Arizona weekly citizen., 1883-05-19
EARTHQUAKES AND WEATHER.


 It is the custom to talk of fishing in the spring of the year, and If hunting when the snow begins to fly. It is to be expected, then, that when there is good deal of weather around, that some body will talk about it. The cyclones of the east have brought out q number of storm theories, and those who have ideas on the subject are now taking advantage of the occasion to tell what they know about it." Dr. T. II. Streets, of the United States navy, has contributed an article to the American Journal of Sci ence. in which he gives catalogue of earthquakes in Japan extending over three years, and compares tine weather condition at the time they occurred with the weather at other times, and arrives at the conclusion that the period of earthquake calm Is the period of the greatest cyclonic activity; while the seismic forces are most energetic in win ter and spring. He doubts the eccur- acy of the barometer as giving indica- tions of the approach of earthquakes. He thinks that it Is of the utmost im- portancs to ascertain any connection between them and antecedent weather changes by which the former may be prevised. But SO far there is no proof to establish any positive connection of precursiye character. It Is true that great Fsin-falls usually follow earth quakes ID countries where the atmos- phere contains much humidity, and it is also true that great rain-falls follow in the wake of cyclones. The la bors Of Maliet and Perry in col lecting and analysing earthquake data, have gone far to establish the fact confirmed by Dr. Streets record of Japan earthquakes, that these phenomena are most frequent in February and March, when the barometer in our hemisphere Is under going it's greatest variation. But if ''the period Of earthquake calms Is the period of greatest cyclonlc activity" then the people of the Mississippi valley should pray for earthquakes, as they abrdge the season of cyclones. Pos sIbly there may be something in Dr. Streets theory. Many years ago some of the severest earthquakes that ever v5cs+al North A r,.r5os r-a-o ,r 4b. Nf,= sissIppi valley in the vicinity of New Madrid, Mo, extending us far south as Arkansas. They were more severe than | any that have visited the Pacific coast; he earth in many places sunk or rose several feet Near the dividing line be- tween Missouri and Arkansas a large | .rea of land sunk about four feet below is former level which was flooded with | water, aud We believe is yet covered | with water and called a lake. Lighter -lucks occurred in that lacality for several years afterward. During | the time these earthquakes oc- cured, and for many years there after, no cyclones were known to visit that country and up to 1862. Ehen the village of LIttletou. Illinois, which contained 300 people, was totally iestr yed, We have no record of loss of lie from cyclones. From 1862 to 1870. welcomes passed over some secuon of the li ls-ipri valley on an average of one u two years. But since that date, they have increased to an alarming extent, Intil now We have them every year and iuung the past five years from five to en each year. During the last forty 'ears there have been no violent earth .uakes in the region of untry which las suffered most from cyclones. While he absence Of earthquakes may or may Ut effect meteorological phenomena, He inquiry should not be abandoned. et fl investigation should establish of precursive character | would be more in the interest Of sci nee, than humanity, for should we now that cyclones may be expected in be absence of seismalogical phenome- Ia, 1t would only afford us a knowledge f existing facts in that connection, and O relief or means ofavoiding the ravages [ cyclones.