Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-07-19
PERILS
IN OCEAN
LEAKS
Or. Thomas jefferson Jackson Lee
Says They Cause Earthquakes

DR.. Thomas Jefferson Jackson See,
the famous astronomer of the United
States naval observatory at Mare ISL
and, Cal, while visiting his old home
gave out a remarkable interview.
says a Montgomery City special dis
Ipatch to the Chicago Tribune.
He says he has discovered the one
lcommon cause OF the sixgreat classes
OF nature phenomena-the secular
leakage of the ocean bottom which
gives rise to the development of
lsteam beneath the earth's crust
lowing to the earth's internal heat
He also points out that the chief
danger of these agitations is along
the seacoast, and, while serving a
useful purpose, It is well to be pre-.
pared for their visitation to prevent
great destruction of life and proper
ty, as has often happened, owing to
lack of understanding of natural
laws.
at seems to be clearly proved"
said Dr. See, that the earth Is not
contracting. as heretofore held by
men of science, but that the effects
OF secular cooling OF the globe are
lnsenslble. II am not entire
ly mistaken, ] have shown that the
earth, so far from contracting, may
be slightly expanding. In any case,
earthquakes and volcanies as well
as mountain formations in general,
depend upon the secular leakage of
the ocean bottoms.
"The great earthquake and vol
canIc belts are along the shores of
continents or In the sea, and n study
OF the ocean depths shows that the
earthquakes are worst where the sea
Is deepest and the shore Is steepest.
The land is often uplifted by earth
quakes and the adjacent sea bot
tom sinks, which means that lava Is
being expelled from beneath the sea
and pushed under the adjacent land |
"All the great mountain chains |
have been formed by this process,
and hence, the exact parallelism to !
the seashore, known TO every school |
boy, but not heretofore understood |
by geologists. SO long as we did not |
know the cause of mountain forma-
tion or enormously attributed Il TO /
the secular cooling OF the earth we /,
could not make and advance In the .
OF earthquake causes, but
now that earthquakes are proved TO
be due to the leakage OF the ocean I,
bed, necessarily, resulting from the
great depth and pressure OF water
upon Il, we are In position to make
progress.
1--WE know that cities on the coasts
of deep seas are always unsafe. and
therefore their houses should be con-
structed to withstand earthquakes, =
and means should be provided for
he extinction of connagrations. II
he people OF San Francisco had
possessed our present knowledge /
searly all the loss sustained in the 4
earthquake could have been prevent
ID. California today would have
'een better OF by some $500, 900, 900
md Stanford university would not
nave suffered the ruin which has
'een so deeply regretted.
Knowledge OF the laws OF nature
loes not enable us to repair damage
already done. but Il enables MS to
;uard against a repetition OF the dis
Ister and Is therefore most useful 10
he people and 10 the state. II a re-
'etitlon of such disasters can be pre-
'ented in future there will be much
o console those who suffered so /
'eavily In the great earthquake of
april rs. 1906"
DIR, See said that the leakage of
he ocean, which gives rise TO the
81 |