Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-30
COST OF EARTHQUAKES
LOSSES CAUSED BY THESE SEIS-
MIC DISTURBANCES.
Not Only in Property and Lives at the
Time, but in Other Ways
x and Times.

Prof John Milne, in the London Mall.
In Britain earthquakes occur but rarely,
and the damage they occasion Is usually
too triiing to demand serious attention.
Directly we turn to earthquake-shaken COL
onies and foreign countries where capital
ia invested the desirability of doing all that
is possible to mitigate loss of life and
property is at once apparent. The destruc-
ton which accompanied the recent earth
quake in San Francisco had very marked
financial effect in England and other coun-
tries. The city hall alone cost E1 100000,
while the total property loss has been es-
timated at RGO.OOO.OOO. Insurance compa-
MES no doubt know the extent of their re-
sponsibilities. while the total losses which
extended over the whole of central Cali
fornia can only be estimated by many mil
lions Now our attention Is directed to the
wilderness of ruin just created in central
Chile.
Although it is too soon to form a none
tary estimate of the widespread damage,
we already hear that millions have been
lost at several places. The total Will not
be large, but it will be large enough to stag
ger many insurance officers and companies
who have investments in the shattered area.
The annual loss of life in the world occa-
stoned by earthquakes is, on the average,
about $500. This number is fairly in &C
cordance with the numbers lost during the
past Twelve ncUllS on oCiOptF o, loJl,
Japan lost $500 of her people, or double
the number lost in her war with China.
The wounded numbered 1894. With a
single earthquake In 1896 the loss of life
in the same country approached 10000. If
we turn to the loss of property. after the
earthquake of 1891, thirty million dollars, or
six million pounds, was required for the
restoration Of railways, roads, bridges and
other public works. In addition to this
12S. $50 houses together with factories. tenn
pies and other buildings had to be re-
stored.
The Assam Quake.
In 1897, after a disastrous earthquake in
Assam, the chief commissioner of that
country reported to the secretary of the
government of India that their own re-
sources had been exhausted and, with the
object of restoring various public works. a
grant from the imperial revenues would be
required to assist his administration. The
total damage oCcasioned, much of which
had to be met by shareholders in railways,
tea factories. and other industries, was
roughly estimated at 95000,0O0. Speaking
generally, a large earthquake in populated
country often results in damage to the eX-
tent of several million pounds.
If it is asked whether these expenditures
can be reduced the answer is distinctly in
the affirmative. One of the outcomes of
modern seismology has been to devise in
struments which measure earthquake mo-
JlOn. FROM hnbWleuSe OF the dcludl ma
ture of earthquake motion derived from the
use of these instruments new rules and for
mdlae for the use of engineers and builders
have been established In Japan and other
countries these have been extensively APP
piled in the construction of piers for
Bridges. tall chimncys, walls, ordinary
dwellings, em5ankments, reservoirs, etc.
1nasrIuch the new types of structures
have withstood violent earth shakings,
while ordinary types in the neighborhood
have failed, 1t can be confidently stated
that much has already been accomplished
to minimize the loss of life and property.
AS a side Issue to this work it may be
mentioned that the application of seismom-
etry to the working of railways par
ticularly in Japan. has led to the localiza-
ton of faults on lines and alterations in
the balancing Of locomotives. The result
of the latter has been to decrease the con-
sumption Of fuel. OF late years instru-
ments have been devised to record earth
quake motion which cannot be felt, with
'the result that person living in any one
part of the world can record and obtain