The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-08-28

The large degree OF Interest hhhiiest'
ed by the shock of yesterday suggests
reference to the great earthquakes Of the
past. Recent discoveries in the science
of seismology have proved that there 10
scarcely any material fact concerning
their cause that has not been satisfactori-
ly accounted for. According to ancient
superstition, these shocks were interpre.
led "as the angor Of the gods" Pliny
Josephus Seneca had lanciful theories
concerning them. One of the earliest
works upon the subject was published in
1850, but the fallacious accountability
for them made il of but little scientific
value. Philosophical inquiry since then
has been thoroughly revolutionlzed, and
the ingenuity of scientists has made the
subject 80 interesting that it is perfectly
practicable with the aid Of "aeisometer"
10 accurately measure the duration OF q
shock even to the fraction Of second.
To show how thoroughly earthquake
records have been preserved, II may be
added that the British Association has an
earthquake catalogue" which gives q
lis. of between 5000 and 1000 earth.
quakes between 1906 b. G. and A. d..
iS42 From l842 to 1880 these records
have been added to by Mons. Perry, q
emy. So that we have complete list Of
earthquake shocks chronologically tab!u.
lated for 3,490 years made on time meas.
urement.
1t is also worthy Of remark that Will e
Central and South America and Europe
have been at intervals the scenes of mon.
strous upheavals in revolution, North
America has been most fortunate in es.
10 f,1 Lou hos
ed. 1t is "a fact that in Southern, Italy
and Sicily no century has elapsed since
the earliest periods of history that has
not been distinguished by frequent or
severe earthquakes.
Biblical reference is made to the earth
quake in Syria during the reign of Ahab,
500 B. G.. Judea was, also devastated
during the time Of the battle of hctium,
81 3. G. Josephus says it caused the
death of 10000 persons.
The cities Of Herculaneum and Pom.
peii, in Central Italy, that succumbed to
the same gigantic aud destructive force
in a. d. 63. are 80 familiarly known as
to need no special continent. u has been
fruitful theme for noyelists and poets.
Antioch has frequently been visited by
earthquakes. In A. ID. 1l5 it was almost
visited, and in speaking of this Gibbon,
the hiatorian, states that 100000 persons
lost their lives. Again, in A. ID. 5S7,
10000 persons came to their death. The
last in that city occurred in April, 1879.
In the year l773, for instance, there
were no fewer than 947 shocks, and SOL
of these were what scientists term "of
the first degree of force"
Thn +, sak ID b1n IN, I iv1, in
1755 threw down the greater pert of the
absolutely dry, aud portion Of the city
to depth of GOO feet. Humboldt esti-
mates tho area shaken by this earth
quake as four times the extent of Europe.
Sixty thousand people pershed within
the space of elk minutes. The shock
was felt in the Alps, on the coast of
Sweden, in Bohemia, and many towns
were destroyed in Northern Africa. The
"earthquake waves" even reached Scot
land, and the waters of I.och Lomond
suddenly rose two feet. It's velocity was
1000 feet per second.
To give sonio idea Of the immense
destruction Of life and property, it ia
recorded that the great earthquake in
Calabrias in 1888 caused the death of
100000 persons. It's origin Was Mt spot
directly under the centre of Calabria. It
dislocated huge rocks that fell into tho
sea and destroyed the City of Messina.
In 1919 1900 square miles Of country
near the mouth of the Indus were sub.
merged, and tho shock wRs distinctly
felt at Calcutta.
On January 90, 1886, Central America,
on the occasion of the eruption #of the
volcano Cosegnina, darkness suddenly
cnveloped the country, and tho people
were plunged into great fear. ;E
The famoua earthanake in the King.
dem Of Nasaaiss sssz z s ss perhaps .s.:s
greatest in modern tIniea.I 1t was felt
throughout the kingdom, but sipgularly
enough little: comparative danger was
done in the City Of Naples itself. It's
travelling Eforce was almoat incredible.
At the town of. Potenza the speed OF the
shock was 775 feet per second. 1t was
felt in Paris, Metz and Geneva. Ito
greatest yioleaSs was between Berne and
Chamonni. It. travelled Northward at
thel rate tof 1851 feet per secasd and
Southwark 1901 feet.
On November II, 1861, Switzerland
was similarly visited, though the results
were not 80 disastrous.
The last memorable incident Of an
cruptive character happened on the night
OF July % of last year on the Island Of
Ischia, near Naples, when the town Of
Casamiccola was almost destroyed. The
adjacent towns of Foris and Lacceameno
were greatly damaged. It commenced
as $50 o'clock. Three thousand naraona
were killed, 300 were injured, and nearly
allthe houses were thrown down. Great
darkness fell upon the people, the earth
opened In many places, water gushed out
from the springs, and the terrified popu-
lace rushed to the sea to escape. It left
it's ravsges at Lacco, at Torrio (where tho
churches were ruined); at Scuara fifteen
persons were killed. The scenes were
heart.rending and impossible to describe.
Referring to earthquake shocks in the
United States, which have been remark.
ably rare, the notable one Of 1911 took
place at New Madrid, Mo. :, 1t covered
an area of 800 miles, Southward from
the mouth Of the Ohio River. Tbs
ground rose and sank in mighty mounds,
lakes we're fe,med again drained.
There were tszos diatsnet lnptiops felt-a
verticals andgss horizontal! The slatter
was considered to have done the most
damSge. The disturbances continued at
intervals until March %, 1912, when
they suddenly ceased colEident with the
great earthquake at Caracas, the capital
of the SRepahlic of Vetiszuel where III
caused the death of 1000 Inhabitants,
showing unmistakably that,there was an
evidant trnnam issinn nf foyna hetwaop