Omaha daily bee., 1907-01-21
EARTHQUAK.E PROPHECIES.
some Forecasts Considered I'm the
Light of Subsequent Events.
New York SIM


The doom singers may claim for their
arts of provision the great disaster of
Kingston, and to one, at least, full credit
is to be awarded. This IS the vaticlnator
and green grocer of York, Pa. On the
Sunday before Christmas, incidental to his
sealing of the worlds doom for the
close of 1905 he uttered this prophecy for
the current year: There will be earth
quakes in divers places. Islands will dis
appear and mountains no longer will be
found. Great tidal waves will sweep the
coasts"
II 1t be objected that this prophecy is
all too Delphic, we have another doom
sealer who has attempted to be more pre-
else in the matter of date, even If not par
ticuIarly well defined in the matter of
topography This is popular London
meteorological. Hugh Clement. On-January
8, publication was given to his prophecy
that there will be further earthquakes in
America on January r." To this predic-
tion was, added one that Algeria would
sufier shock on the day following the
prophecy The Algerne disturbance failed
to make itself felt On January 10 de-
tonating disaster befell several tons of
powder at Hollidaysburg, Pa A seismic
CONFUSION was promptly reported all along
the line from Baltimore to Menominee,
Mich, and from the latter point of OBJ.
servatIon came word that local scientists
feared that this shock was only prelimin-
airy to a great general seismic disturbance
which might cause an appalling disaster.
The fateful Saturday came and went.
From Cape Horn to Hudson bay not a
seismograph showed a tremor. Even the
faithful needle at Laibach drew a straight
line all day long. on the day of prophecy
the earth was at rest all over Not even
the most enthusiastic amateur seismo-
grapher could detect the faintest tremOr.
Two days later, on Monday aft rnoon, TO
be particular. the solid foundation OF
/ Jamaica slipped and Kingston felt the
crash; yet this is scarcely to be considered
prophecy FULFILLED in line with modern
test conditions As the lines OF communi-
I cation are feeling their way through the
wreck OF earth and OF the works of man
TO bring out the full story OF the stricken
town, the third within a twelvemonth to
/ be visited by unusual disaster. the mind
/ fills with a sense OF the hidden power that
can work such destruction TO the solid
! framework of the earth.
Seismology is yet In its infancy It's
/ earnest students do not feel that they yet
have the material with which 10 pass out
/ side the observat!onal stage. From the
/ accumulation OF their records of superficial
/ earth movement they hope in time to de-
velop fuller knowledge OF this branch Of
! geOphyscs. Such students do not predict.
! for they know how utterly haseless such
| forecast must be In the present stage OF
] their science. One such authority dis
misses the matter I'm two words Of a sin
/ gle sentence: Thus the shocks OF earth
quake which startle civilization and de-
stroy opulent cities are produced at un-
certain intervals and without warning %
All prophecy, whether It proceed from the
I home of Pennsylvania Dutch oracles or
from London. lie taking a long chance as
| Sc nsa tionalism-