The Pickens sentinel-journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1903-1906, 1906-05-02
EARTHQUAKE WARMING.
DR.. c. Willard Hayes Believes
Shocks Can Be Predicted.
MANY PREMoNIToRY SYMPTOMS

ALAN IhbMONlLUR4 SYMPIUMS
Expert OF Geological Survey snys
roreteliin# Earthquakes Is Merely
question. OF Obscrvntion-Sue-
sests the Establishing OF weII
Equipped Stations. ill.,
DIR. G.. Willard Hayes, gcologist OF
the United States geological survey. re-
Gently expressed the opinion that tho
time would come when tho scientists
would be able to predict an earthquake
sufficiently IN advance Of, it's cucur-
renee to give warming to persons likely
TO be caught by it. says IL Washington
special TO the New York Times.
"Of course do not say that it will
come soon," said DR.. Hayes, ''but | see
nothing improbable in the idea ut all.
| think It is largely Il matter Of having
Il sufficient number OF properly eulliD-
ped observation stations, with prompt
ana thorough exchange Of observa-
tionS. Earthquakes are almost invaria-
bly preceded by premOnItory simns and
symptoms. These are now recognized
ana recorded. But there are not
enough observers engaged in the work
10 make their records and observations
OF practical benefit in the way have
| indicated.
"Eirty years ago the idea that It
! would be possible TO predict a storm
would have been regarded us Drcpos-
tcrouS. But with the increase Of tho
number or weather observers and tho
development Of their Instruments they
have reached the stage OF practical GER
tainty, and the service has become Of
immense value throughout the world.
or course they have had great deal
more weather to observe than the re-
ologists have had earthquakes, and tho
scope and thoroughncss OF their obscr-
rations have developed more rapidly
than In the case OF seismic, disturb
anccS. But | see no reason why, with
IL proper extension Of the field Of OBJ
scrvaiions and the proper equipment
OF the observers, there should not re-
suit In comparatively few years sub
stanliaily the ability to forctell for an
arlrcci;lbic period OF time tho occur
renee OF serious earthquakes"
III discussing the shocks which dcy-
| n*lAtcd SAN Francisco DR.. Ilaycs said
| that the ultimate cause WAS un0ouDt-
cdly "a deep rcadjustment' Of the
earth, manfesting itself upon the sur
face by Il slip along the line Of a
| fault. These faults occur ut various
places upon the carth's crust and are
similar to those found in orc or coal
veins, except that their scale Is thou
sands OF feet compared to inches In tho
mine scale. When for any cause a
deep reimbursement takes place the sur
face effect usually follows the line OF a
fault.
When somebody asked what caused
this deep rcadjuslmcnt DR.. Hayes
smiled and replied:
'Ihat is Just what the gcologsts arc
| asking. why is what we want to
| know. That is the great problem or
| one OF the great Problems that we are
studying all the time. We know that
| certain parts of the earth are slowly
going down and other parts arc rising.
That has been going on in California.
Only yesterday (\pril 1SD, speaking &C.
olo2ira!lN, the coast line Of California
was lifted UP to Il considerable extent.
The traces OF the old beach line aro
! easy to follow, and the fact that the
line has been lifted to different heights
'tl 'iliI titlil IIitttS anu lIul DluCCS IL
lies at IN angle and not horizontally
shows that 1t was lifted and that it
WAS not the rcccdng OF the water
which left ii there.
"Thcrc are several clearly defined
faults which run near and even
through san Francisco" continued DR..
llaycs. He took a geological map and
POINTED out four or five. The more cX-
trnSivc run just south OF the city, but
there arc two or three which cross tho
ground on which the city stood. They
all trend northwest and southeast, in
the direction in which the earthquake
wave is reported to have travelled. The
most pronounced OF them passes
through iAio Alto. where violent
shock was felt.
"It may be-" said DR.. Hayes, "that n
slip occurred somewhere at the upper
or northern end Of one Of these faults
and, following down to tho southeast,
produced the shock that destroyed San
Francisco and wrecked Palo Alto
buildings"