California Earthquakes

THE migrations of that race which, for want of a better name, we must term Anglo-Saxon have led it to lands that, on the whole, have been remarkably free from earthquake disturbances. The eastern and central regions of North America, the Cape of Good Hope, and Australia, the seat of its most considerable colonies, have never suffered from earthquakes very destructive to life or property. Jamaica, the only colony which has been repeatedly devastated by earthquakes, never held any considerable portion of the race ; and New Zealand, an island which there is reason to fear may be as unfortunate in the future as Jamaica has been in the past, has not been long enough settled for us to know how much It has to apprehend. The portions of the earth’s surface most liable to earthquakes have been generally held by Latin races, when peopled by civilized men of European stock.

Until within a few years the Anglo-Saxons had not occupied any portion of the continental border of the Pacific Ocean, and thus had escaped contact with the disturbances which are so common all around this great sea. If the reader will glance at any map whereon the volcanoes of the earth are represented, he will see that the great basin of the Pacific is bordered with a line of these mountains. Along the American coast especially he will perceive that these vents of internal force are so crowded together that the products of their eruptions form an almost continuous belt stretching from Cape Horn to the extremity of the Alaskan Peninsula. The connection which exists between earthquake and volcanic action renders it certain that where the latter is found the former may be expected. These products of internal convulsions, forming mountains miles in height, give man fair warning that, if he plants himself at their base, he must be prepared at any time for the visitation of forces against which he will be incompetent to struggle, which may in a moment destroy him and his proudest works.

It is into this volcano-riven region that the most rapid movement of population ever known is tending. The western slope of the Rocky Mountains, a more important region in point of resources of every description than any other geographical area on the continent, is doubtless to bear within a century a greater population than is now held by the whole area of the United States. Every one who feels an intelligent interest in the future of our race must be concerned for the prospects of this region. Soil, climate, mineral resources, relation to other great centres of population, alike promise that our children and children’s children shall find here all the conditions of prosperity which these features can afford ; but before we can say that the future is altogether bright, we must ascertain whether society can there find a stable footing on a firm-set earth, or whether this portion of our continent is as unfortunate as the similarly situated portion of its southern mate, the coasts of Peru and Chili.

We have only imperfect data concerning the earthquakes of the Californian shore. Although it was occupied at a few points by Jesuit missions and military stations of the Spaniards as early as 1698, there have been no records of earthquake shocks discovered of an earlier date than 1800.¹ Since that date, and prior to 1850, the imperfect archives mention only two years in which earthquakes occurred ; so that, with the exception of three years’ disturbances, only one of which was made memorable by its severity, our record embraces only the earthquakes which have happened within the past twenty years. It is not to be conceived that in the period which has elapsed since the first settlement of the country by the Spaniards until 1850, this coast was disturbed by earthquakes during only three years. As we cannot believe that the outbreak of seismic force was in any way brought about by the coming of the “ Yankees,” we must suppose that the repeated slight shocks which have attracted so much attention from a people born in a land where such movements were rare were entirely overlooked by the Jesuit priest, who, in addition to his characteristic carelessness concerning all natural phenomena, had been long accustomed to such slight movements in Mexico or Peru, whence he came.

The most important shock mentioned in the Jesuit archives occurred during the month of September, 1812, and was of extreme violence. It overthrew the buildings at the missions of San Juan Capistrano in Los Ange'es County, and that of Purissima in the county of Santa Barbara. The following account is derived from the articles on the Earthquakes of California by Dr. J. B. Trask, to whom we are indebted for most that we know concerning the earthquakes of this region. It is to be remembered that the only source of information was the statements of old inhabitants of the country and foreign traders at that time on the coast: —

“ The day was clear and uncommonly warm; it being Sunday, the people had assembled at San Juan Capistrano for evening service. About half an hour after the opening of service, an unusual, loud but distant rushing sound was heard in the atmosphere, to the east and also over the water, which resembled the sound of strong wind ; but as it approached no perceptible breeze accompanied it. The sea was smooth and the air was calm. So distant and loud was this atmospheric sound that several left the building, attracted by the noise.

“Immediately following the sound, the first and heaviest shock of the earthquake occurred, which was sufficiently severe to prostrate the Mission Church of San Capistrano almost in a body, burying in its ruins most of those who remained behind after the first indication of its approach was heard.

“ The number killed is variously stated at from thirty to forty-five (the largest number of persons agree on the smallest number of deaths given), but in the absence of records such statements should be received with many grains of allowance. A considerable number are reported to have been badly injured.”

