The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-01-03
FAULT PLANE OF
WASATCH RANCE
Its Relation to Local Seismic
Disturbances Explained by
Professor Pack.
SALT LAKE VALLEY HAS
BEEN LOWERING FOR YEARS
Interesting Lecture Delivered
Before Monday Night Club
About This Locality.

An interesting session OF the Monday
Night club was held at the residence OF
a. o. Gates. Third avenue and streets.
Monday evening. The principal feature
of the meeting was the talk by DR., Fred
j. Pack OF the University of Utah. on
The Wasatch Fault Plane and its re-
lation TO local seismic disturbances.
DR.. Pack prefaced his remarks by ex
planning the nature. distribution and
causes OF earthquakes. and by classify
Ing them. according To geological data.
in his preliminary remarks DIR. Pack
mentioned one recent discovery in the
domain of geology which Is as far-rcach-
ing as interesting to the scientist. viz,
Professor Frank Adams. n Canadian Geol
ogist. has proved that solid marble may
be compressed into nearly any desired
shape without the slightest fracture. One
experiment made was with a three foot
cube of marble. having on two surfaces
an enormous pressure, in which the solid
rock was pressed into tablet form and
yet remained unfracturcd This demon
stratcs conclusively that the carth's crust
counting for distortions and wave forms
without breaking the formations.
AS to Seismic Disturbances.
DR.. Pack divided seismic disturbances
into two classes. VIZ. those caused
through slipping of fault planes. and
Coming down to local conditions he said
that the first reliable information CON
corning Utah fault planes, and the geol-
oSy relative thereto. was given us about
forty years ago by Clarence King OF the
United States geological survey. :
The Wasatch valley especially the Salt
Lake valley. has been lowering for u
long period OF time. Our deepest borings
about 1000 feet. have not penetrated the
sedmentary deposit. The Wssatch fault
plane being near Colinston on the north
and extends down 70 Nephi on the south
and its line bends in and out along It's
course. touching at Ogden Hot springs
Beck's Hot springs and then passing
near the old tower on the south side OF
City Creek canyon. In Salt Lake. from
which point it bends off toward Fort
Douglas. continuing its course in zig gag
fashion toward Nephi. The hot springs
along this line are the result of heat
generated from the slippings along tho
fault; these slight drops. as they are,
produce enormous heat thus causing hot
with the heated lodges.
Tremendous Drop.
Near Becks Hot springs is a drop OF
100 feet which occurred AT ono time
while the slip which caused the San
Francisco earthquake measured but
thirty inches, and this local drop occurred
In recent times. as Geologists measure
time, This greatest Of all known dis
placements Is so great that ii stagEers
comprehension when compared with any
other known data. There may come an
other gigantic slip along the Wasatcf
cscarpment. as geologists arc agreed that
II must come. The only consoling fact is
that no ono knows when il will come. oil
that il Will come before the millennium.
DR.. Pack also explained verS minutely
the plan OF the seismograph. ono OF which
Is In place at the University OF Utah
The meeting was well attended and tho
audience appreciative.