Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-08-11

Can Earthquakes be Predictede

Can Earthquakes be Rredicted9
VIEWS OF PROP. CLEVELAND ABR
A number OF kilograms were received 1t the sig-
nal Office to-day showing that yesterdays earth
quake was almost entirely confined to the Atlantic
coast nom Sandy Hook to Wilmington. n. c. ave
cannot go into the matter OF earthquakes 70 any
extent" said Prot Cleveland Able, because no
provision Is made for Investigations In that direo-
Ion oy the signal service. The most that we can
90 Is 10 keep record for our monthly report Of
such occurrences I often WISH" he continued,
tnat we were authorized TO study such matters,
ior then we might be able TO predict them"
I'm what way?" asked STAB reporter.
I'm the same way that they do the earthquakes
OF Mount Eesuvius, by studying the tremors IL
going on In the EARTH which OCCASIONALLY manifest
, ,nsa IN an earthquake They can be fore
toia 70 certain extent by preliminary tremors
nounced by vibrations Of the telegraph wires"
''Then you don't think earthquakes can be caused
Dy any external Changes, such as sun spots, for
There is not the slightest connection between
earthquakes and sun spots. not the slightest"
The Cause Of Earthquakes.
talk With PROP. TAYLOR ON Yesterdays DIS
GENERALLY SUPPOSED.
Tine line OF the greatest Disturbance said Prot
Iaylor, OF the Smithsonian Institution, to Q STAR
reporter to-day, speaking OF yes;erday's earth
quake, 'seems to have extended from Connecticut
70 New Jersey. The range or area OF the earth
quake indicates that the center OF distur bance was
very deep. II it had been near the surface tho
shock would have been perceptible only In limited
area When the center Is at great depth, the
angle being the same, the range Is greater
NO." continued the professor, in answer 70
question by TIE STAR reporter, g am not aware
OF any earthquake or shock previously felt In this
vicinity. but have not studied this subject specially
earthquakes are much more common than is sup
posed: It Is not right to say that they are 10
cTeasfng In frequency. The fact is That since the
the Information concerning earthquakes IL more
promptly collected II people in this city felt .
sion or some local but when they learned that
a sNnlar shock was felt simultaneously In other
cities they attribute the disturbance once to
earthquake 1t is probable that many earthquakes
In former times were unrecorded Now earth
quakas are observed more carefully, and the means
or speedily collecting Information from different
points are so much greater than formerly that We
hear OF more earthquakes"
I'VE do not by any means understand all about
earthqua1es,' continued the professor. s.Thcre
has been much theOrtzation as to the possible con-
nection OF con1unctions or planets and the phases
OF the moon with earthquake disturbances, but, I
Hllnk. sclentllc men IS rule, regard these mat
tiers very cautiously. Swiss piysc has col
iec.ed large amount OF data conceraing the
to so 5Rs n Sss and
city In earthquake disturbances 1t hight
De that II the crust OF the earth subjected 70
might supply the additional fores necessary TO pro-
duce disturbance, but In my opinion that influence
Is very slight 1t is he'd by maryland fancy the
the relief from tension Ia The sarths crust IN the
process Of shrinEage. At some point the tension
VIII be SO great that the crust viii give way: What
are known TO biologists faults, where strata Of
rocks nave been forced out OF their natural position
are attributed to such action, and indicate the
points where the tension was relieved.
IL the United States hotel disaster" continued
the professor leaving geology, "had been post
poned one week, it would have bsen charged to the
earthquake, and The owners would have been re-
UeFeU OF Inc Responsibility