The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-04-19
THE ZANTE EARTHQUAKE.

There is nothing i'll the earthquake at
Zante which in itself calls for particular
attention. The island Is small; its popula-
tion is under that of Oakland the people
are poor and their villages mean; the de-
struction of life by the catastrophe only
foots mp a score or two, and though suffer-
ing will ensue if beneyolence does not come
to the rescue of those who have lost house
and home the ravages of the phenomenon
are Insignificant in comparison with those
which marked the earthquake OF eighteen
months ago in Japan, or those which befell
Spain ten years ago
The interesting feature in the case is that
the earthquake is said to have been pre-
dicted, and predicted by one who was not a
sensational fraud like the Canadian Wig
gins, but who had accurately predicted
earthquakes on previous occasions. This Is
professor of meteorology and editor Of an
astronomical journal named Falb, who for
twenty-five years has followed the business
Of predicting earthquakes in little almanac
which he publishes for the purpose. He is
an Austrian and lives at Vienna.
Professor Falb does not fall in with the
theories OF Mallet and the seiSmologists of
Naples. He is believer in the mOlten-masS
theory, and he holds that it Gibbs and flows
in obedience TO a TIDE which, like the tides
Of the earth, is subject to lunar influence
He accepts the doctrine of the thlnness of
the earth's crust and of its varying dimen-
siOns; thus acquiescing in the view that
earthquakes occur where the crust is thin
nest. or. as they said at Charleston. in The
line OF least resistance. He assumes that q
seething, molten mass constitutes the center
Of the earth, and throws of gases which
20 IL, -,
vent presents itself, these gases uplift the
roof OF their subterranean abode and cause
what is called al earthquake. And he
claims that by studying the rotation OF the
moon be can foTetel when gases known to
be in a state Of perturbation beneath given
localities are likely to be most violent in
their dynamic action.
1t viii be noticed that in this theory the
hypothesis are in undue proportion to the
facts. 1t is not easy to reconcile the exist
ence Of a solid. ponderous nucleus at the
center of the earth with the demonstrated
facts Of specific gravity, while it is easy to
explain the weight Of the eaTth by assuming
that its center is gaseous and almost mDou-
derable. Nor is it easy to ascribe earth
quakes TO the lifting power Of confined
gases, when the rate of travel Of the earth
wave is far beyond any record yet made by
a travelling gas Jet. Earthquakes have ap-
peared at two places thousand miles dis
tant from each other in period Of an hour.
The liyeliest gas known to chemistry has
never covered anything like such a distance
in such a space of time. The record of the
earthquake of 1854 is conclusive against the
theory that the earthwaye is driven by any
force which is known 10 science, except
electricity.
1t will be time enough to discuss the pos
siblity Of lunar influence over earthquakes
when any one explains in an Ineligible
way the alleged influence of the moon over
the tides. Any high school graduate Will
glibly trace the connection of the spring
| and neap tides with the phases Of the moon,
but there is no professor of physics who
could prove that the one depends on the
other by reasoning which would carry con-
victiOn to the mind Of an intelligent jury.
There is this comfort in theorizing about
eartbq uakes-that no one knows anything
about their cause, and therefore that no one
can convict theOTiZer OF error. Some day,
| perhaps, we shall know all about them.
If, as this Austrian sayant says. the crust
OF the earth is only eighteen miles thick,
| some miner may by and by drive an electric
| drill through it and inspect that unknown
! ABYSS Whlch contains the nucleus oil the
! globe. The feat would only be a step in
advance of some of our deep shafts. Then
! the cause Of earthquakes, if in reality they
! proceed from the Tartarean depths, would
! be reverted, and by applying a powerful
stopcOck to the tube the operator might set
! free The gas when required, as the engineer
OF a locomotive releases his steam. In other
words, certain localities might be described
as having earthquakes on tap. as the
whisky trust has plain one-stamp goods.
! But if earthquakes do not come from the
| bowels of the earth. but are electrical
manifestations springing from occult agen-
| cies in the crust, then, OF course, the deep
! shalt would only supply US with negative
| knowledge.