The morning call., 1891-11-01
THE EARTHQUAKES IN JAPAN.

Last Wednesdays earthquake in Japan
wilEhaVe TO be classed among the destruct--
i've earthquakes of the century, for ten
thousand people are said to heYe lost their
r lives, with some districts vet to hear from.
The theater of tile catastrophe was the
country lying al the head of the Gulf of
Ise. and spreading westward from Gifu to
Ogaki on Lake Biwa. This is one of the
most populous and fertile districts Of
Japan. Considerable tea is exported from
Kobe, on the Gulf of NaDiwa. a few miles.
wes, of the Gulf of Ise. The Pacific Mail
and Occidental and Oriental steamers touch
there on their way from HoDg-Kong to
|. Yokohama; ...-'. <.-:*
:: Although the earth's surface In this dis
trict must be unusually thin. as the fire.
quency Of earthquakes proves. the soil is SO
rich that it has always maintained a large
rural population. The, best rice in the en-
pre- is grown there, and there are number
of distilleries for converting it into sake.
Besides tea, the province is also rich in
fruits and cotton. For the accomm odation
Of these products a railroad has been built
from Nagoya, at the head Of the Gulf Of
Ise. to Gifu, and thence to 0gaki; it is this
road which has been destroyed by the re-
cent earthquake. The line was constructed
along the river bottoms, and seems to have,
felt the shock along its whole length.
Throughout the historical period, this
portion Of japan has been subject to earth
quakes. According to the legend there was
a tremendous earthquake some $50 years
before Christ. when Lake Biwa was formed
1t was felt eighty miles eastward, and was
the means of raising Mount Fusivama to
its present height, while at nearly equal
distance on ~ Wasf II dest tI,a oil ~ of
kioto, which was then the capital of Japan.
Throughout history regular repetition OF
such catastrophes has been recorded The
great earthquake of 1854, which enabled
Professor Henry of the Smithsonian to cal
culate the depth of the Pacfi: Ocean, is
within the recollection of every one. Only
year ago similar accident leveled
mountain north Of Toxic. and distributed
its contents over the adjacent fields.
Soon after the establishment of tho pres
ent quasi-conStitutional regime in Japan
acknowledged society was established. which
has been In active operation ever since. 1t
counts among its members some OF the
abiest native and foreign scientists, and as
its field of operations is the heart Of one of
the most volcanic countries in the world it
has done good work in collecting statistics
OF chronological phenomena. Every earth.
quake has been duly recorded, with the
direction of the earthwaye and the length
and force of the shock or shocks 1t is
hoped that some day the collection of facts
will be large enough to enable scientists to
PROFOUND a theory of earthquakes which
shall rest on something more than con-
lecture. -
Japan is In the line Of the norther
earthquake belt, which embraces Mount st.
Elias, Spain. Italy, Asia Minor and Paes-
tine. That line was a terrestrial fnntanelle
which is gradually closing as the earth
grows older: In the region washed by the
Mediterranean the crack was pretty wide
open from the beginning of the historical
period to the time of Christ, as the legend
OF tho five cities in Genesis, the repeated
destruction of Antioch, the earthquakes in
the Greek Archipelago and the operations
nf-Nesuyius and Etna demonstrate. For a
'dozen,:or. more centuries it must be as
sumed. that in this locality the crust of the
earth has thickened, for neither are the
volcanoes as dangerously active nor are the
earthquakes as frequent or as destructive as
they used to be. In Japan the same pro-
cess of induration is probably going on,
though not at the same rate. 1t is still a
source, of active seismic action, and every
+ year or two there lis a destructive earth
quake. ::...-:, =.
= between Japan. and the BONN Islands
there has been, probably at no very remote
period, active submarine volcanic action.
There are spots where submarine mount
aims rise two miles in the clear from rug
ged bottom, and seem to be not connected
with any range. Unless they can be
thanked the difficulties in The way of laying
a submarine cable from the islands to Japan
will probably prove insuperable