The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1871-03-18
written for the Pacific Commercial Advsr"re'J
aonefhfnx nbout Earthquake

SODlGLllIIIk O0
Whether excited by volcanic 6res or an electro
magnetic current, the mysterious power o' W"
earthquake always. awakens a feeling OF awe !"
man. Like the shock which makes the eartn "e"-
! bic and groan as if in a great agony, u proo"ces
shock on the nervous system oil man thf moi'
fearful. for the reason that he knows not the eaust'
and he feels that it rs an invincibie power which
n. cannot guard against. lie can but reflect ON
his utter Iittleness, when compared 70 q mis"v
energ;cs of nature. He feels hfs extreme helpless
aass i9tbat he /. n mere atom. tossed about at the
snort of the elements. like the mote in the breeze
When the shock has passed and calmer reason sue
ceeds 10 the hopeless panic that has seized him he
asks the cause of the terrible force which has rent
the earth. rocked the seated hills, or tlmoied
down mountains. leveled cities and caused the sea
10 boil as a cauldron, or hurled il on the land III u
crushing and resistless tide.
Was IL n volcanic force bursting forth from
carth's heart of fame? Was il an electromagnetic
current exploding and flashing through the earuh
! like lightning from the stoIm cloud 1.-The Hasnand
defamation of a terrene electric Storm Or ala IL
originate from the disntegration OF nm internal
mass of the earth's crust falling and producing a
shock on some other portion Of the so-called crust
For. strange as it may seem, the latter theory mas
been seriously maintained. .ra.
Many years residence in volcanic countries and
in lands where earthquakes are common. and q
close examination of phenomena, have caused the
writer of this article to arrive at c0nclusfons snus-
factory TO his own mind rs it regards the cause OF
earthquakes. Whether others shall arrive at the
same result from the facts, matters not, but IL can
produce no harm TO state the theory.
The electromagnetic current of The earth and
the axis of volcanic action are the same on tho
..-4ls y. .. f. 49, nnrthxuaQt IN aoutlanRl The
trend of the great mountain chains is the same,
whether they have been elevated by volcanic
action, or by the b~reakage OF the eerth's crust by
shrinkage in the cooling process. The true mag
netic poles of the earth do not correspond with
the earth's true physical polarity. The magnetic
pole at the north is westward Of the true pole, TINT
of the south is eastward. This accounts for the
line Of divergence from the true physical pole.
That this magnetic polarity has remained nm
changed through long periods of ages, IL proven
by earth's Typography. The limits of this article
will not permit OF detail. ~ t.A
There is an electromagnetic current, that circu-
lates from and to the poles, a positive and a mega
tive, the one flashing through the earth, the other
above il. The harmonious order Of nature re-
quires an equilibrium in these currents. and IL IN
unnecessary here to inquire into the great agency
of this current in the laws which govern life and
motion. II any cause generates electric fluid to
disturb this equilibrium, an explosion follows, as
in the thunder cloud. Volcanic fires generate the
electric fluid. hence explosions or earthquakes are
more common in volcanic countries. Volcanoes
are not the immediate but the exciting cause, by
generating an overplus in the lower electric cur
rent, and the earthquake follows as a result Of the
fluid seeking an equilibrium. gIe 1885. U.W
Hence, at the centre Of all earthquake motion,
there will be an upheaval as we recede from 1t
the motion becomes lateral, although the general
direction is on the line of the electromagnetic Cur
rent from northwest to southeast. The proximity
to the centre of action has frequently caused con-
fusion in the general direction. To cite, an illus
tration: The centre Of action of the earthquake
of the 10th February last, was evidently south by
west of Lanai, not very remote from it and in the
ocean. The schooner Annie, sailing in the channel
between Kahoolawe and Lanai, felt a perpendicu-
lar upheaving shock, as If the vessel had run upon
a reef To most OF the residents of Lahaina, al
though there was an apparent upheaval, the shock
appeared to come from south by west. To those
on Lanai, it was more perpendicular, while TO the
people of Oahu, the shock seemed 10 come from a
southern direction. In Kohala, the shock appeared
to come from the northwest. The motion, how.
ever, at all points, after the FIRST explosion, was on
the general line Of volcano-electric action from
northwest to southeast. ala rls
l have experienced many shocks in various por-
tons OF the earth, and their action was always
similar, relatively 10 the various centres Of action.
Earthquakes are local. They are not more general
than a thunder storm. II is trne that they some
times come with such terrible force that a large
extent Of the earth's surface is Jared, but the
centre of action can always be definitely traced.
The great earthquake, which proved 30 destructive
in Japan a few years since, rolled in a wave that
broke on the California coast, although the shock
was not felt there. r.rrr rFv.frH n gn.eN
Ny limits will only permit me to detail a few OF
the facts which prove an electric agency in earth
quakes. -
Let any person remember the state of HIS system
after a violent shock, and be will recognize the
fact, that bis feelings were the same as II he had
been placed under a strong electric battery. In
many instances the damage caused is as Il pro
duced by lightning striking from below. Metallic
basins and tanks have been emptied OF their fluid
contents without n change of position. Rocks,
trees and timbers have been riven as If by light
ming power acting from beneath. The earth has
been rent into wide chasms by a power acting from
beneath. The positions Of bodies have been
changed In sIch a manner that no mere motion OF
the earth could have caused il. The general pause
or calm in nature which generally precedes an
earthquake explosion. Is like that pause in the
storm which precedes the most vivid bursts OF
lightning and the most crushing detonations OF
thunder. Careful electro magnetic observations
will prove the extraordinary a~gitations In these
elements during the prevalence OF an earthquake.
But 10 change the subject. ~&"r|W
Much has been said about the kind Of buildings
best adapted to resist the destructive force of
earthquakes. About this there can be no question
to any person who has been a witness 10 their fear
full ravages, or who has examined with care their
history. Well constructed wooden houses, or those
OF light reeds, are best capable Of resisting the
action. In the great earthquake of Lisbon, the
few houses that were not crushed by the terrific
force were wooden structures. The eartbquake
which destroyed the city Of Carriage. in Costa
Rica, in lS47, did not affect the few wooden tene-
ments in the place which had been erected by
This also proved to be the case in the
earthquake which leveled the city Of San Salvador
in 1856 and destroyed 5000 lives. The terrific
shock, which preceded the great eruption Of Cosa-
gina in 1885, spared the few wooden tenements in
La Union and Chinande1a. Such has haan tho