The church destroyed was a wellbuilt structure ; the walls of stone and cement, and not of adobe. There was a short steeple or cupola attached, which also was overturned by the shock, falling upon the roof of the building.

Accounts agree in describing the movement as a vertical uplift, attended by a rotating motion. Although we cannot believe that such a movement is possible, it is interesting to notice that it is thought to be perceived only in earthquakes of great violence, where the bodies of the observers arc much thrown about by the shocks. The intensity of the shock is also shown by the fact that most of the persons who survived were much affected by dizziness and nausea.

Succeeding the first and most destructive shock, five others were felt during the same day, each accompanied by a loud, deep rumbling ; they were all, however, much less violent than the first movement. The shocks, or at least the sounds which preceded them, seemed to come from the south and east.

“In the valley of Santa Inez, to the south and west of Santa Barbara, the church now known as the 'Mission Vieja’ (La Purissima) was completely destroyed. At this locality there were also a number of lives lost, but what number is yet very uncertain. The distance between Capistrano and Santa Inez is about one hundred and seventy miles. The shock which destroyed this building occurred about one hour after the former, and the greater portion of the inhabitants had left the building but a few minutes before it fell, service having closed. The first shock felt here prostrated the building, as in the preceding case.

“A Spanish ship, which lay at San Buenaventura, thirty-eight miles from Santa Barbara, was much injured by the shock, and leaked to that extent that it became necessary to beach her and remove most of her cargo.”

From a person living in the country at the time we have the following account of the effects of the shocks upon the sea in the bay of Santa Barbara : “The sea was observed to recede from the shore during the continuance of the shocks, and left the latter dry for a considerable distance, when it returned in five or six heavy rollers, which overflowed the plain on which Santa Barbara is built. The inhabitants saw the recession of the sea, and, being aware of the danger on its return, fled to the adjoining hills near the town to escape the threatened deluge.”

The damage done to the houses in Santa Barbara was not great, though from the simple character of the structures great devastation could not have been expected. ,

The destructive shocks above described seem to have been preceded by some very singular disturbances, affecting the southern part of the region which is now the State of California. It seems to be agreed that these shocks began in May, 1812, and continued without interruption for four months and a half. During this time hardly a day passed without a shock, and sometimes thirty occurred during a single day. The severity of the movements and their effect upon the population may be judged by the fact that the people at Santa Barbara fled from their houses and lived in the open air during their continuance.

These events can hardly fail to remind the reader of what occurred during the same year in the region nearly two thousand miles to the eastward, in the valley of the Mississippi.

The New Madrid series of earthquakes began in the month of November, 1811, but the shocks continued for more than two years thereafter. During the months while the Southern Californian region was vibrating in continual movement, the whole basin of the Mississippi, as far west as settlements had then extended, was also receiving frequent shocks, scarcely a day passing without some indication of the disturbing forces within the crust.

It is difficult to conceive how these events, so unexampled in both regions, could have had no other than an accidental connection. If these disturbances were due to the same cause, then it must be supposed that the whole region intervening between California and tire Mississippi Valley was affected by this great convulsion. The history of earthquakes in other regions furnishes us with no such example of a region so extensive vibrating for many months under the influence of continuous earthquake shocks.

In 1850 the earthquake records begin again. It is not a little singular that, although since that date no year has passed without bringing from five to twenty shocks, yet during the four preceding years, although a number of stations were occupied by observant United States officers, we have no note of earthquake movements. The following table gives all the important information (sixty-two light shocks occurring at different places having been omitted from the list) known concerning the earthquakes which have been observed from 1850 to 1866. It is to be regretted that the direction of movement is rarely indicated. The whole of this table, with slight exceptions, is taken from the several papers of Dr. Trask on California Earthquakes.

1850.

May 13. San Francisco. Slight eruption of Mauna Loa, San Jose, and shock same day.

August 4. Stockton and Sacramento. Smart shock.

September 14. San Francisco and San Jose. Smart shock.

1851.

May 15. San Francisco. Three severe Shocks ; a good deal of damage done. Eruption of Mauna Loa, and shock same day.

June 13. San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, and San Fernando. Smart shock. December 31. Downieville. Smart shock.

1852.

November 26. San Simeon, Los Angeles, and San Gabriel. Eleven strong shocks.

November 27, 28, 29, 30, 31. Continued shocks.

This convulsion disturbed an area of over three hundred miles square, extending east from San Luis Obispo to the Colorado River, and north to San Diego. During these shocks two mud-volcanoes broke out in the region of the Colorado.

