The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-01-23

vey, and was attended by eight gen
tlemen distinguished in science.
From the report we quote as follows:
at was considered desirable to at
tempt work in two directions. First:
The collection of more reliable nom
instrumental observations, by the
general distribution of circulars of
information and blank reports, to be
filled up and returned to some central
office after the occurrence Of an earth |
quake. It is proposed to distribute |
these circulars as widely as possible, |
and Professor lockwood was re-
quested to prepare forms for the nee
essary correspondence. Second: The
establishment Of stations provided
with instruments for the more or less
complete recording of the earth's mo-
ton. These would probably be of
two grades; the more numerous ones
having some simple and inexpensive
form Of seismoscOpe to record the oc-
currence of a shock and to mark the
time as exactly as possible, while
less number of selected stations would
be provided with more elaborate
seismographs to record as fully as
possible the details of the earth's
| movement
There seems to be no good reason
why the means of recording earth
quake phenomena on these islands
should not be provided, and the
| record preserved for transmission to
the proper quarter for publication.
The bestowal of fund for the estab-
fishing of q laboratory in connection
with Oahu College is most praise
worthy act, and some one other of
our wealthy citizens might, with
honor to himself, and with benefit to
science, make it possible for (say) the
Chief of our Survey Department to
record local phenomena of the nature
indicated.
The same journal, speaking of re-
cent volcanic disturbances, says:
1.-THE explosion of KrakatOa, not only
changed very much the formation OF
that island, reducing it's land area
by over twO-thirds, but gave rise to
immense sea waves, which washed
all the surrounding coasts, carrying
death and destruction to all in theil
way, and were still sensibly felt al
far distant places in Africa and
America. It also caused an atmos
pheric wave, which was traced three
times around the earth by irregulari-
ties in the tracings of self-registerine
barometers.
DIR. Fuchs does not favor the idea
that the wonderful sky-glows OBJ
served during the past winter were
caused by dust from Krakatoa dis
seminated in the upper strata of the
atmosphere. And he remarks tina
'the eruption of Krakatoa although
very violent has been equaled o.
exceeded by Othersi e. g., that o
Asamayama 1888, of TemborO 1915
of Coseguina 1885, as well as by Hekli
1916, Mauna LOa 1856, and Pochutl'
1870. In one of these cases, he says
was similar sky-glow Observed /
may be remarked, however, that thu
absence of any such observation il
connection with former great erup
tions is by no means conclusive; 70
, some eruptiOns. as that of Maun
Loa referred to, consisted mostly @
lava flows, with which no grea
amount of ashes was elected, nor t
any great altitude;-Others, as Hekla
which exhibited more of the explO
sive character, were in much highe
' ATTITUDES and out of the great equs
toriaI currents of the atmosphere
while in earlier cases, as TemborC
the phenomena might easily hav
escaped recognition and record.
Z The most important earthquake
was that in Ischia, July %. In re
. gard to its causes DR.. Fuchs say:
The earthquake of July, 1888, doe
. not belong to the volcanic earth
Z quakes hitherto frequent in til
: island; and a real downfall or co
i lapse of a great cavity finds as litti
reason. The materials of the hi
u have only shifted somewhat and RI
4 arranged themselves until they agai
- found sufficient support. And tn
change was completed at mOderat
- depth. On this account was the su
face action of the earthquake uncon
. monty strong and its extent yer
y limited"