EARTHQUAKES IN NORTH CAROLINA. 259 



tious, lie may feel the earthquake-sliocks and yet bear no noise; or, if 

 sounds should reach him after an interval of time, they may come from 

 a distant section capable of producing them, but which mnst be trans- 

 mitted to his ear through the intervening atmosphere. 



This discussion leads me to the conclusion that the phenomena con- 

 nected with the agitation of Stone Mountain must be referred to that 

 general volcanic or eartliqualie force, which seems as necessary to the 

 economy of nature as light, heat, or electricity. I am not bold enough 

 to venture a theory sufliciently broad to explain these peculiar phenom- 

 ena. I cannot penetrate the earth to examine the configuration of its 

 inner surface. There may be broad and high arches under which the 

 earth quake- wave may move without disturbing the crust above; or 

 there may be deep depressions presenting walls, against which the mol- 

 ten tide may beat and break and send up its thundering vibrations to 

 the summit of the loftiest mountain. All this is hypothetical and un- 

 satisfactory. But although we are not sufliciently acquainted with the 

 nature of this force, its modes of action and the laws which govern it, 

 to suggest a theory capable of explaining all the phenomena, yet we 

 may examine the facts with reference to the probability of Stone Moun- 

 tain becoming an eruptive volcano. While the explosive character of 

 the sounds, simultaueousness of sounds and shocks, and the limited 

 area of agitation seem to indicate some local cause, yet the general rule 

 which regulates the distribution of volcanoes on continents seems to 

 militate against such a conclusion. Volcanoes are arranged along the 

 border regions of continents, as between the Pacific and Eocky Moun- 

 tains, on islands of the coast, or oceanic islands. They are generally 

 confined to the borders of larger oceans and are seldom found in the 

 interior of continents. There are none in America east of the Andes 

 antl Eocky Mountains, and no remains of volcanic action have ever been 

 found along the Appalachian range. These are important facts, indi- 

 cating no chance results, but pointing to a natural law which regulated 

 their geographical distribution. And when we consider, too, that vol- 

 canoes, with but few exceptions, are only a few miles from the sea or 

 lake ; that the Blue Eidge, of which Stone Mountain is only an append- 

 age, is two hundred and fifty miles from the xitlantic, and presents no 

 marks of former eruptive action, we cannot believe that in these latter days 

 it will behave itself unseemly and do violence to that natural law which 

 planted it in the garden-spot of the South, and gave to the Carolinas 

 the grandest, loveliest scenery on the Appalachian range. 



[The following suggestions may be considered as a j)ossible solution 

 of the phenomena in question : It is a well-established fact in geology 

 that the surface of the earth has undergone and is undergoing changes. 

 The highest mountain-chains have been in past geological periods be- 

 neath the surface of the sea, as is evident from the marine shells which 

 are found in their strata. It is also well established that some portions 

 of the earth's surface are at present gradually rising and others slowly 



