The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-05-09
SCIENTISTS ON
CAUSES OF
1EMBLOR
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but it is to be noted that the loss OF
life would not be as large as II the
shock had happened later in the day
when the population was concentrated
in the business district.
Think Of what would happen, for
instance. if an earthquake struck New
York city at noon. with the severity
greatest in the business district. One
reason why the loss from fire would De
smaller in the present case in Califor-
MIA than if it We're to happen at y
o'clock at night, for instance, is that
there was much less gas when the
shock occurred than in the middle OF
the evening and not SO many fires
would be started from the gas. II
would doubtless be difficult TO connect
this with any recent shock on any
other part OF the globe. The earth IL
so big that a city of the size or san
Francisco is a mere grain of sand on
its surface. Yet there have peen
earthquakes which have been series
of shocks which have passed along al
most around the globe.
1T is to be noted that there have
been no earthquakes connected with
the recent eruptions of Nesuvius. Inc
disturbances there have been of almost
a local nature"
Prof. Arthur W Wright. of Yale,
head of the department. of physics Tor
wears, said: 1.-The whole Sierra NeVa-
da region in the West is of volcanic
origin and earthquakes are freqeunt
there
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
Nv distinct and independent seismic dis |
tr1rbance. 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 !
ouakes may be ascribed to the same
causes" said Mr.. Hovey, 1T does not !
follow that either of these disturbances |
cannot manifest itself without stimuli
taneous manifestation of the other
AT the time of the Mount Pelee
eruption the seismographs did not re-
cord earthquakes of any kind. THESE
are due to the fact that the
earth is constantly growing smaller.
AS it's volume decreases the crust of
the earth suffers periodic reimbursement
and changes.
The present configuration of the soil
of California is of recent age. geologi-
caIly 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 ordlnar-
lily active seismicaliy.'
Prof Hovey did not expect an early
recurrence OF III ocsh L OH
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
be erected on land known to be in
travail, as is that of California.
Had the earthquake Of today he I
continued occurred in a locality
where only low frame buildings exist
ed. it would have passed almost I'M
noticed. and no loss of life would have
been experienced Where the noun
tain building forces are at work, as
they are in California, disturbances
ike that of today should be expected 1
and measures taken to minimize the
possibilities of danger therefrom. 1t
IS narrowing to the mind to picture
what would have happened had the
-emblor been of the violence of that
IF 1922 in South America, when the
surface dispIacements were of several
'eet, ard the shock was felt for 1000 s
niles up and down the coast
Another and an even greater dfsas- s
er than the earthquake threatens San
Francisco. A tidal wave would not be /
N unlocked for accompaniment 10 the
present seismic disturbances said s
Prof II L. Fairchild Of the University y
If Rochester this morning. Much of
San Francisco is only twelve feet above
ide water, and this fact renders 1t
liable to destruction in r
;uch an event Tidal waves after $
in eostal localities are far /
rom unusual. AS the city is not di- V
1It%
leep bay, there is possibility, how s
yer. that even in the event of tidal g
wave it might in some measure be @
protected" ic
HOLDEN'S LIST.
e
According to Professor E. S. Holden's r
catalogue of California earthquakes, n
overing the years between 1863 and h
s96. there have been ten quakes dur g
ng the nineteenth century which could f
airly be called serious. AS for lighter b