St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-01-24
FAMOUS EARTHQ UAKEs.
Those of Lisbon, Caracas. amd Jasa-Eag-
lands Record.


Those of Lisbon, Cdracas. aud Jdea-Eng-
lands Record.
The Iberian peninsula has long been motto
rious for disastrous natural commissions. One
of the greatest ever recorded was the famous
one at Lisbon, when at least 90, 900 persons
persisted The affected area on that occasion
was very wide, extending on the one hand
as far as the southern shores of Finland, aud
on the other reaching across the Atlantic to
the st. Lawrence and the West India islands
an extent of surface amounting to no less
than Z 800, 900 square miles. The British
isles experienced some of its effects, its in
land waters rising and falling, and springs
being diverted. On the occasion OF this
earthquake the ocean wave at Cadiz is said
to have been sixty feet high. Numerous
other minor disasters have happened in the
peuins ula, one or two having been Of COM
paratively recent occurrence. This is only
to be expected from the fact that Spain Is
situated on the line of one Of the most active
zones of sueterranean activity. This COM
prises che valley OF the Mediterranean, Asia
Minor, Sumatra. and Java, the Philippines,
and so on through Mexico to the Azores,
which group Of islands is undoubtedly the
result OF volcanic agency. Earthquakes are
sometimes short, sharp and sudden, not re-
curing again in the same district Tor long
period oil time; others are Intermittent and
continue in long succession. thus the
series of famous earthquakes which destroyed
thousands of lives in Calabria began in Feb
ruary, 1873, and did not altogether cease for
fh.aa n
On the other hand, the city of Caracas was
DESTROYED in about half minute, together
with ten thousand of its inhabitants. Other
South American towns have shared the same
terrible fate in manner equally sudden.
Trustworthy writers however, state that the
advance OF some of the Peruvian earthquakes
| has been distinctly observable. First comes
a low rumbling sound, increasing In inteus-
ity vita the progress Of the earthquake wave
| The startled auditor, knowing too well or
! what the ominous noise is the precursor, looks
/ III and sees the SKY line of the snow clad
| Andes visibly osciilate miles away; and with
! in an interval of a minute or SO the eartn
\ heaVes beneath his feet, the shock or series
| Of shocks travelling in direction distinctly
! traceable, o. late years much greater at
/ teution has been devoted IN several countries
to seismology. Observations are now being
! taken In many quarters OF the world, but a
| considerable period must elapse before these
| can be of any appTeciable advantage to sci
! ence Curiousiy enough the japanese gov
ernment, whose islands are greatly subject
| to EARTHQUAKES. has been the first to estab-
lish state department for securing con-
! sccutive serits of records OF earth tremors;
and the existing chronicles Of China and
japan, in this respect, are much more COM
plpte than those of European nations. In
/ France about $50 shocks Of more or less VIC
! leuce have been recorded, an i, as in the ma
iority Of other cases, much the larger proper
ton of these took place in the winter months
| IN Great Britain accounts are extant OF
ESQ shocks Of similar severity. The most
disastrous were those OF Lincoln in 1l42, of
Glastonbury in 1874 twhen the abbey was
a stroyef1 Of a wide part of England in
Novem Der, 1913, and April q, l5sO, when
London was visited b. 4 shock which
brought down part Of Cd st. Paul's and
Temple church. More than a century later
Dublin experienced sharp tremor, and
London had another in 1850.
Others occurred in various parts OF Eng
land in 1852, 1859, 1860, and 1853 while on APP
ril % of this year The eastern counties were
shaken and damage was dore to the amount
of good many thousand pounds. In vari-
Gus ages predictions Of coming earthquakes
have, equally with those relating to comets
and eclipses had remarkable influence on
the public mind. In April, 100, thousands
of persons passed night in Hyde-park In
order to escape the effects OF q shock predicted
by madman!
One OF the most terrible commissions re-
corded IN modern times occurred only lew
months ago In Java, on which occasion, II
will he remem bered, about thirty thousand
lives were either ingulfed by the thrush OF
the ocean on the land or persisted miseraoly
amid the seoriP and ashes discharged from
the volcano in the straits Of Sunda. The
power Of convulsion is proved By the fac
that the ocean wave spread all over the Pa
I cihc, being experienced from the Bay u
Bengal to New al lnl AMI South Africa.
Seville Cathedral, which has been severely
, damaged, is one of the largest and finest IL
: Spain. 1t is 431 feet long, 3l5 feet wide. anC
has seven aises. and an organ with 5,4OI
Z pipes Il contains paintings by Nurillo
Vargas, the Herreras, etc. The famous
Giralda-a weathercock in the form OF a
statue-is one Of the most remarkable
! structures in the world. This Moorish towe
which is in all 800 feet high, was built II
1896, aud was originally only $50 feet II
height, the additional leo feet (the rich fila
r gree belfrey) being added iu 1868. Tn
Z pinacle is or Il Is g. be feared rather was
crowned by n female ia bronze, IL feet hig
= and ?, 500 pounds In weight, and whic
, vcers about with the slightest breeze. FGOl
/ MS tower the Moslems were wont to call th
: faithful TO prayers. - London Telegraph