The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1879-10-22
educational Column.
RUDOLPH FALB'S DISCOVERIES
AND TRAVELS,

make the following extracts, supposlng
them to be of general interest because
America has been, and is yet, the field OF
labor of this renowned naturalist and
many points of his new theory concern
ing volcanic action, etc., have ripeDed
into conviction while exploring the vast
treasures of knowledge stored up for the
inquiring mind upon our continent.
The letter is dated last of August, San
Francisco, and tells that since a few
weeks resides there the well-known trav-
eler, r. Falb, who has just completed a
two years tour through Chill, Bolivia
and Peru. Falb embarked in June 1877,
at Hamburg, to complete his extended
observations on the grandest theatre OF
volcanic action which the world affords,
on the west coast of South America.
After completing the chief end OF his
voyage, he made highly interesting my
biological discoveries among the archa-
illogical remains of Peru. Assisted by
bis extended pathological knowledge he
was soon led from trace to trace into the
prehistoric era of the Guichua and Ay-
mara, tribes of Indians who appear to be
the descendants of the ancient Incas
whose history land and language they
haSeinberited. Falb proves to his own
satisfaction and, 10 doubt, also to that
of other philologists, the close relation
ship of the languages of those Indians to
the so-called semitic tongues Of the East.
AS the name of Rudolph Falb has for
years been well-known to scientific men
and may shortly become familiar to the
readers of the DISPATCH, TRUST I shall be
pardoned for giving a short sketch of
the former lfe'and labors of this emf
nent man. ~
devoted himself ii rs youth A u tae s. aa9
of oriental languages and theology.
Findiug-that his ministerial duties inter-
fered with the pursuit OF scientific study
be resigned his charge and went to
Prague where he studied mathematics
and nateral sciences. He finally settled
ut Vienna, became the editor of the well
known, yet existing, periodical SIRIUS
and made his first appearance as AGA
demic lecturer. By careful and con-
was
led to believe that the heavenly bodies,
and aboyes all
S1fecs influence upon volcanic phenom-
ena on u earth, aud being strength
ened in this belief by the occurrence OF
earthquakes and eruptions at times when
the application Of his theory caused him
to expect the same, he began to predict
those phenomena with astonishing &C
curacy in the "SiriuS." In this manner
Falb gave warning of the eruption OF
Pichipichi in 1869, and also of an earth
Quake to take place in the fall oil the
same year. Through an error of the
Spanish translator of the "SSraus" article
the population ofLima and sections of
Ecuador were led to believe that they
would be, especially, endangered by the
coming earthquake and the people in their
terror hocked to the confessional seeking
strength and hope in religion. During
the general excitement IN italian resid-
ing at Callao published an article in the
Panama Star overth signature of "Falb,"
in which the predicted earthquake was
c~ounternanded and the pseudo naturalist
asked forgiveness for his mistake in the
humblest terms. This had the desired
effect, quiet was restored and the people
followed again their neglected daily avo-
cations. But the priests, who, during
the general panic, had reaped n golden
harvest, suspected foul play and the
archbishop Of Lima exposed the hoax in
public proclamation, ~wbereupon, the uni
versal wall broke out worse than ever;
more than 10000 people gave up their
business, and left their homes to seek
safety at a distance from the doomed
place; over a million dollars were lost in
various ways during the universal exodus.
The appointed time arrived, the earth
quake did take place, but not where the
Spanish translator of Falb's article had,