Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1909-06-10
Earthquakes and Volcanoes.

If scientists could only sink test tube
down into the center of the earth they
might be able to ascertain more accurately
what is going on within the far interior
and might more nearly tell what is going
to happen on the earth's crust. The ap-
palling disaster in Italy has forced home
again the fact that the earth is really a
high pressure boiler, with intermittent
eruptions and earthquakes which carry
destruction to man and the works OF man.
What with volcanic eruptionS, earth
quakes and tidal waves occurring in some
places, what is to prevent similar unex-
pected outbreaks in others? Nothing at
all, under similar geographical conditions.
These and many other questions and
answers have probably arisen in the
mind of every speculative man and wom-
an since the dawn of the new year, when
the full extent of the Italian disaster began
to be fully realized. And it is scarcely to
be expected that very much consolation
will be derived therefrom, or even from
the statements OF some scientists regard
ing this eartb's internal troubles, their
alarming causes and probable disastrous
results.
II is not very comforting, for instance,
to be solemnly informed that we are living
on the outer shell of high pressure boil
er, which leaks badly in certain weak
spots and elbows out" with alarming fire.
quency, along certain weak plate which
is geographically known as the "earth-
quake belt.'
If you take map Of the world and
draw broad line straight around the Pa-S
cific ocean, from the Philippine islands
to Panama, thence across the Atlantic
ocean through the British West Indies to
Spain and Italy, thence continuing across
Europe and Asia TO Japan, and on to the
starting point in the Philippines, you will
see exactly where the earthquake belt
lies.
There are other minor belts, one of
which passes southWard along the coast
OF California and Mexico and the west
coast OF South America. There are evi-
dences observable today in practically all
parts OF the world of other earthquake
belts in which tremendous geological
changes and upheavalS were wrought in
prehistoric times.
Even New York city is in an earthquake
belt AT some time, probably thousands
and thousands of years ago, a mighty
earthquake split asundet the rock that
united what is now the Island Of Man.
hatten to the Palisades of the New Jersey
coast. That earthquake formed the Hud-
son river.
Earthquake belts are admittedly weak
spots in the outer crust of the eart1-the
high pressure boiler on which we live
and there is no evidence that any of them
were ever permanently repaired.
Prof. Edward Suess, the eminent Vi
emma geologist, predicted few days ago
that eruptions would follow the earthquake
and tidal wave in southern Italy. He at
tributed the earthquake to the sinking OF
the earth's crust, otherwise buckling of
the boiler plates, in the zone of which the
Lipari islands are the center. He declared
that as the process of sinking went on the
Calabrian and Sicillian highlands on
either side OF the Straits OF Messina would
be submerged, only the highest peaks re-
naming above the sea. The strait, he
said, would thereby be greatly widened.
Prof. Suess is OF fhe opinion that the
eath's crust is gradually sinking every
where. There is consolation to be found,
however, in his further remark that the
life of the human species will be too short
to make this phenomenon important TO
mankind.
The average thickness of the earth's
crust, the boiler plates, is generally as
sumed TO be 80 miles and its average den
sity to be about five times that of water.
Scientists have estimated that the down.
ward pressure at depth of so miles be-
low the surface of the earth is somewhat
in excess of half a million pounds to the
square inch. II lis safe conclusion that
within large portion of the earth's crust
there exist pent-up gases, particularly
steam, under pressure equal to that ex-
erted by the most powerful high explo-
sives. High explosives probably exert
pressures ranging from 200, 900 to $4,000
pounds to the square inch.
When high explosive is detonated
the amount of pressure depends upon the
volume of gases liberated and the temper
ature of the gases. Nitro-glycerine, ex-
ploded in a space where if could not ex-
pand, would exert pressure of probably
from 100000 to $4,000 pounds to. the
square inch. The pressure would GER
tainly be less than half million pounds
to the square inch, although the tempera-
ature Of gases would equal the boiling
point of steel. Consequently with a 50O,-
600 pound force which is continually ex-
erting itself in an effort to burst the earth's
crust asunder, it is reasonably safe TO as
sumo that the stronger force viii continue
to prevail for some time to come at least,
and that there is not the slightest danger
of the earth blowing to pieces.
Unfortunately, as the appalling record
of earthquakes shows, there are many