare fact
that the earth quakes at times without
the belching forth of smoke and flame,
does not prove their origin is not
identical. for the force may be great
enough to shake the surface and not
powerful enough to open an outlet.
The established fact that the bowels OF
the earth are filled with such combus.
tible as coal, and explosives as oil and
gas, and the no less acknowledged be-
lief from observation that certain con.
ditions produce spontaneous combus.
ton, afford all the successive steps
that lead from cause to effect.
Let it be at once granted that these
facts are tenable, through the theory
that the center of the earth is q
perpetual sea OF fire, and the origin oil
earthquakes as we'll as volcanoes seem
to be q very logical conclusion. The
simultaneous existence of these dis
turbances only adds another support
TO the belief, when it is considered
that the Earth's center, whether it be
OF solids or of semi.fluid igneous sub.
stances, presses on all places, with
equal power at every point, and finds
demonstration at the surface where
the crust is thinnest. 1t is there that
earthquakes occur, and where gen.
orally safety valve is supplied by
nature, to prevent, what would surely
follow, an explosion that would send
our whole E asth to contribute her
share to the metoric showers that are
constantly moving with astounding We.
locity in the great universe.
No professional scientist is needed
for the statement OF these premises.
The writer, in presenting them, lets
them stand on their own foundation,
which he believes is firmly based upon
reason. and are therefore impregnable.
What fOllows is based upon the deduc.
lions OF others who are regarded as
authorities upon the phenomena under
consideration. Recent Investigations
show that earthquakes seldom origi.
nate from depth Of less than ten or
twelve miles and seldom exceed that
depth. Some violent quakes have orr.
ginated in less than . mile from the
surface. The Charleston vibrations
were from deep.seated source, nearly
1000 miles away. and the Casamic.
ciola quake, which was quite as severe
at the epicentrum (point vertically
over the focus) was very shallow one.
The former WAS felt nearly !, 900 miles
away while the latter was barely per.
ceptible Is miles distant. The speed
of transmission was very difficult to
accurately determine up to the inven.
ton OF the seismograph and institution
of the standard time service in this
country, which enabled Observer to
determine that the speed was about
1900 feet per second. Observations
made with the seismaoraph record in
Japan show that the oscillations are
much less than had been believed.
Vibrations of from one.sixtb to one
third of an inch were sufficient to pro.
duce cracks in brick walls. In the very
destructive shocks. like the late vista
ton at San Francisco. the oscillations
do not probably much exceed An inch.
The motion is not simply . movement
too and fro, in one line, but in . course
OF most irregular description, turning
in every direction. Near the epicen.
trum, the vertical element of motion
10 we'll marked, but at distance from
It the horizontal motion ID much less.
Tho vibrations vary from two 70 five
per second. A great earthquake be.
gins without other warning than q
eight culver, increasing in Q few
seconds to . rough shake; the earth
and everything upon it being sharply
1acksd, in every direction, from two to
five oscillations per second. With the
first tremors q slight murmur is heard
which soon swells to . loud and deer
roar of the most appalling character
Az the magnitude of the vibrations
increase, chimneys and cornices begin
to fall, walls open in wide cracks, and
L. L = =