The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-26
THE FORCES OF NATURE.

face with the forces of nature. The largest
steamship that ever floated, and that seems
invulnerable in its massive strength, is tossed
about like a cockle-shell in mid-ocean
storm, and in the presence of icebergs is as
weak as paper box in the hands of giant
The heaviest block of granite ever handled
by human agencies is pushed aside by waves
in a storm; the steel masts of Cunarder are
snapped, and the heaviest cables break like
threads.
One OF the most mysterious and destructive
forces of nature is the earthquake, though,
like storm, it has its degrees,
from the oscillation imperceptible
to the senses, and only detected by most
delicately reconstructed instrument to the
rocking of the earth's surface that splits
mountains and submerges vast territories.
A record kept of earthquakes in southern
Italy and Sicily from 1773 to 1776-a period
of but three years-shoMs no fewer than 947
distinct shocks, of which sol were of the
first degree of force During the period be-
tween 1906 and 1912 there were recorded be-
tween 5000 and 1000 earthquakes. Among
the most noted may be mentioned that of
1888, which had its origin i'll Calabria cross
ing to the island of Sicily and destroying the
city of Messina, causing the loss OF about
100, 900 lives. The destruction of Lisbon, on
Nov, l, l755, was one of the most memorable
earthquakes recorded. The principal portion
of the city was thrown down, the sea retired
leaving the bar dry, only to return in a
minute as great wave fifty feet in height
1t is estimated that 10000 lives were lost
there in the space of six minutes. The shock
of this earthquake was felt in the Alps and
on the coast of Sweden Many towns were
destroyed in Northern Africa Loeb
Lomond, in Scotland rose two feet and then
fell below the usual level and in Icelan
volcanoes suddenly became active. The city
OF Antioch has been repeatedly destroyed
and Gibbon states that 250,OO0 persons
are said to have persisted there
i'll the earthquake of 526. Sixty
years later 10000 lives were lost. Iii India
i'll 1919. a tract of 1000 square miles of
country the mouth of the Indus was
submerged. Nor is the manifestation of
this fearful force confined to the continents.
At point in the Atlantic, on the equator
and about midway between Guinea and
Brazil, is region frequently disturbed In
1911 occurred the famous earthquake of
New Madrid, Mo-. in which the ground
quaked necessarily for several months. Over
an extent OF country stretching for 800 miles
southwark from the mouth of the Ohio river
the ground rose and sank in
great undulations, and lakes were
formed and were again drained
The surface burst open in assures, some
times more than half mile long, and from
these assures mud and water were often
thrown as high as the tops of the trees. On
June I, 1862, Port Royal, the capital of ia
maica, was in less than three minutes sunk
beneath the sea. These are but few of the
wrought widespread destruction ANY of
them would have shattered the pyramids or
tumbled st. Peters into shapeless pile of
rubbish. More terrible than war, incompar-
ably more destructive of life and property,
these recurring tremblings of the earth
carry dismay wherever they manifest
themselves, and their terrible energy.
No human structure can withstand them, no
human wisdom forestall or counteract.
Another natural force. almost or quite as
powerful as the earthquake. is the cyclone.
Like the earthquake, which varies from an
impreceptible tremor to the upheavals that
overturn andsubmerge cities, the movement
of the atmosphere ranges from the zephyr to
the resistless storm whose velocity has not
yet been accurately measured The terrible
destruction of life and property recently
wrought in the South calls attention anew
TO this subject. The nature OF these
storms Is coming to be pretty well
understood, but the measure of
their energy is still an unsolved
problem. The best thermometers fail to
IeSlSteT tHSu luil loFCe, outtHottSh Is Known
to prove that in some instances wind has
been known to move at the rate OF 600 and
even SOC miles an hour. This speed is kept
up but very few minutes in most Instances,
and sometimes but few seconds, but even
in that limited space of time incalculabe
damage is done. 1t has been demonstrated
that the cyclone is a whirling storm,
usually with a center, of greater or less
diameter, within which a comparative
calm prevails. With this fact
in mind the penomenon of q
sudden change in the direction OF storm is
easily understood. In storm blowing in a