The Red Cloud chief., 1881-05-26
THE SCIENCE OF SEISMOLOGY.
The Most Remarkable Earthquake On
Record.

The Most Remarkable Earthquake on
Record.
Zadkiel in his 'Voicc of the Stars
for April did not make a precise pre-
diction of the earthquake reported this
morning. for though Asia Minor is one
of the regions exposed to mclclic in
fluences through the nea con junction
of Saturn and Jupiter, the seer located
his earthquake ut Cabul. SuclIa catas-
trophe was, however, confidently ex-
pccted by better authorities than Iad-
kiel, Tao SEE. Those who have not
given the subject attention will be sur
priscd to learn how closely earthquakes
are observed nowadays, and how fire.
quently they occur. Prof. lockwood
noted 60 days between July Is, 1877,
and November %, 1873, on which one
or more shocks were felt ON the Amcri-
can continent. Fuchs in 1873 recorded
the unusually large number of u vol
canic eruptions at places far apart and
mostly from little-known volcanoes, and
1913 earthquakes. though this enumcra-
ton includes as units many complete
periods. One earthquake at Ianna
lasted four weeks; in Catania the ground
trembled almost continuously from De-
tober 1 to November 10.
The year 1879 was marked by n great
number of earthquakes and volcanic
eruptions. many shocks being reported
almost at the same instant from places
widely separated. Thus on the Sth OF
January severe shocks were felt in the
Caucasus, in the Tyrol and in Luxem-
burg; on the 9th, the most violent earth
quake since 1865 was experienced AZ
Arcquipa. Peru; on the 10Th shocks
were felt at Cologne and throughout
Southern Germany; on the llth, more
at Vienna; on The 18th. another violent
shaking at ArequipL In the middle OF
May cruptions began from Nesuvius;
Etna sympathized on the 18th, pouring
out ashes and lava for n fortnight;
simultaneously a similar outburSt
was noted at GeiSfugic, Iceland. and
ON the day that Etna broke into activ-
ity a violent eruption of the Czobancz
mountain in Hungary, long regarded rs
extinct, was chronicled. As the crup-
ton of Etna WAS followed by continu-
Gus earthquakes in Sicily until the end
of June. so the outbreak u the Go
DillcL NicuultiH WIS accompanies ny
severe commissions in Hungary, Bosnia
and Bcssarabia. throwing down houses
and trees and opening assures from
which water poured in foods, and cul-
minating in the violent sh0cls at
Agram, June 2l-22, while t~rcmblings
were observed at AK and Nassau, May
26-27, and at Hastings May Il. There
after Europe had "A comparative rest
till about the LIST of November, when ali
the south and cast of Hungary, SeCyia,
Roumania ana liesSarabia felt incessant
earthquakes of considerable intensity,
some shocks even lasting a minute. At
the time of least activity of volcanic
forces in Europe-July 1l-thrce strong
shocks were felt in Cairo and neal the
Pyramids, something unknown in
Egypt since 1851. In Persia, March D
April ,, there were twenty-onc villages
DESTROYED and fifiy-four greatly dam
awc.l; of the l,2C0 inhabitants of Manan
and Tark but few escaped. Java was
visited by several disastrous shocks be-
tween March - and June ,, its vo!ca-
noes being also in active eruption.
China had its turn June 29-Julv IL,
with aster-shuckS of sufficient violence,
though not nearly 50 destructive in
August and September. There were
very serious eruptions and shocks eX-
tending over a large area in Central
America soon alter the new ear, after
which the great center of volcanic ac-
tyity was comparatively quiesccnt. In
the Pacific there were disturbances in
the early part of the year. eliminating
in the eruption of Kilauca in June.
But it WAS in 1880 that the series of
seismic commissions which had been
taking place in Europe since early in
1879 reached their climax. On the 3Gth
of December. 1879, several smart shocks
we've felt throughout Switzerland.
month later similar manifestations took
place in Germany and Italy February
8 Ncsuyius was in full action and four
days later .Etna sympathiZed, as did the
mud craters at Palermo. Almost week
" came reports of commissions in vari-
Gus parts of Europe, Portugal, Spain
and France, and. especially, Italy and
Switzerland, the manifestations of seis-
mic force becoming more frequent and
forcible, and extending over a wider
area rs autumn came on, until a culmi-
nation was reached in the terrible con
v~ulsions of November 9-22, affecting all
southeastern Europe from Venice TO the
Black Sea, Bohemia 10 the Balkans.
At the Croatian capital, Agram, was the
greatest damage done. Though there
were few lives lost, hardly a building in
the town remained uninjured, the dam.
age amounting to several millions OF
forms. Hot springs burst out of the
earth, and two active mud volcanoes
were formed. 1t is curious to note that
while Vcsuvius had been showing par
ticular activity during each OF the earli
or periods. and so late IS the fortnight.
October 6-November 10, during the
Agram manifestations it remained near
" quiescent. 1t may be added that or
the Sd of February, 1881, Agram was
again visited by an earthquake. Japan
where, by the way, n most valuable
series of observation has been taken
experienced two severe earthquakes
-one at Toxic in December, 1879
another in February. 1880 (Yoko
hama. 22d; Toxic, 25th), the most VIC
lent felt since the country had beer
opened TO foreigners. On the Alert,
which was anchored in the harbor, il
was thought that tie vessel was
dragging her anchor in a squall. Al
the beginning OF May the earthquake
season opened in Asia Minor, the vii
lage of Heleddi, near Sinope, being en-
quilted by the sea SO that not a trace OF
its buildings remained. But the con,
yulsions reached their height toward
the end of July (July 2S-August A
when Smy rna and the surrounding
places suffered enormously. In one
town. Menemen. of LAO houses, 66i
were demolished, and the seven mos
ques and churches were laid in ruins,
In the six neighboring villages. of 9O(
houses, barely half a dozen were lief,
standing. The earth opened in 16(
places to vomit for three hours flood:
OF green water; the Hermus sank three
feet below its usual level; the streams
of the Gipyla range lost four fifths Of
their water. while at Bournabat Tho
long-dried fountains flooded the plain
Almost at the same time (July 1924
~, Dh;la;pa Tclonle hocopoa th<