St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-01-24
FAMOUS EARTH0 UAKEs.
Those of Lisbon, Caracas, and Jara-En0-
Iand's X. cord.


Those of Lisbon, Caracas, and Jara-En0-
lands Record.
The Iberian peninsula has long been noto
rious for disastrous natural commissions. One |
of the greatest ever recorded was the famous
one at Lisbon, when at least 10000 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 800, 900 square miles. The British
isles experienced some Of its effects, its in
land waters rising and falling, and springs
being diverted. Ga 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
penins 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 subterranean activity. This COM
prses the valley Of the Mediterranea can, Asia
Minor, Sumatra, and Java, the Philippines,
and so on tarouga 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 for long
period OF time; others are intermittent and
continue in long succession. Ious the
series of famous earthquakes which destroyed
thousands of lives in Calabria began in Feb
ruary, 1873, and did not alto gether cease for
nearly four years, until the end of 1855.
| 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
low rumbling sound, increasing in intens-
ity with the progress of the earthquake wave
The startled auditor, knowing too well OF
| what the ominous noise is the precursor, looks
up and sees the say line of the snow clad
Andes visibly oscillate miles away; and with
in an interval of a minute or so the earth
heaves beneath his feet, the shock or series
of shocks travelling in a direction distinctly
| traceable, OF late years much greater at
tention has been devoted III several countries
To seismolOgy. Observations are now being
taken in many quarters OF the world, but
considerable period must elapse before these
can be of any appreciable advantage to sci
ence. Curiously enough the Japanese gov
ernment whose islands are greatly subject
to EARTHQUAKES, has been the first to estao-
lish state department for securing con-
secutive series of records OF earth tremorS;
aud the existing chronicles OF China and
Japan, in this respect, are much more COM
plete than those of European nations In
/ T. - - nf nrl alc " n.
leuce have been recorded, and, las in the ma
iorty of other cases, much the larger proper
ton of these took place in the winter months
In Great Britain accounts are extant of
256 shocks of similar severity. The most
disastrous were those OF Lincoln in 1l42, OF
Glastonbury in 1874 when the abbey was
q .stroyed) OF wide part Of England in
November, 1913, and April 6, 1880, when
London was visited By 4 shock which
brought down part of Cd St. Paufs and
Temple church More than a century later
Dublin experienced sharp tremor, aud
London had another in 1850.
Others occurred in various parts of Eng
land in 1852, 1859, 1860, and 1888 while on APP
ril % Of this year the eastern counties were
shaken and damage was dore to the amount
Of a good many thousand pounds. In yari-
Gus ages predictions of coming earthquakes
| have. equally with those relaIlDg 10 cOuelS
and eclpses, had remarkable influence on
the public mind. In April, 1850, thousands
of persons passed night in Hyde-park in
order to escape the effects of ashock predicted
= by madman!
One of the most terrible commissions re-
corded In modern times occurred only few
, months ago In Java, on which occasion, II
r will he remen bered about thirty thousand
lives were either ingulfed by the thrush OF
the ocean on the land or perished miserabiy
, amid the score and ashes discharged from
? the volcano in the straits Of Sunda. The
5 power Of eonvusion Is proved bg the fact
$ that the ocean wave spread all over the Pa
{ cifc, being experienced from the Bay OF
1 Bengal 10 New .allnd and South Africa.
, Seville Cathedral, which has been severely
damaged, Is one of the largest and finest in
: Spain II is 43l feet long, 3l5 feet wide, and
q has seven alslcs. and an organ with j,4OO
Z pipes. II contains paintings by Murillo,
Vargas, the Herreras, etc. The famous
= Glralda--a weathercOck in the form of a
j statue-is one Of the most remarkable
i structures in the world. This Moorish tower
, which is in all $50 feet high, was built in
= 1896. and was originally only $50 feet In
, height. the additional 100 feet (the rich fla
r gree belfrev) being added i'll 1858. TIT
4 piuacle is-or Il Is to be feared rather was
. crowned by female in bronze, Il feet higl
l. and $500 pounds in weight, and whicl
c veers about with the slightest breeze. From
II Iis tower the Moslems were wont to call thu
/ faithful TO prayers London Telegraph.