The Detroit times., 1914-07-24
VOLCANOES ARE
SAFETY VALVES
FOR The EARTH
Whatever Damage They DO LO-
cally Is More Than Offset BY
Value TO the Globe
CAUSED BY STEAM UNDER
EARTH'S OUTER CRUST
Science Accepts Theory That In
terror Ofe World Is Molten Mass
Which Causes Outbreaks

Volcanoes are the earth's safety
valves Whatever damage they do 10
cally is greatly Offset by their value
TO the entire globe Without yolca
nies the world would be like a boiler
without valves in a BRIEF time
enough steam would form inside e
wreck the whole planet. instead OF
escaping. more or less violently
through small openings
In explaining volcanoes science &C
cepts the theory that the inside OF the
earth is a molten mass at an extreme
ly high temperature by pressure. 4
hard crust Of 20 miles or SO In thick
ness forms the outside. The neces
sity OF volcanoes arises through the
seepage OF moisture through the outer
crust II turns into steam and musl
have some way OF escaping
Until recent years. volcano was
compared To boil. where the flesh
swells, finally breaks anu exudes mat
ter To some extent that is true.
Volcanoes were hrst formed when
the steam pressure inside the earth S
crust became so great that IL forced
its way out Ii found the place OF
least resistance. probably a assure or
X.
regions OF great heat produced a re,
lief OF pressure,
The highly heated rocks We're grad
ually forced upward As they rose
higher they became less solid and
finally expanded into masses that
could flow out the assure The cool
ing process began as soon as the lava
stream reached the air This caused
II TO form a mound or cone around
the assure, which later developed
into the volcano as we know H. What
ever upheaval or the earth occurred
was offset by subsequent settings, so
IL is probable that the earth's crust
sways instead or buges. as does a
boil at a volcano
The volcanic regions OF the world
are clearly marked. A glance at a
map on which the position of volcanic
vents is marked shows that the dtstri-
button can hardly be matter Of
chance The majority Of them are in
the vicinity OF the ocean. They are
often situated on islands The only
ones at a distance from coast line
are either extinct or so sluggish as
10 attract little attention
The series OF mountain chains fol
lowing the Pacific coast OF the Amer
lean continents form the greatest vol
canic vent II bends westward along
the Aleutian islands and connects
with another vent through KANT
schatka, Japan the Philippines and
East Indies A line along the north
ern side OF the Mediterranean sea
would include Nesuyius, Aetna Strom
boil and the other volcanoes OF
Europe AT right angles 10 that line
is another ia Asia
The recent series OF eruptions -13
in number--by Mount Lassen, near
Redding, Cal, came as a distinct sur
prise 70 the general public, but not to
scientists II was known as a poten-
italy active volcano
Some yolcanologists maintain that
a volcano never becomes extinct, IL
is merely inactive As proof they cite
the numerous instances where pre-
sumably extinct volcanoes have erupt-
ed
Volcanic disturbances have no reg,
ularity. although some particular vol
canoes are more or less regular in
their habits StrombOli is an example
Ii has belched luminous gases for
centuries until il has been given the
sobriquet OF the Lighthouse An
eruption is described as "a discharge
from underground. more or less ex-
plosiyoly, OF material which is. or has
been. in a molten condition In eff
feet il Is like he opening of a bottle
OF effervescent liquid II the cork is
removed slowly gas forms in small
hubblps we'll down in the hottie and