December 17. San Luis Obispo. Two smart shocks, fractured adobe walls.

l853.

January 2. Mariposa, San Francisco, Bodega, Shasta City. Moderate. February 14. San Luis Obispo. Slight.

March 1. San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara. Smart shock.

April 24, Humboldt Bay. Light.

April 25. Weaverville, Trinity County. Three light shocks.

June 2. Plains of the San Joaquin. Two smart shocks.

September 3. Salinas and San Joaquin Plains. Four shocks.

1854.

January 3. Mariposa, Shasta. Two smart shocks.

May 3, 5 h. 10 m. Santa Barbara.

Three severe shocks. The first preceded by a loud rumbling ; the second, by a sound compared to that made by a high wind. Sea-waves rolled in shortly after the second shock. Not much damage done.

October 26. San Francisco, Benicia. Smart shocks, followed by a sea-wave which caused vessels to sway heavily at their moorings.

1855.

January 13, 18 h.. 30 m. San Benito, San Miguel. Smart shock.

January 24, 22 h. Downieville.

Lasted several seconds ; severe shock ; affected a tract of country having a northand-south diameter of ninety-four miles, and an cast-and-west diameter of thirty miles. Buildings were severely shaken, and large fragments fell from the mountains. A mass of rocks was thrown down from the Downieville Buttes.

June 25, 14 h. Santa Barbara, and north to valley of Santa Maria. Smart shock.

July 10, 20 h. 15 m. Los Angeles. Severe shock. Much damage done.

Four shocks were felt in about twelve seconds; fissures were formed in the earth at many places, some of these two inches wide. Twenty-six buildings in the town were considerably injured. At Point St. Juan two unusually heavy waves rolled in just after the last shock.

October 21, 19 h. 45 m. San Francisco. Smart shock. “ Much commotion in the water of the harbor a few minutes preceding the shock.”

December 11, 4 h. San Francisco, Mission Dolores. At the latter place quite severe.

1856.

January 2, 10 h. 15 m. San Francisco, from the north. Smart shock, A pendulum indicated a movement of about five and a half inches.

January 21, 16 h. San Francisco. Smart shock. Most severe in southwest part of the city.

January 28, 3 h. Petaluma, Sonoma County. Smart shock,

January 29, oh. 45 m. San Francisco, Mission Dolores. Slight. Three distinct movements, apparently from the westward.

February 15, 5 h. 25 m. San Francisco, Monterey, Bodega, Santa Rosa, San Jose, and Stockton. Violent shock. The region affected by this convulsion had a length from north to south of over one hundred and forty miles and a width of about seventy miles. There were two distinct shocks, the second very much the lightest. The movement seemed to come from the northwest. Many buildings were injured. The fissures formed in their walls had all a direction nearly northwest and southeast. The force seemed to emerge from the earth at a tolerably steep angle and with a considerable velocity. Small articles were thrown three or four feet.

April 6, 23 h. 30 m. Los Angeles, The Monte. Smart shock.

May 10, 21 h. 10m. San Francisco. Light, with a sound which was mistaken for the sound of a cannon.

May 2, oh. 10m. Los Angeles. Severe shock. Preceded by “ two reports like the blasting of rocks ” from the northwest.

August 27, 21 h. 15 m. Mission, San Juan, Monterey, Santa Cruz. Moderate shock, twice repeated from the west.

September 6, 3 h. Santa Cruz. Smart shock. People left their beds.

September 20, 23 h. 30 m. San Diego County. Very severe shock.

Ceilings were shaken down at Santa Isabel; “the cattle stampeded, and ran bellowing in all directions, and the Indians seemed equally terrified.”

November 12, 4h. Humboldt Bay. Smart shock.

1857.

January 9. Sacramento, and southward to the southern boundary of California. Powerful shock. “At Santa Barbara water was thrown out of a well in which it stood four feet from the surface.”

January 20, 8 h. 30 m. Santa Cruz, Mission, San Juan. Strong shock.

January 21, evening. Mariposa. From the northwest, accompanied with noise like a gun. Smart shock.

July 5, 7 h. San Francisco. Severe. Buildings on made ground were much shaken, those on firm earth did not suffer.

March 14, 15 h. Santa Barbara and Montecito. Severe shocks. “ Momentary in duration, attended with a loud report.”

May 3, 22 h. Los Angeles and The Monte. Smart shock.

