“Among the various phenomena...”

Date

2-21-1812

Newspaper

Augusta Chronicle

Page and Column

Page 2, Column 3, 4, and 5

Newspaper Location

Augusta Chronicle

Serial Number

829

Abstract

Article on earthquake theory.

Transcript

AMONG the various Phenomina the world has experienced, none in nature is so terrible to the human mind as Earthquake. The danger arising from its sudden and unavoidable consequences seems to carry consternation and terror into the bosom of every living creature; this dreadful display of the Majesty of God, destroys at once our self-importance and pride, while it affords to our alarmed senses the strongest evidence of the omnipotence and compassion of an effended Deity, "who has an arm like God? or who can thunder like him, who draweth the mighty with his power and no man is [unreadable] of life? blessed is he that walketh not in the council of the ungodly, for the way of the wicked shall perish." The modern as well as the ancient philosopher has attempted in vain to define the origin and cause of those convulsions. The different Hypothesis by which they have labored to establish the truth of their conclusions are full of objection, error and fable, proving only one fact, "that the ways of God are inserntable to man," and the probability of different causes producing the same effect. Doctor Young is among the last writers of learning and celebrity, who has investigated that indefinable subject, and, as his conclusions appear to be founded upon a rational basis, we submit them to the perusal of our readers, with an account of the most remarkable Earthquakes and their melancholy consequences, which have happened during the last century. It is believed by some that earthquakes are "produced by the sudden expansion of water into vapour; and this indeed coincides with the opinions of various ancient authors; but it is rendered much more probable by the facts which, of late years, have been ascertained respecting the expansibility of steam. The principal facts are as follows. Water, raised to the temperature of 212deg; of Fahrenheit's thermometer, in an ordinary state of the atmosphere, is converted into steam, viz. an elastic fluid, the bulk of which is not much less than 2600 times the bulk of the water from which it originated; and in that state, its elasticity enables it to support the pressure of the atmosphere. If its temperature be increased by about 30deg; more, In as to amount in all to about 242° then its elastic force will be doubled; by the addition of 30° more of heat, its elasticity will be quadrupled; and so on; nor is it known how far this increase of elasticity may be extended, by increasing the temperature. Therefore, if water happens to fall upon any thing, which can instantly communicate a very high degree of heat to it, the elasticity of the vapour, which is thereby produced, may be equal to any force we may have an idea of. The only thing requisite is the ignited substance, which is to furnish a sufficient quantity of heat; and for this purpose. Large quantities of melted metals are the fittest, especially those which require a very high temperature for their fusion; metallic substances bring very good conductors of heat, so that when water falls upon any part of the melted matter, caloric rushes to the spot from every parts of the mass, and instantly converts the water into steam, possessed of a prodigeous elastic force. Now the application of these facts to the production of earthquakes is extremely easy, as will appear from the follow abservations of Dr. Thomas Young. We must not, however, omit to acknowledge that there are certain circumstances, which indicate a connection between the state of the atmosphere and the approach of an earthquake, and which do not seem to admit of an explanation upon this hypothesis. "The shocks of earthquakes," Dr. Young says, "and the eruptions of volcanoes, are, in all probability, modifications of the effects of one common cause: the same countries are liable to both of them; and when the agitation produced by an earthquake extends farther than there is any reason to suspect a subterraneous commotion, it is probably propagated through the earth nearly in the same manner as a noise is conveyed through the air. Volcanoes are found in almost all parts of the world, but most commonly in the neighbourhood of the sea, and especially in small islands; for instance, in Italy, Sicily, Iceland, Japan, the Caribbees, the Cape Verd islands, the Canaries, and the Azores. There are also numerous volcanoes in Mexico and Peru, especially Pichincha and Cotopaxi. The subterraneous fires, which are continually kept up in an open volcanoe, depend perhaps in general on sulphureous combinations and decompositions, like the heating of a heap of wet pyrites, or the union of sulpher and iron fillings: but, in other cases, they may perhaps approach more nearly to the nature of common fires. A mountain of coal has been burning in Siberia for almost a century, and must probably has underminded, in some degree, the neighbouring country. The immediate cause of an eruption appears to be very frequently an admission of waters from the sea, or from subterraneous reservoirs. It has often happened that boiling water has been discharged, in great quantities from volcanoes; and the force of steam is perhaps more adequate to the production of violent explosions, than any other power in nature. The consequence of such an admission of water into an immense collection of ignited materials, may in some measure be understood from the accidents which occasionally happen in founderies; thus, a whole furnace of melted iron was lately dissipated into the air, in Colebrook Dale, by the effect of a flood which suddenly overflowed it." We shall now conclude this article with the account of an idea of preservative against the effects of earthquakes, which has been not only believed, but actually put in practice by various persons at different times. The idea is, that deep wells, by giving vent to the effluvis, whatever they be, that produce earthquakes, will guard cities, buildings, &c. against their effects, or rather that they will prevent the shocks of earthquake. And this effect, provided it be true, seems to be much in favour of the last mentioned hypothesis, namely, that earthquakes are occasioned by the great expansion or elasticity of aqueous vapour. We do not mean to vouch for the truth of it, but we shall briefly mention our authorities. In the city of Naples, there is a pyramid erected before a church, dedicated to St. Januarius under which (Celano, in his first volume of the description of that city, says that) there is a deep well, which has several openings about the base of that pyramid, and which was made expressly for the purpose of saving it from the effects of earthquakes. Tolado, the distinguished astronomer, is much inclined to believe that idea, and he adduces several instances in corraboration of it. (See his Saggio Meteorlogico, printed at Podova, in 1770.) This author, among other instances, says, that the city of Udine, capital of the Frilui, has four very deep wells, and other excavations, made at a very remote period; for they are even mentioned by Palladio: an ancient tradition says, that they were made at a time when that province suffered frequent earthquakes; and that the expedient seems to have been attended with the desired effect. The ancient city of Nola, in the kingdom of Naples, was never known to have been damaged by earthquakes; and this city contains both within and without its boundaries a great number of wells. It is much to be wished, that such cases may be inquired into, and properly examined, wherever they may be thought likely to occur.

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