The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-04
THE OCEANS UNEASY BED.
rET LIGHT SHED ON EARTHQUAKES
BY PROF. MILNE.

=. 900 Yoars Before the Christtan Era-suhi-
leo scencs-Improvemcut In Public Health.
LoSnox, June 25.-Tho alarming frequency Of
earthquakes during tho past year or two and
the enormous destruction to life and property
IN various quarters OF the world which they
have wrought are attracting public attention In |
England 10 the Investigation Of seismic phonom-
ana. The latest calamity to Inflated India has
emphasized this interest, and such information
as science is able to furnish on the subject is
eagerly read by all classes Of the general public.
sclsmology Is very far from being an exact
,dencc. Tho earthquake Is almost tho latest
form Of natural phenomena to DO seriously
studied, and the science has as yet few votaries
and still fewer authorities. Among these latter,
as the readers OF THE SUN already know, Is Pro.
fessor John Milne. who, in his curious labora.
tory OIL the Isle Of Wight may be said to keep
his finger constantly upon the pulse Of the
earth.
Prof. Milne delivered o lecture before the Royal
Geographical Society one evening this week upon
the causes of seismic disturbance which exist
"iu the silence Of the central sea-" 1t has long
been known, no explained. that the earth be-
meath great ocean depths Ia not absolutely at
rest. Tiny organisms fall. like a perpetual
drizzlc. on the ocean floor; Garth dust yet
more minute sinks gradually down through
the water; but this ooze accumulates with
extreme slowncss- Besides this, tho floor itself
may ooup,Ite" VI pH~.S .~""-.S.s,
mems "S' n". 80 = 80.
-somu'"s ~ .'". 80 Son' "NN'
eou" n"i".' " "'NN - IN ). "
eoT's'tv .s,. "a
SHOWS "a' ~ - :
then Nature moves more abruptly than some OF
Ms suppose. Submarine cables indicate unex-
pecied disturbances; now the gutta percha is
me"e1' ~ IL y , - nv"
though oy s'reini U SppoAis '0en
ouriea os " muus"r.
incre ei' 'een S"u
poauce mo'oneneS eh'e'n " out'a.e VI u
sea- ine NV !, '"o " I'm d.
erusaihss VI ~ 80 oA
nave pfV"uee 80, e"u ~
spNuousi' -" M.
@'ne
REMOVAL VI :"
eea"o'n coast aau Il ~
PtVuu.o -
oihA'er'"i' "ou.u w. nones "He
Die contours Whie nsy "1 oouso w
meh@oi 'Mious ANNE An sne W Ie
may oe i0haAips oto tno "Hoo .1ss . . ="
a. .nefo may 10 ~ ~ m y ui'
"" -,
prooa'y "ne"' 'sise aao"- ~
u. ~ofe eai,Aot % ~ y ous
suum@iin 'oH.ano a. "1, pN-uSe
e"'nquHAes' '"o Aiss - ,So.S
ma. . ias' o,eHh unu - s.. N ".
part" Oh Inc ai'iuea mass may !. us
n"ee, III jump,
u = IN nouoh. u = pAopse =.
nioush inc eai.ne ous" which, "nen ~
originates oeheata LEG ocoan, may shA.eer S..ie
od le@cnint ING iAho' anu NNs Ae-.1s
waves mat oohe s"eepins e.ons =
Mhsms aeo.n anu
u MS. 1o.A may nut 70 'ne u So
IN again. inc ofumpiinS pfooo'e Atauo
new shps may occur along the hhe Oh fracture
crust
Ono oh;sc, NJ p,os Mlne,s lectpre WAS to point
out the circumstances In which these disturb
ances are most likely tn occur. An earthquake
and , movement ot some kind stand in the rela
ton of feet and caus,. Sometimes this move
ment ia n, an exnIosive cbaracter. and the shocl
j,dirs.,v oonn.c,od With voIc.nic action. hut
nerhana moro of+on-the latter also stand,
ra,hsr In Nh. ro,.t;on ., consoonance IN move
mept, tending IN vrinkIe the earths crust
Prof Milne during his residence in Japan
variable land ~ eartbcuakes-too some main
10 ascertain whether the sbocka were starte.
IN the morrtoir colon mr. boneath the sea
and found ,h.t ont ., four hundred nm,
nine,een sho.ks Ie.a than one.sixth ha,
originated inland morn than half beneath tn
ocean and tho raaf naaF tho rnaRf and even n
ths,. 800 49, hod com. trom the saa r,
sides tbis bo has obaerved that wherever tn
land descenas ran,d,v hsr..th the surface Of IN
wafer vhe,h.r - .c~o,.tIIne mr. into an ocea,
basin ,horo .ar,horoL.. AZ. ukelv IN orjoinat,
Will. gentla sIonss are rarely tho sitas Of di
,prhance s,rnin, =, roteria,s alao occur
much NOV. easilv IN the former casa. 40 tina
hero d;strrhono.s ~ AM kinds become NOR
available In tho ror,horn mart of the India
Ocean the-s IA a ronid ds.neninn nj the sea be-
and on .,,bor la rnucb Accommodation NJ m,
,sriol
-
In a recent letter l gave some orief account
.he remarkable discoveries maaeh haoyioni
IN inc course OF tho excavation OF tho run
=" Nippur by Mr.. Haynes. VINO mas peen q
work Tor several years under inc huspie'
o' Inc University OF pennsylvania III IN
Poss'pte to overestimats Inc Vaiue o u
archeoioeical revelations whioh nave io,iowt
NJ GNnlnFui 1nn n n hnFlRn ClLY-IA0 Ol0oAJ