86 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



A Look into the Future 



As to what the future holds in store for the three regions we can 

 only judge by the past. The Charleston earthquake, as far as shocks 

 of any intensity in recent times are concerned, is unique in the Atlantic 

 Coastal region. The equilibrium has probably been regained since 

 the slip of 1886, and it may be ages before another occurs. San Fran- 

 cisco, on the other hand, is in an earthquake region, shocks are of 

 common occurrence, and another of an intensity equal to or greater than 

 the recent disturbance may occur at any time, although, on the other 

 hand, the temporary adjustment brought about by the recent slip 

 tends to decrease the danger of an immediate severe shock. 



In the New Madrid area, however, the earthquake of 1811-12 was 

 only one of a series. Cracks may be found with trees fully 200 years 

 old growing in their bottoms, indicating early shakes of equal if not 

 greater intensity than the last. Nor has the movement yet ceased. 

 Every year there are one or more shocks, sufficient to shake objects 

 from shelves, and to seriously affect wells and springs. Only last 

 summer the newspapers were full of accounts of such a shock in south- 

 eastern Missouri and adjoining regions — the very area of the New 

 Madrid earthquake. If there have been two or more strong shocks 

 with an intensity far greater than the Charleston quake, and if the 

 readjustment is not completed as is positively indicated by the recent 

 shocks, then there is every reason to believe that disturbances of equal 

 severity may occur in the future. Such quakes, it goes without saying, 

 would be disastrous to such towns as Hickman in Kentucky, Caruthers- 

 ville, New Madrid, Campbell and others in Missouri, all of which are in 

 the area of disturbance. The larger cities of Cairo and Memphis, 

 although outside the main area, would also probably suffer severely, as 

 they are built on soft deposits overlooking the Mississippi in situations 

 favoring easy slipping towards the streams. Such spots were often 

 severely fissured by the early quake, large masses slipping into the 

 river, and what has occurred once may occur again. St. Louis would 

 also probably be severely shaken, but its buildings are less liable to 

 destruction from a shock originating in the New Madrid area because 

 of the remoteness from the point of disturbance. 



