The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1881-06-01
Hartford Posrs Poetic Artist
Import of the Egean Earthquake.

The recent earthquake in the eastern basin
Of the Mediterranean, though comparatively
local. If taken in connection with those of
Southern Europe Of late occurrence, apparent
IL indicate an unusual disturbance of the vol
canic fires underlying the whole Mediterranean
and It's northern shores. On the 2sth of Janu-
arv last the Swiss Jura were shaken and
earth shocks were felt in many parts of Swift
zerland, several chimneys at Bene being
thrown down, while similar shocks were
noticed in Hungary, and the seismic CON-
motion at Agram, which began in November,
was continued at intervals for some time. The
elimination Of these disturbances was, how
ever, reserved for the equinoctial season,
when. accor ing TO Perry and other most emf
nent investigators of such phenomena, they
preponderate.
The last great demonstration of subterranean
energy produced, perhaps, the most fatal re
suits on record. The earthquake Of the 5rd
inst at Chios in point Of fatality seems TO
have no parallel in the chronological annals
of the still, island-studded Rgean Sea.
Taeitus mentions a violent shock in the Island
of Chryse, near Lemnos, A d. IL. In
August, 1888, according to Muratori, Mirylene,
in the Egean Archipelago, was oonvulsed
and 500 persons persisted. The next great
CONFUSION lODh HldCt ~ Ao6s AOWAIu tue
close of October, l49l, when the somewhat
vague historic reports say 5000 persons
persisted. Smyrna was rndely shaken in
June, l7l9, and at the vernal equinox of 1899
during an earthquake an island living in its
harbor was suddenly sunk" but no loss of
life on either occasion was chronicled. Chios,
scene of the recent frightful disaster, was
greatly agitated on the sth Of February, 1867,
but with no reported damage; nor does it ap-
pear from the fullest earthquake records that
this island has ever until now been desolate.
by any earthquake 10 any considerable degred
The earthquake at Zante, in the Ioniae
Islands, of the jth and 9th inst was not
attended with any marked disasters. Under
meath this classic island are found to-day, as
in the time of Herodotus, springs of petro-
leum, the gaseous emanatious Of which, posi-
bly, subject to explosions which might affect the
stability of the earth's crust, may be invoked
to account for the disturbance. A violent
shock occurred at Zante in 1914, and another
on Sept. 80, 1886, which :" did great damage,
the effect Of the earthquake extending about
twelve miles" Once has its sister island,
Santa Maura, of the Ionian group, suffered
similarly,-in the fall of 1904. But no dis
turbance, we believe, of equal fatality with
that of Chios on the Bird of the present month
appears in the history of Egean earthquakes,
aud perhaps none in that of the commissions in
the eastern basin OF the Mediterranean.
These recent commissions derive special
significance from an analysis of ancient and
modern earthquakes by Malet, which led him
to conclude that the greatest number of
shocks occur about the middle of each cen
fury, while a second epoch, less powerful
than the first, occurs toward the close of the
century" If this deduction of the profound
sesmologist from all the data he had, reach
ing back to 1906, B. c., is correct, we are now
approaching an epoch of unusual seismic per-
turbations, and the disasters recently reported
from Ischia and Chios may ere long be re-
peated, both in other parts of the Old and in
the volcanic zones of the New World.-NeU
YORK Heraid