The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1907-12-24

was TO certain extent true, as Julin
or Jumne was-according to the old
historian Adam. of Bremen-a very
large and remarkably wealthy town
In the tenth century, doing even then
trade with Arabia, Asia and the
coast towns of northern Africa. To
use the historians own words, this
old Wendish town was certainly
the greatest of all the towns now
existing in Europe" When the Dan
ish King Waldemar the Great crushed
out the power welded by the Wends,
he also destroyed Jumne by burning
1t to the ground in 1172; hence in
this case the earthquake and food
business is mere fabrication. The
Baltic Sea can boast of no sunken
cities, although it has caused con-
siderable destruction to life and prop
erty by floods. a few of the more
important instances are: Cd The
great flood of November /, 1904,
which submerged the whole of the
strip of land which connected the
present island of Ruben with Rugen;
(2) the flood of November 10, 1872,
which rent the islands of Usedom
and Hiddensee into two parts; while
CD tie flood which took place on
April 13, 1903, destroyed the we'll
known and beautiful Adlorhorst re-
sort on Arizona
But to turn to other parts Of the
world. Here there are not many
known instances of sunken cities;
still there are a few. The latest
known case is that of Galveston,
which, as will be remembered, was
destroyed and partly engulfed on
September 8, 1901.
Modern engineering science has
now, however, done much to protect
us from the vagaries of "Old Hans"
and others of that ilk, so that coast
towns often smile now at the thought
of any danger. Yet in view of the
San Francisco catastrophe, are they
safe? Unexpected earthquakes ere
this have worked terrible havoc in
Europe. On August "a, SIS, the
Black Sea was dashed into fury by
a terrible earthquake and did fearful
damage. Again on July 21, 500,
Europe was visited by the most ter
rible earthquake ever known; all the
coasts OF the eastern Mediterranean
with its adjacent seas rose in their
might (due to seismic infuences)
and destroyed many towns. while sew.
eral islands in the Aegean Sea dis
appeared forever with all their popu-
lation. AS later examples of what
the sea can do, when disturbed by
earthquake shocks, we may mention
the destruction of Lisbon on Noyem-
Der /, 1875, and the utter annihiia-
ton of the towns of AMER, Merak
and several other villages and ham
lets in Java and Sumatras by the
great tidal wave which accompanied
the eruption of Krakatoa on August
81, 1888.
Many towns have also disappeared,
due to land slides. avalanches, etc,
which have hurled them into lakes,
and inland seas. Local legends say
that huge devil-fsh live in these
| lakes, and it is their movements
which cause the towns to slip down
| and hurl their contents into the
depths, where the monster can then
| glut his NAV on mangled flesh and
blood. OF course most of these re-
ports are mere tales, but there are
two recorded cases of inland towns
| being engulfed beneath the waters
of adjacent lakes. The first of these
| is afforded by the disaster to the
town of Zug. Switzerland population
440O) which was swallowed up in
the lake of the same name on July
3, 1887.
To conclude, we will mention the
disaster which befell the small ham,
let of Tiefengruben about thirty
years ago. This was a pretty little
village. situated near Kranichfeld i'm
Thuringia, Germany; in the centre
there was small innocent-lookine
pond, upon which the good people
used to keep their ducks and other
water-loving fowl. One stormy DAY
why and wherefore heaven only
knows, the village went down, and its
place was taken by large lake
which still marks the site OF the ill-
| fated village. The benighted peasant
returning home after a hard day
work telling timber i'm the forest sur.
rounding Kranichfeld. often sees un.
canny-looking lights fitting about
over the marshy ground. and mutters
a prayer for the rest OF the troubled
! spirits whO-he thinks-are huntina
for their lost home Friends of the
writer have often seen these lights
| which owe their origin to decayinp
vegetation. I'm fact they are merely
| ignited marsh gases or. as they are
| DODulprlv termed "vf1 a. fug ,..r,. FL
| Adyices Of recent date contain some
| very interesting data as TO what. "A
may be said, Is nothing more nor les.
| than submerged city in the making
About six months ago. following upon
| a sudden and unexpected shock. q
/ considerable portion OF the PRETTY
little town of Tavernola fell into
/ Lake IscO formed by the waters oil
| the Oglio. between Brcscia and Der
/ gamo) upon the shores of which II
stands In the night Of the 18th o
| November a further shock cnsucd
and whole square and several of th,
| remaining streets of TaveruoIa Slid
into the lake. The wrotchod inI ab
itants had hardly time TO Zee to- Oh,
mountain at the foot OF which tn,
town nestles. or rather nestled Tin,
/ Government is now busy inquirins
into the causes of the extraordinary
phenomenon Doubtless in time @,
come the ruined houses visible bs
l r.ruHn .raH.r. ...f