The crust of the earth sometimes will move along fractures called fissures

folds

earthquakes

faults

connections  to the  book night by elie wiesel.   elie wiesel  is a holocaust survivor. as a young, jewish boy he was taken from his home with his family by the nazis. he was taken because he is jewish.

i think these lines use imagery to describe the train arriving at station for the night

"and stop to feed itself at tank"

"at its own stable door"