VOLCANO SCARE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1752, 17 May 1913, Page 14

VOLCANO SCARE.

WHAT PROFESSOR PERCIVAL SAID. A BIG BLOW-UP. Sydney, Hay 9. A notablo vulcanologist, Professor Percival, of Freiburg University, Breisagau, ■ is at present in Sydney, on his. way back to Germany, after bavin# visited Java, New Zealand, and other places wliero volcanic phenomena are to be observed. lie arrived from Auckland last Friday. Ho predicts a biff "blow-up" in New Zealand. It mav, ho says, provo even more destructive than tho Tarawera eruption of a quarter qf a century ago. Explaining tlio object of his mission xo tho various volcanic belts, lie said: "I set out to provo a certain thing, if I could. What happened when the earth was sufficiently cool to support its first crust? Did pressure win tho day, or did temperature? If temperature won tho day wo shall liavo a molten centro and coid crust; but if it was pressure, vte shall havo a solid centre, a ring of molten matter, and a cold crust outside. I hnive always held tho theory that tho earth cooled in precisely tho same manner as the process of crystallisation in saturated fluids in tho laboratory. They first of all form a layer of crystals at tho bottom of the vessel, then there is a crust of crystals, then they form up tlio sides and connect themselves by a network of lines of crystal. That is what I set out to prove, and I am pretty sure I am correct, but I havo not boon able to lay my hand on anything, and say "That is proof.' Cause of tho Trouble. "Volcanoes, as we know, lio along definite lines of longitude, and are not peppered all over the earth's surface. Now, what is the reason? .According to my theory, this is tho result of tho building ST this network of solid matter, leaving molten matter in between." lie spoko rapidly, indicating his ideas in the briefest possible iashion, as though ho supposed the interviewer to havo as profound a knowledge of volcano theories as himself. ... • Professor Percival said that volcanic energy was gradually diminishing. Eruptions were caused by the magnetic uclion of the sun and 1110011 acting over tho samo area of the earth's surface. It was that which had caused tho crupations at Krakatoa and at Martinique. The magnetic pull was over the island of Cuba when the great storm that destroyed Galveston 'occurred, and Aie same influences operated when Pompeii and Herculaneum were overwhelmed by tho eruption of Vesuvius. Referring to New Zealand, tlio Professor said that tho cause of volcanic energy thero was along a line of fault which ran from tho middle of tho Bay of Plenty right across tho North Island from north-north-east to Ho said that ho had noticed a great increase m tho activity of I'otorua since his previous, visit 1G years before, and he deduced from this and other indications that this part of New Zealand was not far away from disaster. ' "If tlio magnetic; pull operates over that region," lie said, in tones of convio'iion, "you aro going to havo an eruption. Tarawera was the safety valve for that area. The crater of Tarawera has been filled up, and we may take it that it is now filially extinct. _ Thero must be a vent for the volcanic energy. It will break forth somewhere, but where and when it is impossible to say. I don't like tho present indications.'