An interesting account of a submarine volcano was reported by the Captain of the bark Alice Frazer, in latitude fifty-four degrees thirty-six minutes, longitude one hundred and thirty-five degrees west, which is as follows: A portion of the whaling fleet, four in number, were running through the Straits of Ourinack, on the twenty-sixth of July last; while passing the straits a submarine volcano burst out, sending a column of water several hundred feet upward; immediately following this, immense masses of lava were projected into the air, and the sea for miles and for days afterward, was covered with floating fragments of pumice. The ships Scotland and Enterprise were nearer the volcano than the ships Frazer and Wm. Thomson; on the decks of the two former considerable pumice, lava, and ashes fell. There were seven vessels in the straits at the time of the occurrence, three of which names I could not learn.
The outburst was accompanied with violent shocks of earthquake. It is the opinion of Captain Newell, of the Alice Frazer, that considerable shoaling has been the result of this submarine action.
On the Direction and Velocity of the Earthquake in California, January 9, 1857—By Dr. John B. Trask.
The earthquake which occurred in various parts of this State, on the morning of the ninth January last excited at the time considerable attention. This arose from two causes. First, from the varied reports that appeared on the following day through the press of the city, detailing its occurrence in remote mountain towns, and for which there was no foundation. Secondly, from the great extent over which the commotion was felt, as was subsequently proved.
Immediately following the occurrence of the phenomenon, letters were addressed to all the principal towns between Mariposa and Downieville, east of the valleys, for the purpose of learning how far the shocks may have extended eastward of this city. These letters were forwarded by the Pacific Express Company to their agents, and through them answers were returned in every case but two through the same source. From the facts thus obtained, it was found that in no locality east of the foothills, was any shock felt on that day or night.
Another report, equally unfounded, reached us on the arrival of the steamer from the southern coast, to the effect that several houses had been demolished in San Diego from its violence, while the facts in the case are that the steamer left that port twenty-four hours before the shock occurred there.
This earthquake, or more properly speaking the series of shocks that began on the night of the eighth in this city, and which continued in the south part of the State during the following day and night of the ninth, was probably the most extensive of any on record on this portion of the Pacific coast, excepting, perhaps, that of the wave of the Simoda earthquake in December, 1854. The linear distance over which we are able to trace its course, amounts to six hundred and two miles, and its breadth, so far as now ascertained, is two hundred and ninety miles. It has all the appearance of having been the terminal movement of some more violent commotion at a distance from our coast.
From the best evidence obtainable at present, it seems to have had its origin to the west and traveled in an easterly direction. This is conclusively proved from the fact that it was felt earlier at San Francisco than at any other locality east of this city within the State. We have no record as yet of its occurrence along the coast of Mexico or of Oregon.
I have been able to determine with considerable accuracy the period of time at which the shock between eight and nine o’clock on the morning of the ninth took place, at four localities east of the City of San Francisco, in this State; as the shock at that hour seems to have been more generally noticed than those which either preceded or followed it here or elsewhere, though at this city it was much less marked than the shocks at 1h. 33m., 4h. 15m., and 7h., these three latter occurring at those hours of the morning when most persons are sleeping. The shock at 7h., produced a circular motion in the pendulum, the diameter of which was about five inches. The oscillations of the pendulum in all the others were in an easterly and westerly direction.
The precise period of time at which the shock took place at San Francisco, between eight and nine o’clock, is determined by the stopping of a time-piece belonging to J. W. Tucker, whose rate of error was three seconds fast. The time at San Diego was furnished by Mr. Cassidy, of the army, and that of the Tejon Reserve is by persons at that post. To private gentlemen at Sacramento and Stockton we are indebted for the time at those places. The accompanying table of latitudes and longitudes of localities named, gives the hour at which the shock took place at each; the difference or elapsed time, from which the velocity was deduced, are the mean times corrected for the places named, the time as given above being taken as the standard at San Francisco.