May 23. Los Angeles. Slight, severe at Fort Tejon.

June 14. Humboldt Bay. Severe.

August 8, 11 h. Rabbit Creek, Sierra County. Smart shock.

August 29. Tejon Reserve. Severe shock.

September 2, 19 h. 45 m. San Francisco, Sacramento, Marysville, Nevada, San Juan, Downieville, and Camptonville. Slight.

October 19, rSh. 30 m. San Francisco. Severe.

October 20. Three shocks, at 12 h. 8m., 12 h. 35 m,, and 13 h. 15 m. Last quite severe, caused general fright. Felt at San Jose, but not at Oakland.

1858.

February 10. Kanaka Flat, Sierra County. Smart shock.

September 2. Santa Barbara. Smart shock. September 3, o h. 40 m. San Jose, Santa Cruz. Strong shock.

September 12, 19 h. 40 m. San Francisco, Smart shock; two movements from north to south.

Created great alarm, but did little damage. Although of considerable power, this disturbance seems to have been limited to an area not more than twelve miles square.

1859.

January 25, 20 h. 20 m. Trinity and Shasta Counties. Severe shock.

April 4, 13 h. San Jose. Severe, several vibrations from north to south.

August 10, 22 h. 35 m. San Francisco. Smart shock.

September 26, 6 h. 10 m. San Francisco. Smart shock.

October 5, 13 h. 8 m. San Francisco, Strong shock.

December 1, oh. 50m. San Francisco. Smart shock.

December 1, 14 h. 10 m. San Francisco. Many successive shocks, some quite powerful, causing much alarm. No damage done.

1860.

March 15, 11 h. Sacramento, counties of Placer, Nevada, El Dorado, and Plumas. Violent shock. The churchbells tolled in Sacramento and at Iowa Hill.

March 27. Los Angeles and vicinity. Severe.

November 12. Humboldt Bay. Smart shock.

December 21, 6h. 30 m. Repeated slight vibrations extending over a period of half an hour, noticeable only by the vi-

brations of the mercury in the barometer.

1861.

July 4, 16 h. 11m. San Francisco. Severe shock.

Three distinct movements were felt. Fissures opened in the San Ramon valley, and new springs were produced. For several days light shocks were felt in the region about the city.

1862.

September 29, 15 h. 5 m. San Francisco. Strong shock.

December 23, 20 h. 19 m. San Francisco. Smart shock.

1863.

January 25, 5 h. 20m. San Diego. Severe shock; continued five to eight seconds. A series of sharp jars, preceded by a “ profound rumbling Sound.”

February 1, 16 h. 1 m. Mission San Juan, Monterey County. Strong shock.

February 1, 16 h. 15 m. Gilroy’s (12 miles east of last-named place). Strong shock. The two last-named shocks were quite local.

June, San Francisco. Smart shock.

July 15, 10h. 19m. San Francisco. Smart shock.

December 19, 12h. 38 m. San Francisco. A very smart shock followed by one still more severe. “ The first was a sharp, sudden jar, the second undulatory.”No damage done.

1864.

February 26, 5 h. 45 m. San Francisco. Smart shock, three distinct vibrations. An electric storm the day previous.

March 5, 8n. 49 m. San Francisco, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Stockton, Petaluma, Santa Clara. A shock of considerable violence at all these points, at the last named most violent, where the shock continued about two minutes, causing the church-spires to wave to and fro.

March 10, 14 h. 8 m. San Francisco. A light shock.

March 22, 13 h, Stockton. Smart shock.

May 20, 18 h. 1 m. San Francisco. Slight. At Stockton severe nine minutes later. Napa at 18 h, 57 m. Severe. At Sacramento at 18 h. Very severe.

June 22, 20 h. 53 m. San Francisco. Smart shock. Three distinct movements, with a low rumbling sound. Shocks peculiarly abrupt. Was felt over a region one hundred and thirty-two miles in length.

July 5, 20 h. 3 m. San Francisco. Moderate. Four vibrations, the longest lasting nineteen seconds, the shortest six seconds, separated by intervals of from forty to seventy-five seconds.

July 21, 2 h. 7 m. San Francisco. Smart shock.

July 22, 22 h. 40m. 38s. San Francisco. Felt also at San Jose, Stockton, and Los Angeles. Strong shock. Two movements from north, 13° E. Pendulum swung eighteen inches.

August 18, 5h. 18 m. Grass Valley, Nevada. Very strong. Threw down the wall of a well.

