The Washington times., 1905-06-14
EARTHQUAKE MADE
FOR THE h|KAOO
British Expert Amuses the
japanese Monarch.
WONDERFUL sEIsMoGRAPH
Recent Shake-Up in India Calls At
tention to New instrument.

LONDON. June 4.-Now that old
Earth is growing and runibling inter
Tally. her surface rolling and quakfng,
the most interested and interesting man
In these islands is Prof John Milne, F.
r. S. For he is the earthquake meas
urer. the leader of the new scismology.
Since India lately suffered her APP
palling ordeal since parts of England
were twice shaken, April %, and Swiss
cantoEs and French cities quivered
April y, scientists, saSes OF all kinds.
have been Fastening to the little vii
lage of Ehide, near Newport, capital
OF the Isle of Wight. For there lives
Prof. Milne. who. by his learning, pa
thence, and industry, has done most to
perfect the seismograph. which not only
announces the passing of an earthquake
In any part OF the globe. but records in
what spot and at what hour the earth
slfivered. After Milne. new workers en-
tered the field of seismology. The
United States. Germany. Austria. Italy.
and Japan lave learned students of
earthquakes now.
An Artificial Earthquake.
Fond of adventure Prof. Milne has
travelled all over this sphere. About
fifty years old. he LIVED. in japan TWEEN
ty years He was a professor In the
University Of Tokyo. and socn turned
his attention to NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
happen there two or three times week
baby ones as comparable in power. 20
that which shattered Lahore as Is a
boys popgun to the biggest cannon in
The Eil.ados navy
Mines researches and experiments
aroused the wonder and admiration Of
the japanese government. ever watch
nj a 9rr,in or he vy and
useful, have also attrac ted the Mlkado's
attention, and for his maJesty's instruc-5
ton and pleasure. he'd an earthquake
planned ard performed.
On a waste piece of ground Prof.
Milne put up houses and towers. and be-
heath them were laid mines. The MIka-
press button and the mines would ex-
plode and the earthquake would occur
Didn't Scare the Mikado.
Calm and imperturbable was his
majesty when he appeared on the scene
and calmly did he press the. button A
fearful explosion-houses and towers and
all manner of wreckage in the air-and
the professor naturally expected some
expression of surprise. some show of
excitement. but the Mikado was calm
and impertur5able. He had neither start
ed nor blinked Motionless and impas-
sive, he watched the 3cene Then, just
| on taking his leave. he uttered the one
word, "Remarka blen'
The earliest form of the seismoscope
was. OF course, one that signaled a
| tire NOR of the ground But an instru-
merit was needed that would trace au-
| Dramatically the whole motion, from the
beginning Of the quake 10 the end. show
! ing at every instant the direction the
iamplitude and the frequency, or periods
of the vibrations.
| Mines first problem IL creating the
| seismoeraph was &c devise steady
| points--that is. a mass which shall al
1 ways remain at rest. while everything
around IL AMI even the support uphold
| Ing II, is IN constant state of vfbra-
! tory motion. To attain II was far from
easy but 1t was attcined.
His Earthquake Meter.
| Imagine a plate attached to it with a
prepared surface capable of receiving
and recording the movements of pencil
or point. And imagine a tracing pencil
attached to supports which vibrate with
the earth. and the ether end resting
| lightly on the smoked Tor surfaced1
! plate.
| Or picture 70 yourself the thing re-
versed. and the tracing point attached
10 the uanovfng, immovab,e mass. and
| the smoked plate attached TO the sup
| ports that vibrate with the earth. In
| either case the movements of the earth
will cause traced line to be drawn OH
the plate. showing the motion of the
Garth and the support relative to the
J steady Soint."
| And there. roughly. you have de-
scription of the earthquake measurer
and timer. without being burdened with
! it's scientific perplexities.-
| To such accuracy has Professor Milne
carried the new science already that he
has mapped out the worlds earthquake
centers of origin into eighteen great
| districts.
He thinks the great earthquake of
! Northern India in March originated IN
| the seismic eclipse where tower the
! Himaiayas, the nest and breeding place
| of earthquakes.