Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-10

the sea. If the shore had been as much
occupied by settlers as is the case Of Java,
it is probable that the destruction OF life
would been as great as during the volcanic
wave of 1888, when 10000 people perlshed
along the shores of that island.
The liability of occurrence of such catas-
trophies in the district of New Guinea is
serious hindrsnce to the extension OF Ger
man colonies in that country. There are
two regions in the world which are pecu-
liarly liable to such devastations-the west
ern coast of South America and the islands
of the Malayan archipelago. These great
ndations-miscslled tidal waves-are
within the limits they range far more de-
structive than earthquake shocks: Human
beings in we'll constructed buildings or IN
open ground NAV in most shocks escape
from damage through the motion OF the
earth; but the waves of the sea caused BY
volcanic explosions or earthquakes on Its
bottom send irresistible floods against the
land. 1t is the great good fortune OF our
own continent, save perhaps in Alaska, that
it is exempt from this class of dangers. The
exemption is probably of permanent sort,
for the features of the Atlantic coast at least
show clearly that no such great inundatlons
have swept that shore since the land at
tanned its present relation to the sea.
WHAT CAUSES EARTHQUAKES.
The European portion of the Old World
seems to be undergoing a succession OF slight
earthquakes. Within three months shocks
have been felt on different days in Norway,
at two or three points in Switzerland, In
Scotland and in various parts of the Eastern
Mediterranean district. The one in Smyrna,
which occurred on the 21st of January, ap-
pears to have been destructive to life and
property, ,The Scotch earth shock, which
was unimportant save for the fright 1T gave
to the people, has been made the subject OF
discussion by DR.. Archibald Geikie, the
director of the British Geological survey.
DR.. Geikie once more calls attention to the
fact that earthquakes are more common In
winter season than at other times of the
year.
Some years ago I made an inquiry into
the New England earthquakes, and became
come convinced that this greater prevalence
of shocks is probably to be explained, in
part, at least, by a curious cause. In New
England and in other countries where in
tense frost often occurs, when the ground is
not covered with snow, the earth freezes to
the depth of several feet. If the soil is very
wet, the low temperature causes it to con-
tract and crack to open. At the moment
when the crack is formed shock is pro-
duced which may be sutlclently strong to
attract notice.
It is now pretty we'll established that
many of the great earthquake shocks are
caused by rents formed in the rocks at the
depths of several miles below the surface,
rents which are probably filled at the mo-
ment of their formation by molten rocks,
such as appear in the dykes which are so
often found intersecting strata. Thus our
frost cracks present us with illustrations in
a small way of the processes which produce
the greater convulsions of this nature.
An amusing experiment was recently
made in Westphalia to determine the rela-
tive speed of flight of bees and pigeons. The
race course through the air was three and a.
half miles in length. The bees were marked
by covering them with -four, which doubt
less in a certain measure retarded their
flight, yet the first bee arrived at the win
ming post 25 seconds before the first pigeon,
and three other bees came in before the Sec
ond bird arrived. The speed of flight is not
stated, but as it is known that pigeons fly
at the rate of so miles or more an hour, this
seems to establish the fact that bees have a
fight as speedy as that of our swifter birds.
PROF. n. S. SHALER.