Evening star., 1907-08-18

4 = structive happening in the earth's -
crust, such events as the late eruption
of Vesuvius the earthquakes in
California and Jamaica, is, Are We likely to
have similar occurrence before long, or its
variant Can such occurrences take place in regions
which are thought to be immune from natures
TavageSl
The omnscient scientist who is still puzzlng
what has recently happened in far off pOr
of the earths surface, trying to ascertain the
causes of the complex activities which have
destroyed towns, villages and scattered habitations,
which have disturbed balances within the earth
and out Of it, and which have inter JeCted new fea
lures into the business responsibilities of commun-
ties, finds himself besieged with the inquiry as to
the well being OF the earth at large, the possibilities
and probabilities, near IN the future, OF Chicago
New York, and Philadelphia and the problems
that attach to the resisting power of skyscrapers
and the effect of subway spaces upon the move
ment of portion Of the earth.
The inquiries in themselves sufficiently harm
less and seemingly simple in their solution, they
touch problem in the physics of our planet which
has not already been long studied and investigated;
they deal with problems in science that involve
new Conce ptions the theory of matter. Yet they
OF kind that the geologist least prepared to
answer, however ready he may be to express HIM
self in interviews shortly after occurrence.
A Discounted Prophet
A the meeting of the British Association for the
"A Advancement of Science held in Birmingham,
England in $50, which presided over by geolo
gst of rare and learning the presidential ad
dress was in part devoted to survey of the phys
ical features, far they had been developed by
the eastern border of the American continent, and
from these features the thesis had been elaborated
that the region under consideration great
earth dispaCements OR movements were likely to
at any early period, nor any conVusions that
dependent upon such displacements: The
earth in this quarter had seemingly attained de-
gree of stability which nature forces longer
likely disturb, and man could rest secure IN the
consciousness that those parts the earth had been
completed and adaptations toward probable
change need be contemplated further. During or
shortly following the reading of the address referred
to- word received of the destruction in great
part, and through earthquake movements, OF the
city of Charleston-a singular and bitter COM
nlentary the prophecy of science, lesson that
geologists who addicted to prophesy1ng on
what might be termed slender evidence should take
we'll to heart
The layman may at this point be tempted to ask,
Are there then lessons that taught to the in
vestlgator by earthquake and volcanic phenomena
which would permit him to read the future, as far
as this class of phenomena concerned, for a
given region of the earths surface? The geologlst
in Japan, where two thousand earth
quakes, and some earthquakes of fair quality, are
recorded every year, has no difficulty in
forecastng the probable future the same
would be true of the investigator stationed
among the central islands of the Malay
Archipelago, in the equatorial Andes
Central America, or in the shadow of Vesuvius
and Etna. What might be expected from the
future is well indicated in what has taken
place in the past in what is taking place in
the present.
The same might be thought true of the
scientist who had the California region for
his station but there a geologst wise ~
enough to predict the likelihood of catas- a.
wear, any than there was scientist
10 predict the earthquakes which wrecked
Caracas in 1872 and Lisbon in I7ss or the
more recent quakes OF the Sinla region in the