The sun., 1903-04-05
OUAKES IN THE MARIANAS.
Disturbances 70 which Our lslaod sf Guam
10 Often Subjected.

The Rev. M. 8. Maso. assistant director
Of the Philippine Weather Bureau. has re-
Gently contributed some notable articles
TO the Builetix Of that office. THE Bun
published map while ago, showing the
distribution OF volcanoes and earthquakes
in the Philippines. based upon. two maps
this careful official produced. He published
in the latest Bulletin some notes concerning
volcanoes and earthquakes In the Marianas
Archipelago. OF which Guam 10 the largest
island. As we are specially interested in
the fortunes Of Guam, some Of the fscts
he adducee are very timely.
Guam suffered from two severe earth
quakes last year. of which some informa-
ton was published at the time. On May
10 a violent vertical movement caused all
the inhabitants OF the town Of Aeaha to
rush out Of their houses. Sharp oscillations
followed, and though the earthquake lasted
only q minute all the tiles OF stone houses
werc displaced and the walls Of many
houses were cracked.
Two wide earthquake cracks were
opened In the earth about three miles from
the town and the sea withdrew rs far a. the
frinxinR coral reefs, but thanks TO the
slownees with which II returned IL did not
Overflow the uInite VI hc oSoN'' DoAibk
the night three lees violent earthquakes
occurred.
A much severer earthquake occurred .
little before noon on Sept. "a. II is believed
20 have been fully AZ violent a. that Of is4s,
which was one Of the greatest earthquakes
recorded on the islands.
A terrific subterranean noise was heard.
after which the earth began to tremble
slightly, and then the real earthquakes
occurred, continuing forty-hve seconds. ter
rifyins not only the natives, but also the
Americans. With one or two exceptions
all the mone buildings in Agahs suffered
considerably and required much repairing
Some Of the houses were completely
ruined. Ols house sank two feet Al one
end and many houses were distorted out
Of all proportion. wails eighteen and
twenty inches thick swsyed TO and fro,
cracked and toppled over to the ground.
Tile roofs came down on all sidee.
The ground opened in many places and
spouted salt water from the crevioes. Huge
rocks were dislodged from the hillsides
nd produced great landslides Many
bridges were thrown down, preventing the
passage Of vehicles between the town ot
Aeaf,a a and the port Of PHI. some Ave miles
distant. where the warehouses are situated
Telephone connection was interrupted
owing TO the falling OF many pcles.
After the earthquake, the whole island
seemed 20 lie in vibration, and In the courss
OF few days moro than one hundred smaller
earthquakes were felt. Masonry buildings
we're also sha ttered on The island OF Sayrar
This earthquake was recorded by the
scismogrsph at Manila:
A table compiled BY Father Ms.o, cover
! Ing six years. shows an average VI thirteen
| earthquake days Q yoar at Agaha. Thi'
! figure doubtless 10 far from representing
| the real seismic frequency in the archi
pelaso, for the record Is confined TO Agahf
| and Il Ia reasonable TO tupps se that man,
are imperceptible In Guam. The freouenc,
! Of earthquakes at Agaha during this perioS
was greater than At Manila, but consider
ably Tess than that Of central japan.