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an assurance that subsequent earthquakes In
It's immediate region will be of less severity.
AtmOsphePic RelntiOns.

The. connection, between the atmosphere
and the earthquake, though probably Incl
dental, Is an Important one. It Is found that
there Is Il decided Increase in the frequency
and severity Of shocks during the rainy sea-
son. ut least in certain localities, and especial
y In very dry countries, such as Asia Minor
and Syria, and In the volcanic regions where
eruptlons of steam prevail. and where the
melted SHOWS and heavy rains are rapidly
drained Off into deep assures. There seems
TO be no reasonable doubt that In these cases
fects the liquid in the interior OF the earth,
and increases the supply OF both steam and
lava for the volcanoes, as well as the liability
to such internal explosions of steam as may
originate the earthquake shocks. That tho
diminution OF atmospheric pressure such az
prevails over the central regions OF some &C.
we're storms, or during certain seasons, can.
not directly be OF Importance In comparison
with the above mentioned more powerful by:
drostatic pressure. seems quite evident; yet
there are volcanoes, such as that of Strom-
boil, where the conditions of equilibrium are
SO delicately adjusted that according to the
testimony and traditions Of those living in
their neighborhood, their activity increases
perceptibly on the approach Of every storm.
Geographical Distribution OF EARTH
quakes. ..
Besides the preceding general relations be:
tant TO consider the distribution of the for
mer, or rather their segregation in certain
well marked regions. 1t is not necessary In
this place to enumerate the regions Of volcan-
subject to earthquakes. The regions that are
far removed from active volcanoes yet spe.
cially subject to earthquake shocks, are, in
the order of the severity Of the phenomenp,
the Htmalaya mountains and India, Syria,
Algeria. the west coast Of North America. tho
Mississippi valley, Scotland, New England,
and the Saint Lawrence valley. The regions
that are at present comparatively free from
esn a1d oasen ana 6s
Europe and Asia, Australia, many portions Of
North America, the eastern portion OF South
America, and Greenland. -.
Physical Changes Produced by Earth.
quakes.;
Permanent upheavals and depressions af.
gions Of the earth are considered as being on
an extended scale manifestations OF the same
force that suddenly elevates and depresses
smaller districts at the moment of an earth;
quake. Dana, Lyell, and others, presume that.
extended changes take place with extreme
slownesS and comparative quiet; and Pre-.
vost, Dana. Mallett, and others, attribute
these to the influence OF tangeu tial pressures ,
and to the slow cooling and contracting Of the
earth. Beaumont and others ascribe The ele-
vat1on OF the great mountain chains to single
upheaving shocks, with OF course accompany
ing Ing earthguakes OF the greatest severity: The
former views have now far more adherents,
they being more in accordance with the GUS
tom2ry modes OF operation In nature: It. Is i.
however not 10 be denied that both methods
of operation are admissible: or sudden =
changes may be noticed the elevations during.
the earthquake at Conception In 1885, and the
deprcssons attending the shock nj Lisbon I'M
1855. Of slow movements we find examples
In the upheaval Of the scandinavian peninsu--
Ia, which is now proceeding mt the rate on ils
eastern COASTS Of five feet per century. About
one.half OF the islands OF the Pacific ocean
are believed 10 be rising, as also the island Of
Spitzbergen, the West indies, and the whole
the most remarkable slow depressonsare the
case OF tie southern portion of Greenland,
the numerous coralreefed islands and atolls
Of the Pacific, and the countries Of Holland,
Belgium: Denmark, and the south shore OF
notable we'll established case OF depression Is
that now in progress along the Atlantic coast,
from Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras. which region
is calculated TO be sinking at the rate Of about
two feet per century.
Earthquake Waves:
This term is commonly applied to the great
oceanic waves that attend such earthouakes
as originate under the ocean. These waves
while In deep water are merely:very long but
decided swells; In traversing shoal water
they become more marked, and on nearing
the shores often break most disastrously upon
them, being in this case preceded by rapid
fall Of the water, as Is the case In ordinary
breakers. :
Nature Of the Earthquake Shock. y,
The discovery Of the true nature of ithe
earthquake, to say nothing Of its ultimate Or
igin or cause for long time baffied the labors.
of mankind; the application OF a purely in
ductive train OF reasoning has always been
difficult, because OF our own inability to ex-
pertinent OH the earth on so large q scale as
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