Evening star., 1907-08-18
By ANGELO HEILPRIN

I'M quake must necessarily be association
IN of volcanic OutburSt in the region of it's
occurrence We know in many instances
the contrary to have been true. The
earthquake of Lisbon. of the most
destructive seismic events which history records,
though perhaps not the involving the greatest
amount of land movement, took place in
ennently non-volcanic region; and the same is
almost equally true OF the earthquake OF Caracas.
Charleston presents a similar forcible example of
a seeming non-association, a primary cause of
the two classes of phenomena.
In stating that these most destructive earth
quakes occurred in regions where volcanoes do not
exist, it is perhaps not absolutely safe assume for
that reason that their ori gin was wholly independent
of volcanic action-action that may have taken
place at some point distantly removed from the
actual scene of the catastrophe. Investigations of
many years have shown what would seem to be
more than CoinCidental relation existing between
earthquakes and far removed volcanic activity,
whether the one is precedent to follows the other
Remarkable Condolences
THE terrible catacysm of Mont Pelee, which on
May 8, 1902, IN hardly more than instant of
time, annhilated thirty thousand inhabitants of the
island OF Martinique, is by some of the foremost
investigators of seismic phenomena thought to have
been initiated by at least directly related to the
earthquake7s which in January and April A. of the
in Mexico and Quezaltenango in Guatemala.
And the fact can hardly go unnotced that the
recent California disturbance preceded only
few days by perhaps the most violent eruption for
which VesuVlus has placed itself record during
modern times. The distance separating the Cali
lorna from the NeapOhtan region is a vast one,
and most geologistS may not be willing to admit
any relation binding together the troubles of the
two. But yet one may ask, Can it not be that both
had their origin IN some common deep seated
widely acting movement disturbance in the earth
which was IN no way local in its operation? Cannot
this dstur bance, even at separating distance of
several thousands of miles, produce volcanic out
bursts at one place and earthquakes at another?
The scientist, indeed, finds it difficult at this time
to give positive answer to these questions. The
brave investigator, Professor Matteucci who
NAMED at his post in the observatory which has so
often proved friendly roof to the tourist on Vesu
V1us seems not wholly disposed to believe that there
may not have been a direct relation existing be-
tween the of Southern Italy and those of the
Western United States.
Mont Pelee is removed in a direct line two thou
sand miles from what has been assumed to be the
initiating locus of its disturbance in Guatemala
not nearer than are the volcanic islands of the
Aleutian group from San Francisco. And it is at
least a significant fact that the fuming island
of that group, designated Bogoslcf No 3,
appeared at almost exactly the time of the Cali
forna disturbance. In this fact have merely
the repetition of the history of the earthquake of
Lisbon. which records that precisely the day
when that city fell the volcano of Kotluga, in Ice
land, eighteen hundred miles distant, broke
out in paroXysm.
The greater number of geologists recognize
that there are two broadly marked out areas
OF weakness in the eaTths mass. One of these
is represented by the trough of the sea, the
oceanic basins, and the other by any region
of recently lin geological sense) constructed
mountains. The latter invariably occur close
to the oceanic border, or adjon region that
has at no remote period been ocean.
1t follows, therefore, that many conti-
mental borders unstable areas, and the
western border of the North American CONT
n nent is notably so. The oceanic troughs have
AN seemingly for long periods and over large
n areas been undergoing slow subsidence and
~ ment of its floor one may well believe that
the readjustng process will react upon a