The morning call., 1891-11-08
THE JAPAN EARTHQUAKE.

Official intelligence describes the earth
quake at Japan on the 2Sth ut. as more
severe than the first accounts stated. 1t is
said that 6500 persons were killed outright,
1000 injured and 5000 houses totally de-
stroyed. Such violence would cause the
catastrophe to be classed among the de-
structiye earthquakes of the century. Few
phenomena of the kind have been more
severe
CompilerS Of statistics of earthquakes have
been liberal in their allowance for the NOR
tally they caused Thus we read of an
earthquake at Antioch in the second CEN
fury which destroyed 250,0G0 lives of one in
the eighth century which leveled 500 towns
in Asia; of the Cilicla earthquake, which
destroyed 90, 900 persons of one in the If
teenth century, which killed 10000 people at
Naples; of one in Russia. in the seventeenth
cen fury, which destroyed $4,000 lives; of
another. in the same century, which over
whe!med 100000 people in the Mediterra-
mean; of one at Toxic, Japan, at the begin
ming of the eighteenth century, which
caused 100000 deaths; of one a few years
later. at Peking, which destroyed 100000
people; Of the great Lisbon earthquake.
which killed $4,000; but when we come
down to more modern times, when more
at atC aSAOuhto Va puooihS INtHLo SOI-
lected by observers, we do not find that so
heavy a mortality results from commissions
of nature. We have seen in our own time
severe earthquakes in Central America, in
the southeast corner of ASIA in South Amer
lea, at Charleston. ). c.. and elsewhere;
but not one of these is believed TO have cost
as many lives as the catastrophe of last
October in Japan.
In the old days exact records were not
kept, and when large destruction of life oc-
CURED, either from famine, peStilence, war
or earthquakes. historians guessed at good
round figures. and they have been handed
down the ages as facts. Few of their
guesse5 will stand the test of scientific in
qury. 1t is doubtful if Lisbon contained
100000 people in 1855 If half of them
persisted in the earthquake. who rebuilt the
city? Antioch was a city of villas; its
main street was four miles long. II 1t lost
$4,000 people in night it must have been
depopulated. which was not the case.
This force of the Japan earthquake ap-
pears to have expended itself near the head
waters of the streams which empty itself
in to the Gulf of Ise. This region has al
ways been subject to seismic disturb
There Ia an old legend which may have a
historic base, to the effect that the great
lake of Biwa was created by an earthquake,
and that the seat of government was trans
ferred frOm'kioto to Toxic in consequence
of the prevalence Of earthquakes at the for
mer place. No doubt there is a thin spot
there in the crust Of the earth. 1t is one of
many in japan. Earthquakes have been
quite frequent there during the historic
period, but they have seldom spread far
from the point where they originated, SO far
as destructive power Is concerned.
This is the more curious as the vibration
of japanese earthquakes has been felt at
great distances. The earthquake of 1854
was felt on this coast, and the hour at
which it reached the coast served as a basis
for calculations of the depth of the Pacific.
The South American earthquake of 1868
was noticed on the seacoast Of Japan.
Another Japanese earthquake IN 1881 was
followed by perceptible vibrations at the
mouth of the Columbia. And now comes
curious story that between IL o'clock in the
evening and midnight On Tuesday, the 9th
ult. (Which is probably a mistake for
Wednesday. the 28tn), perceptible EARTH
quake tremor was felt at Berlin, In Ger
many. 1t is hardly to be supposed that such
thorough scientists as the Germans nag-
ined the tremor or dreamt it, and yet il the
vibration of the earth wave which started
at Gifu, Japan, was felt at Berlin how does
1t happen that it was not noticed by the
multitude of watchers for such phenomena
in the intervening countries?
There is this comfortable feature In the
study of earthguakes-that no one knows
anything about Them Tie soph. who is
plodding through the A B c of science is as
good authority on the cause of earthquake
phenomena as the wisest professor Under
the circumstances it is natural that tina
study should be popular.