The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-05-11
DISTINCT PHENOMENON.

In the opinion Of Professor Edmund |
Otis Hovey, the geologist of the New |
York Museum of Natural History, who |
was recently sent TO Martinique to |
study and report on the cause and |
effect of the Mont Pelee eruptions, the |
San Francisco earthquake is an entire
ly distinct and Independent seismic dis
turbance, having absolutely no con-
nection with the recent eruptions of
Vesuvius and other active volcanoes in
Japan and South America.
while volcanic eruptions and earth
quakes may be ascribed to the same
causes" said Mr.. Hovey, 'it does not
follow that either of these disturbances
cannot manifest itself without simul-
taneous manifestation of the other.
"At the time of the Mount Pelee
eruption the seismoEraphs did not re-
cord earthquakes of any kind. These
phenomena are due to the fact that the
earth is constantly growing smaller.
AS its volume decreases the crust of
the earth suffers periodic readjustment
and changes.
The present configuration of the soil
of California is of recent age, geologi-
cally speaking, and for that reason less
able to resist the internal pressure
which is constantly being eXerted 1t
has been estimated that earthquakes
occur on an average of once every half
hour in some part or other of the globe
Now and then they are accompanied
by volcanic eruptions and tidal waves.
SOME PARTS MORE SENSITIVE.
Some positions of the earth's sur
face are more sensitive than others.
For instance. South America, Japan
and California are more than ordinar-
lily active seismically."
Prof Hovey did not expect an early
recurrence of earthquakes in San Fran
cisco. the earth having apparently
eaSed herself in that section, and be-
ing now at work trying to adjust her
crust in some other section. The one
lesson to be learned from the earth
quake, in his opinion, was that no
solid stone or brick buildings should
lie erected on land known TO be in
travail, as is that of California.
Had the earthquake Df today" he
continued, occurred in a locality
where only low frame buildings exist
ed it would have passed almost un-
noticed. and no loss of life would have
been experienced Where the noun
tain building forces are at work, ms
they are i'm California, disturbances
like that OF today should be expected
ana measures taken TO minimize the
possibilities OF danger therefrom. II
Is narrowing 10 the mind 10 picture
what wou'l have happened had the
temblor noen OF the violence OF that
of 1892 IN South America. when the
surface displacemcuts were OF several
feet, ara the shock was felt for 1000
miles up ana down the coast"
Another and an even greater disas'
ter than the earthquake threatens san
aH unlocked for accompaniment TO the
present seismic disturbances, said
Prof n L. Fairrhild of the University
M Rochester this morning "Murh oI
su Francisco is only twelve feet ahoy,
ui. water ana This not rrndrrs 81
. wIf..uHly liable to destruction DO
mu u rNrnL Tidal waves ate
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