Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-03-13

some three hours the sea rose and fell
with strange violence. Farther south,
along the shore of Chill, even to the
island of Chloe, the shore wave travelled,
though with continually diminishing
force, owing, doubtless, to the resist
ance which the irregularities Of the
shore opposed to its progress.
The northerly shore-waye seems to
have been more considerable and mo-
ment' study OF chart OF thetwo Americas
will show that this circumstance is highly
significant. When we remember that
the principal effects OF the land-shock
were experienced within the angle
which the Peruvian Andes form with
the long north and-south line of the
CHILEAN and Bolivian Andes. we see at
once that, had the center of the suh-
terranean action been near the scene
where the most destructive effects were
perceived, no sea-wave, or but small
one, could have been sent toward the
shores of North America. The project
ing shores of Northern Peru and Ecua-
dor could not have failed to divert the
sea-wave toward the west and, though q
reflected wave might have reached Cali
fornia, it would only have been after a
considerable interval of time, and with
dimensions much less than those Of the
sea-wave which travelled southwark.
When we see that, on the contrary, a
wave of even greater proportions tray
eled toward the shores of North America.
we seem forced to the conclusion that
the center of the subterranean action
must have been so far to the west that
the sea-wave generated by it had free
course to the shores of California.
Be this as it may, there can be no
doubt that the wave which swept the
shores of Southern California, rising up
ward of sixty feet above the ordinary sea-
level, was absolutely the most imposing
of all the indirect effects of the great
earthquake. When we consider that
from the center OF disturbance, wave
twice the size of an ordinary house rolled
in with unspeakable violence only few
hours after the occurrence Of the earth
throe, we are most strikingly impressed
with the tremendous energy of the
earth's movement.
Turning to the open ocean. let us
track the great wave on its course past
the multitudinous islands which dot the
surface of the great Pacific.
The inhabitants OF the Sandwich
islands, which lie about 6, 800 miles from
africa, might have imagined themselves
safe from any effects which could be pro-
duced by an earthquake taking place so
far away from them. But, on the night
between Aug. 10 and IA, the sea around
this island group rose in a surprising
manner, insomuch that many thought
the islands were sinking, and would
shortly subside altogether beneath the
waves. Some of the smaller islands,
indeed, were for time completely sub
merged. Before long, however, the sea
fell again. and, as it did so, the observ-
ers "found it impossible to resist the
impression that the islands were rising
bodily out of the water" For no less
than three days this strange oscillation
of the sea continued to be experienced,
the most remarkable Gibbs and floods
being noticed at Honolulu, on the island
Of Woahoo.
But the sea-wave swept onward far
beyond these islands.
At Yokohama, IN Japan, more than
10000 miles from africa, an enormous
wave poured in on Aug. IA, but at what
hour we have no satisfactory record.
So far as distance is concerned. this
wave affords most surprising evidence OF
the stupendeus nature of the disturb
ance to which the waters of the Pacific
ocean had been subjected. The whole
circumference of the earth is but 25, 900
miles, so that this wave had travelled
over distance considerably greater than
two-ffths of the earth's circumference.
A distance which the swiftest of our
ships could not traverse in less than six
or seven weeks had been swept over by
this enormous undulation in the course
of q few hours.
Shortly before midnight the Marquee
sas isles and the low-lying Tuamotu
group, in the South Pacific, were visited
by the great wave, and some of these
islands were completely submerged by
it. The lonely Opara isle. where the
steamers which run between Panama
and New Zealand have their coaling
station, was visited at about II 80 in the
evening by billow which swept away q
portion Of the coal depot. Afterward
great waves came rolling in at intervals
OF about twenty minutes, and several
days elapsed before the sea resumed it's
ordinary ebb and flow.
1t was not until about 2:30 on the
morning of Aug. II that the Samoa isles
sometimes called the Navigator islands
were visited by the great wave The
watchmen startled the inhabitants from
their sleep by the cry that the sea was
about to overwhelm them and already.
when the terrified people rushed from
their houses, the sea was found to have
risen tar above the highest water-mark.
But it presently began to sink again,
and then commenced series Of oscilla-
tons, which lasted for several days, and
were Of a very remarkable nature. Once
in every quarter Of an hour the sea rose
and fell, but it was noticed that it rose
twice as rapidly as it sank.
At about $50 on the morning of Aug.
Il the water began to retreat in singu-
lar manner from the port of Littlelon,
on the eastern shores of the southernmost
of the New Zealand islands. At length
the whole port was left entirely dry, and
so remained for about twenty minutes.
Then the water was seen returning like
a wall of from ton or twelve foot in