September 27, 10 h. 32 m. Mission San Juan, Monterey County. Strong shock.

October 6, 21 h. 9 m. San Francisco. Smart shock.

October 14, 1 h. 8 m. Mission San Juan. Two heavy shocks.

October 14, 10 h. 25 m. Mission San Juan. One heavy shock. All these were from west to east,

December 11, 20 h. 52 m. San Francisco, San Jose ; the last place one minute later, and more severe.

1865.

January 9, 7 h. Santa Rosa, Sonoma County. Smart shock.

March 7, 23 h. San Francisco. Smart shock.

March 8, 6 h. 20 m. San Francisco. Smart shock.

March 30, 7 h. 28 m. San Francisco. Very smart shock.

April 15, oh. 40m. San Diego. Severe shock. Three movements in quick succession, preceded by a rushing sound. April 18, 13 h. 31m. San Francisco, Angel Island, Oakland, San Juan. Light at first three localities; severe at San Juan.

April 27, 15 h. 56 m. San Francisco.

May 24, 3 h. 21 m. San Francisco, San Juan, Santa Cruz. Smart shock. At the first place a single movement; at the second, two waves.

September 22. York a. Smart shock. October 1, 9h. 15 m. Fort Humboldt. Very smart shock.

October 8, 12 h. 46 m. San Francisco, San Jose, Stockton, Santa Cruz, Sacramento, etc.

Very severe shock. Regarded as the most severe since the annexation of the Territory. No very serious damage Avas done, and no lives lost. Many buildings were fractured, but most of these were evidently insecure, or built upon the made lands on the city’s front. The shock was followed by a condition of continuous vibration, which lasted for about ten hours. At no time during this period did the vibratory movement cease. The shock came from north 50° W, October 8, 22 h. 1 m. Same places as preceding. Light shock.

October 9, 10 h. 34 m. San Francisco. Another light shock.

October 9, 11h. 32 m. San Francisco. Light shock. After this shock the earth continued to vibrate for fortyeight hours.

October 13, 2 h. 5 m. San Francisco, Oakland, Santa Clara, Angel Island. Smart shock.

November 24, 3 h. 45 m. Walsonville, Santa Cruz County. Smart shock.

The connection between the California earthquakes and those which occur on the northern portion of the Pacific coast of North America is yet to be traced. It seems likely, however, that the coast is not as uniformly affected by these disturbances as is the western coast of South America. The writer has not succeeded in finding any accounts of Oregon earthquakes which would render a comparison with the California shocks possible. At Vancouver’s Island slight shocks frequently occur, a year rarely passing without some disturbance : but none of the shocks observed there have produced any destructive effects ; none have equalled the severer shocks of the California area. Wherever the direction of the shocks has been observed they have been found to come from the west and pass away to the east, having the same direction as most of the severe California shocks have.

The slight evidences of volcanic activity which have been observed in several of the group of gigantic volcanoes .at the mouth of the Columbia River have not been attended by shocks such as are usual on the reawakening of a volcanic centre from a period of repose.

Passing still farther to the northward, we come at once upon a region of very intense volcanic activity, and where earthquakes, though local in their character, have exhibited the most extreme violence. The Alaskan seismic area displays a more energetic manifestation of internal forces than any other part of the American continents. Some of the forty or fifty volcanoes, scattered on sea or land between Mount St. Elias and the western extremity of the volcanic chain of islands which unites our continent with Asia, are almost constantly in eruption, and their outbreaks are generally attended with violent earthquake shocks.

