Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-08-25
FACTS ON THE EARTHQUAKE.
Observations of an Officer Who Fduca-
ted His Ear Listening for Confederate


ted His Ear Listening for Confederate
Trains.
Learning that Capt. Selden A. Day,
Fifth Artillery, United States Army, had
taken some accurate observations of last
Sundays earthquake, says the New York
Sun, reporter called upon him in the
| officers quarters at Fort Hamilton. In
ms once were many instruments used in
scientific research.
Last Sunday" Capt. Day said, 'was
my third experience with earthquakes,
but much of my life has been spent in
studying the phenomena ofsound. During
the war l was at one time connected
with the Signal Service, stationed near
Richmond, and it was my duty at night to
listen for the exit and entry of trains
running between Petersburg and Rich
mOnd. In the morning l could tell with
great precision how many trains had
passed over the road, and whether they
We're loaded or empty, my statements
being often confirmed by deserters. In
this way we could form some idea of the
movement of re-enforcements. Having
studied code of signals with rifle or
pistol shots, whenever l hear a report /
count the shots and note the time
elapsing between them. This practice,
along with telegraphing, had made me
very sensitive to any novel noise or move
ment about me.
81 had several friends dining with me
on Sunday, my brother, the Rev. W. G.
Day, of Baltimore; Mr.. Henry NJ. Dav.
merchant in New York, and four ladies.
We had been a short time at the table
when l felt the first sensation. Instinct
lively took my watch from nv pocket,
raised my right hand to command silence.
and remarked Earthquake Every one
sat perfectly quiet, and paid strict atten-
ton. Immediately after the last vibra-
tiOn had ceased / arose from the table and
wrote down the exact time of the
beginning and the time of the
duration of the disturbance. The next
morning l went to New York and veri-
fed the time of my watch. By corrected
time | found the vibrations began at 3
O'Clock ! minutes and 4 seconds; time of
duration, 81 seconds. l should have said
that fifteen seconds after the cessation of
the vibrations, and before / rose from the
table, two of us thought we felt a slight
shock. The others present failed to OBJ
serve it."
"What was the direction of the vibra-
tions?"
"From the appearance of the wine and
water in our glasses, the undulations
seemed to be from little west of north to
east of south, and at the rate of nearly
three to second"
"What deductions have you drawn from
the information concerning this earth
quakep'
"lf the general theory is correct, that
these shocks are caused by the crushing
In of vast caverns in the earth, the limit
of disturbance here indicates that the To-
cation of the original cause must have
been very deep in the earth, as the motion
was so slight, while the area disturbed
was so great"
"COuld you tell from which direction
the sound first came?"
81 could only say that my sensation of
the direction indicated that the first
rumblings came from the north.''
'TO what practical use can such obser-
vatiOns be put?'
"Three such observations, taken under
equally favorable circumstances at points
as far removed as possible from each
other, within, and not on the border of
the area of disturbance, would enable
scientists to determine the centre, its
depth, and the rate of transit, and would,
think, be OF great value to science.v