The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-10-12
EARTH IS
LIKE EGG

the earth is composed in the manner of
an egg, with three different homo
geneous substances. The outer, or the
crust Of the earth corresponds to the
shell of the egg. then there is n softer,
perhaps gelatinous substance which cor
responds to the white of an egg, and
in the center of the earth is still an
other which is like the yolk of an
egg"
These are the words of Professor 7.
w. Edgeworth David, of Sydney Uni
versity, Australia, one of the world s
great biologists, who is at the st.
Francis. Professor David has just re-
turned from attending the National
Congress of Biologists at Mexico City.
He has Travelled around the world and
read papers before the Royal Society
in London. While there he came in
contact with Professor Milne. one OF
the great earthquake experts, and was
led to believe the new theory as ex.
pounded by Milne.
SAYS PROOF IS EASY.
"The proof is easy and simple and
the idea is n complete departure from
former theories of the earth 8 interior, ~
said Professor David, his eyes shining
with excitement. cit has come to Milne
as the result of life long experiments
with earthquakes and motion of the
earth. The proof is adduced from the
lines of the seismograph during an
earthquake shock which results in the
destruction of buildings, that is, one of
n tra I'd vtnIonoo If thn limos nf
the seismograph during such a shock
are examined it will be found that they
are divided into three sets of curves.
The shock begins with very slight vi
brations, suddenly these are increased
to about twice the length without any
gradual transition. After these have
continued there comes another equally
sharp increase in which the lines be-
come about twice the length of those
preceding. 1t is during the last pe-
Rod of the shock that buildings are
wrecked. 1T is from the study of these
lines that Milne has arrived at the
theory which has astounded the scien-
tifc world.
MILNE FATHER Of THEORY.
"Milne was the first man who saw
the value of studying earthquakes, and
brought scientific treatment to the sub
ject. He noticed at once this similar
ity in all impressions of the seismo-
graph, and thought there must be
some reason for the three sets of
vibrations. Then he investigated. He
found that the slight vibrations con-
tinue about 10 degrees from the Gen.
ter of shock. Then the next set be-
gins and continues about 100 degrees
from the center of shock, then the
third set start and are heaviest at
that point directly opposite the center
of shock.
eff the earth is represented by a
circle drawn on a paper, and point
is marked as the center of shock, then
if 10 degrees are marked off along
the circumference it will be found that
the distance from this arc to its chord
is about thirty miles. In other words,
as soon as the vibrations get through
the egg, and the first quick jump
comes. 1t is found that the substance
under the crust of the earth takes
up about four.tenths of the diameter
on each side, and the inside substance
corresponds to the yolk of the egg. 1t
is supposed that the substance inn
mediately under the crust of the earth
is softer than the crust, and that when
the vibrations reach it, the crust rises
and falls on it in much the same man
ner of ship on the water. This ac-
counts for the waves in the ground
familiar when earthquake shocks are
in progress. 1t seems to me beyond
a doubt that the theory is a true
one and will have great effect on
science, as it will revolutionize the
theory of wave motion. The whole
lecture, in which Milne expressed this
great theory, took only about six
minutes.'