The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-03

From Ms CAuchmaa's Family Magazine.
SO far as modern times are concerned, Iceland,
che western coast of Spain and Portugal, the
south of Italy, and the Levant have been the
only portions of Europe whore seriously de5truc-
tive earthquakes have taken place. Though
North America does not seem to have contributed
very many earthquakes to the list Just given, yet
this is probably from the lack OF records, as the
whole region from California, southwark, border.
ing on the Pacific, is subject to violent earth
quskes. 'Pacifc" as the ocean may be, its bor-
ders are of very different chlracer
and both its Asiatic and its American
coasts are so constantly visited with
ear. hquakes that they, with the Islands
of the Caribbean sea, will stand first on the list oi
earthuuake districts of the Globe. The Pacific
Ocean is in fact, fringed by rocky, earthquake
visited territory. As 10 the times when etrrh-
Quakcs happen In the grylrCst number, there arc
but two facts which can be stated positively. To,
first is very singular, namely, that the greater
part of the earthquakes which have been recorded
occur near TO the time OF the new and of the ili
moon. IL II, of course, very doubtful whether, i
we could throw into the calculation all the car IA
quakes which have gone 10y without biography
or record, we should still ma the same curious
rule holding good. Oar recent earthquake O
October was nearly as far a. possible irOu
the new and full moon. still, for all the hun
dreds-nay, thousands of observed earth
quakes, there is preponoorluee 0t tnose
which have selected either the time of full OF
Of new moon Tor their occurrence, although NO
explanatory theory has ye. bgcn OIL red which
we think worth presenting 10 our readers
The second fact is that the mUjOrity happen n
the colder half Of he year. About four ngpper
from October 10 March lbOtu incluaiYgD tO
every three which occur iu the other part %
the year. The singular thing here Is that th,
same rule holds Tor the British, the Spanish
the French, and the Italian earthquakes. On
the south side Of The equator where rle
months rom October 10 March are the warm
months, they have, So far as our records go, th-
smaller number OF earthquakes but as Ou.
accounts Of earthquakes there are by no means
so full as in Europe, we cannot De so sure of tha
conclusions 10 be drawn. Thus much may be
said, as being matter Of observation, as 70 the
times when earthquakes happen. History also
seems 10 point % something like a rule Tor the
recurrence OF serious and numerous earth
quakes somewhat after the middle Of each
successive century To go back over the last
last century about the middle ll7J3J, occurred
the great Lisbon earthquake; and subsequently
the great Calabriau earthquake sOi also, Ia
the middle Of the seventeenth century there
were great earthquakes in the Mediterranean.
and afterwards, towards its close the grea
Jamaica earthquake; while, ia the middle anu
latter half of the sixteenth century i.hers were
great earthquakes both in Europe and China
An each of these cases, the earthquakes meu-
Noned were the chief earthquakes Of the century
Whether the present century is TO follow this
precedent we are hardly yet advanced enOugh tC
say. Certain It is that the first fifty years saw
but few serious earthquakes, and the last ten OF
Twelve yeals have seemed TO indicate a revival o
the earthquake activity, both 10 the very seriOu
tAlasarophes In the LeVant, and Of those Whcl
~'e occurred In the Eastern seas.