The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-01-04
OF
SCIENCE TO
RELIGION
THEME OF DISCOURSE AT THE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH..
Rev. Carver Discusses Scientific AS
pect Of Recent World Startling
Catastrophe and Draws Moral.

Bearing Upon Prayer" Rev, Carver
said. in part:
THE scientific world was startled
this past week by a lengthy statement
made by Camille Flammarion, the
we'll known French astronomer and
geologist, in which he advanced the
theory that the great Italian earth
quake might have radium as its real
source. and that il was chemical in
its origin rather than physical. Let
us examine the scientisl'S grounds
for his statement.
I'VE have always been told that, II
the formative process of our globe
development, the portions near the
poles would become stable or cold
first, and in accordance with this hy-
Iotbesis the volcanoes would die near
the poles earliest and be active long.
est near the equator, and, further
pore, the gases and matter near the
| equator would be readjusted last, for
there the heat would be nearer the
surface. Facts bear out this we'll
/ known theory. Alaska has a great
! dead volcanic region where ages ago
| there must have been terrific shocks.
| The same Is true of Iceland and our
| Yellowstone Park, Snake river and
| Copper mountain regions. Now, the
cooling would be retarded most near
| the water, therefore, we have great
earthquake centers Of Japan, Sicily
and even San Francisco. This is not
absolutely true, however. fer in 1911
the lower Mississippi river region
suffered what was probably the most
violent earthquake of recent years,
but as there were but very few peo-
pie there then the fatality was very
Slight.
The worlds greatest earthquake
region Is at the scene of the recent
disaster. Mount Aetna Is today one
great solid lava cone. 10,937 feet high.
and as much of the upper part has
been worn away, It was once probably
$4,000 feet of pure lava. This was
thrown up so long ago that the lower
| 5000 feet has so far disintegrated
that 1t is very fertile. Therefore it
is much older than our Snake river
lava country. The ancient historian
| Thucydides, writing in 425 B. c., tells
us Of its great eruptions and lava
streams In his day. Later there were
four violent eruptions between 40
and 121 B. c., and from 70 to 1908
there were twenty-seyen earthquakes
| near 1t and four most severe ones
The last very severe one was in 1893.
These very severe ones seem to oc-
cur about every $50 years, There are
three of our greatest volcanoes in this
region: Aetna, Vesuvius and Strom-
boil. and yet these three can not fur
;iish an outlet for the powers beneath.
Now, the peculiar thing Is that all the
earthquakes OF this particular region
occur SO near the earth's surface. We
know this because they are OF such
| limited area in effect. An eruption
does not affect a wide region This
shock was not noticed even as farcas
Naples. The Charleston earthquake
was. in 1886, felt within a radius OF
1,500 miles. The Lisbon earthquake
was felt over region three times the
area OF all Europe. so Humbolt tells
US. The San Francisco earthquake
was felt by the instruments almost
around the globe. These, therefore,
were far deeper In the earth; but the
recent one was near the surface.
How could 1t be so violent? Now,
we know that normally temperature
increases one degree centigrade to ey-
cry thirty-five meters OF depth: but
In Sicily it increases far more rap.
idly than elsewhere, The tension OF
steam vapor increases more rapidly
than atmosphere. Steam vapor At
tains 5000 atmospheres at 1000 de-
grees centigrade. but at 1900 degrees
| orn uan 10 at a
of 1000 atmospheres. Now we know
that the temperature at the bottom of
Aetna is at least 1,500 degrees cent?
grade, therefore, the steam vapor at
that level, by the inflltration of wa
ter, must be In state of very unsta-
ble equilibrium and would be power
fully released by the slightest cir
cumstance. Usually the three volca-
noes can furnish vent for this, but
once about every ESQ years 1t has
gathered in greater power and tor
rife displacement occurs.
Now, note the two peculiar facts
| relative to this Sicilian region. First,
il Is a permanent volcanic region; 1t
does not die as other regions have
done; and, secondly, 1t is a region
surface, as shown by the limited area
OF the effect Of the shock; but, being
near the surface, 1t should. IL 1t IS
caused by physical reasons. die sooner
than regions like Iceland and Snake
river and India. This, however it
has not done. and. therefore. says
F!ammarion, 1t probably is not of n
physical origin But If not physical,
heat, then what? Probably. and
laost likely, chemical heat Do
we know OF any chemical
rover that could keep such
tremendous heat so long2 Yes, says
Flammarion. there could be a chemI-
cal origin. TO which radium or some
unknown kindred substance would be
the source. Now, l give you this ar
gument for your consideration. II II
he worthy, says Flammar!on, of the
worlds thought, then why not com,
mence a thorough scientific examinp
ton In this SicilIan region by tlo
means Of a gigantic well to ascertain
If possible the conditions of the earth
t.. this most interesting region. Sucn
an undertaking would be entirciy
within the limits of the rrosent day
engineering skill, as the heet Is very
near the surface in tbs limited y
| cinity. History tells 81 an avMl
| earthauake in Sicily - 1893. when
| nfty-four cities and three hundred vii
leges were cntirely wiped oni and the
entire island deglCt9icd. Fad it been
as densely populated then as now the
loss of lie woglJ have been enCr-
| nous.
"NoN- MY ages ago. devont