Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-09-17
~ EARTHQUAKE YEAR.
.,;uc Predictions Made by the
scientific Fraternity.

racput great earthquake, Which
~ Queen City of the Carolinas $l5-
ooin property and the lives of some
arber inhabitants, has had the effect
noblv arousing scientist sthrough-
yoIond from their lethargic SAUNDERS.
a.+bouake caught them mapping.
horoscopes, which had been care
remembered and slowed away some
.hs after the seismic disturbances
GUNNER of 1884, have been busted
~. together in the observatory in
pncton. and the members OF the
gu Germs. under Gen. HaZen. Maj.
a au1 and Prof. Mendenhall, are sitting
Vei waiting for developments.
Us ordinations and prognostica-
sU' rsIn down upon the ill-faJed city of
us,aston ike ripe apples before a north
Fe5 in a New Jersey orchard. The
4 .hor Carey's chickens OF science fit
Lsn au and thither over the country
no, their prophesies of woe and
fsIot,on' Every one OF them, both big
/ iittle has his own particular theory
Hu anconnt for the recent terrestrial
"omana: but upon one point their
Unity OF expression is remarkable.
az oh agree that America has not seen
fei last A. earthquake during the current
Recent dispatches from various
FS.iors of the country go far toward
FFV5Il.uantiatinv the opinion Of the scien-
Us tbat this is an earthquake year. The
'',,rrarca of the shocks at Charleston AZ
niois of about sixteen hours tends to-
"a ca ''o,6rm,np tnis belief. Since 1888,
la' Srst YEAR when any historic record
'oe Lant the Atlantic seaboaru has been
Iaken thiIty-six several times Dy eartn-
bakes. A.. oa Of
rBasipg their opinions upon the mass OF
eta which has accumulated in the past
ieek. Prof. William Nj. Davis. OF har-
4 I'd University, and other scientific 90
rivers do not hesitate to proclaim tnat
l. recent earthquake is the greatest one
Ihcb has in historic times visited the
Istern seaboard of the United states.
Eey say that 1t was much more DIS
sIrous in it's effects, and much more
than the terrible EARN
lake of 1865, which was followed WITHIN
narlod of a month and a half by two
her severe shocks. Prof. Davis is now
nsily engaged collecting material pre-
Rratorv TO formulating his theory OF
,rtbquakes, and in the interim be has re-
Ised TO assert In specific terms that
recession OF shocks might be expected.
L has hinted as much, however, ana
bst of holder savants have not hesltated
placing themselves on record as adj
Arents to the belief. which the cautious
roCessor enunciated only by innuendo.
prof. MCGEE. whose displacement"
,eory has been so thoroughly ventilated
the columns of the daily press, has as
,rted that the last great 'seaward slip
ay quite probably be the precursor OF
hers. Prof. Mendenhall of the Signal
flee. Washington, became familiar with
during a three years resi-
ence In Japan. He boots at the dis
acementv theory, but expects recur-
nee Of the disturbances, although not
such a severe form.
Mai. Joseph S. Powell. of the United
ates Signal Corps, has made terrestrial
nj atmospheric phenomena his especial
udy. He does not believe In "displace-
ent," but has theory Of his own to ac-
,unt for the Charleston manifestation.
, brief. his theory IS that the disturb
nee was due TO the recent spOuting of a
lumber of dried up geysers in the tar
Vest. The superheated gases and boil
" water could not tind sufficient out
# there, so thev worked their way across
ne continent until they struck the At
,nt,c side, where the earth's crust Is thin
nd sensitive. The result was an up
eaval, followed by series of cayIngs In.
Ia il did not appear reasonable TO Maj.
lowell that all this pent-up liquid and
.aseous matter could ma g escaped In aud
bout Charleston, he predicted on Sept
OF shocks not only al
charleston and vicinity but on the entire
astern slope. This prediction has IN
,art been verified. 1t remains to be seen
whether it will be sustained to its fullest
xtent.
The most definite and exact predic'
ion which has yet been enumerated by
be scientific fraternity comes from Prof
3. P. Hammond, sojourning in far OF
oregon. He declares that on Sept. IA and
% there will be cyclonic disturbances
throughout the western portion OF the
continent. AS If that wasn't sufficient tC
-aise the hair Of the settlers and miners
IS neatly asif a Sioux brave superin
ended the Job. Prof. Hammond adds
hat terrific cyclones, earthquakes ant
will devastate toe United
States in general and the Pacific seaboarC
In particular on Sept. &c, 27 and 2S. Hi
cannot be dismissed in sum
mary fashion, as he has been a devoted
student of seismology for many years
and, residing in country where such dis
are Of frequent occurrence, b
has had opportunities for observation
such as are afforded to few scientists. Blu
the most startling corroborations or Pro-
forecast is furnished b
Prof. Andrew Jackson Devoe, the sci
taught meteorological OF New Jersey. Ii
is of medium height and APPARENT
about 81 years OF age. His eyes are gra
and bright. They have peculiar lntr'
spective look, such as is often remarke
in the eyes of students and OF men wh
live good deal by themselves. His bro
is high but narrow, bis nose aquillne, b
mouth fringed with slight brown m0u
tache. Notwithstanding the TACT tn
his theories are diametrically opposed
the deductions drawn by the most prom
nent scientific observers, ii 10 Imposslo
10 talk to him for five minutes witho
being convinced of his thorough GOO
faith and his implicit confidence in hill
self and his predictions. AS an enteriI
wedge for further conversation this que
ton was nut to him:
Professor, did you predict the rece
earthquakeY"
NO." was the prompt reply; "but hat
been as conversant with the pre-eXistii
condition OF the atmosphere aboutCharl'
ton as am now, | might have predict
1t. The nearest came to IL was sol
two months ago when conyersing wi
my neighbor, Mr.. Scribner. He is W
man, and devoted student of seism0lol
| formulated my theory to him, and
were turning over some barometric tab
showing the state OF tie weather alo
the seaboard of the Southern Stat
There exclaimed. If these storms c.
tinue, and have every reason TO belle
they will, there is fair probability OF
earthquake in that region : and / ran
fingers through the various States ir