The first recorded shock in this region occurred in 1790. A ship then among the Aleutian Islands, near the Alaskan peninsula, received a severe blow, which caused the mariners to think that she had struck. At Uralaska, in 1802, there occurred a shock of extreme violence, which threw down the low huts of the natives. — structures admirably adapted to resist earthquakes. These shocks were repeated constantly at this point from 1795 to 1802, scarcely a month passing without a recurrence of the disturbance. In 1812 the shocks which occurred in the island of Atkha were of such extreme violence that the natives, well accustomed to earthquake action, believed that they must all perish. In 1818 and 1820 local shocks of great severity occurred among the larger islands of the Aleutian archipelago. In 1836 the islands of St. Paul and St. George received shocks of such violence that persons could not keep their feet. Rocks detached themselves in numerous masses from the mountains, making immense accumulations of débris at their feet. In 1849, on the 28th of October, there occurred a great shock on the islands of Mednoj and Beringof, which is said to have continued all night. The sea was in a state of continual movement during the night. On the 26th of July, 1856, there occurred in the group of islands just west of the extremity of the Alaskan peninsula a most remarkable convulsion. The only accounts we have come from the captains of some whaleships then passing through the Strait of Onnimah; and one cannot but believe their accounts much exaggerated. On the date above mentioned these navigators found several volcanic cones along the strait in a state of violent eruption. The wind falling, they were left close to the shore, unwilling spectators to a terrible scene. The accumulated cloud of the eruption settled down on the surface of the water, wrapping the ships in total darkness, and pouring upon them a dense shower of ashes, which fell with the rapidity of a fierce snow-storm. The earthquake shocks, which they had felt all the day, became more and more violent. After a time, a breeze removed them from their position of extreme danger, but for over one hundred miles they found the same dense cloud of ashes and suffocating fumes. While on their way to escape the dangers of the eruptions of the existing volcanoes, they encountered one in course of formation. With a deep rumbling sound the waters divided, and an immense volcanic mass lifted itself suddenly above the level of the sea. From this mass, say these veracious whalers, there was poured forth first an immense torrent of water, then a column of flame and smoke, and afterwards lava and pumice-stone, the latter being thrown to a great height and covering the vessels with fragments. Having attained the height of its eruption, the new-made volcano sank suddenly again into the sea, dragging the waters into the gulf with the violence of the maelstrom. In their flight from these terrible scenes, the mariners saw this uplifting of the crater and its submergence repeated several times, and heard the continual roar of this struggle of the elements.

It is probably a fortunate thing that the inhospitable and unproductive character of the Alaskan region will prevent any extensive settlements of civilized man in the midst of the terrible convulsions which are there so frequently occurring.

The fear has often been expressed that we may see in California the same deplorable results of earthquake action which have so often been beheld in the South American continuation of this Pacific shore-line. The list of the shocks which occurred during the fifteen years which elapsed between 1850 and 1868 certainly seems to show that this region has beneath it, or beneath the surface of the sea which lies near it, all the conditions necessary to the production of frequent earthquakes ; and the character of the convulsion which occurred in 1812, as well as one or two of those of recent date, shows beyond all question that these forces may act with such violence as to prove very destructive. There can be no doubt that the recurrence of such a shock as ruined the churches at Santa Barbara, and that at the Mission San Juan Capistrano, would produce terrible results upon life and property in even the present thinly-peopled condition of the country traversed by that shock. While it cannot be denied that there is something to fear from seismic forces in our Pacific region, it cannot legitimately be concluded, from the history of that region, that the risk is greater than that which is incurred by the inhabitants of the banks of the Mississippi or the shores of Massachusetts Bay. The year of the Santa Barbara earthquake brought an even more intense convulsion to the region along the banks of the great river ; and the records of Massachusetts show at least one shock — that of 1755 — which in violence was probably not much exceeded by any Californian earthquake. The repeated warnings of the existence of this destroying force beneath their feet has led the people of the Californian cities to build with somewhat greater care than they might otherwise have done. And when experience has taught them the simple lessons which it is necessary to practise in order to obviate a large portion of the dangers occurring from these convulsions, there is no reason why this region, despite the frequent light.shocks to which it is subject, may not enjoy as happy immunity from their worst effects as any portion of the continent now occupied by our people.

To the student of earthquake phenomena, the Californian earthquakes have an interest disproportionate to the magnitude of the results produced by them. There seems little doubt that this portion of the Pacific coast sympathizes with the earthquakes which occur in the Sandwich Islands. On several occasions earthquake shocks at San Francisco have occurred on the same day that shocks have been felt or volcanic eruptions taken place in those islands, more than twenty-five hundred miles away. This is a very great distance for shocks of ordinary violence to cover.

In the number of slight shocks which are constantly occurring this region coincides in character with the western part of South America ; it differs from it in having at least a comparative immunity from severer shocks. There are portions of the great chain of the Cordilleras of North and South America of the earthquake character of which we are quite ignorant. Enough is known, however, to warrant the assertion that this great chain, extending from Behring Strait to Cape Horn, is, on the seaward side at least, singularly liable to earthquake movements. Although older than the Himalaya Mountains, this great chain of Andes and Rocky Mountains seems to be the seat of far more energetic formative action. The almost continual trembling of some portion of the chain, the not infrequent indications of elevation of the coast-line after a severe shock, seem to show that the forces which lift up mountains are still at work beneath this chain. May it not be that they yet will give to our continents the highest as well as the longest mountain-axis of the earth ?