The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-03-20

10y Ut. Z. N. hlCnleI ana liOl. AleA-
ander G.. McAdie)
A number of phenomena have been
reported in different publications
(Science, Nature, Gaea and others). as
observed during and after the earth
quake of April Is, 1906, which It seems
to us need more accurate description
and a statement of the facts as we
know them, who were present at the
time and made notes of them
First, we may call attention to
earthquake sounds. Such sounds were
reported by many people after the
earthquake. Many claim to have heard
a sound comparable to an approaching
windstorm or the roll of a heavy wag-
on but in our judgment most OF these
sounds can be explained by the noise
due to violent shaking of dwellings
There are, however, some reports of a
sound like that of a violent wind pre-
Ceding the first shake. We have no
record of any defamation coming from
the ground.
With regard to light and fire pheno-
mena a number OF statements have
been made, many Of which have been
shown to be erroneous by 3D. S. j." in
Science. Some of the most elaborate
and detailed statements of such phe-
nomena were given by those who were
not in San Francisco during the earth
quake.
We have no proof whatever that any
particular optical or electrical pheno-
menon occurred preceding, during. or
following the earthquake. This atmOs-
pheric conditions preceding and at the
time Of the earthquake are described
in the report of the California section
Of the Genealogical Service Of the
Weather Bureau for April 1906 This
report states:
The morning Of Wednesday. April
IS, was clear and pleasant over the
greater portion Of the Pacific coast. An
area Of high pressure was moving
steadily and somewhat slowly east
ward over Idaho. The weather map
gives the conditions existing a few
minutes previous to the great earth
quake, and it may be noted that the
pressure distribution is Of a type that
has been found to prevail when certain
earthquakes occur in California. A
study of the relation of atmospheric
pressure and earth movement had
been under way in the Office OF tn,
Weather Bureau at San Francisco To-
come years, and while no very definite
conclusions had been arrived at II wa
plain that the greater number of earth
quakes in California occurred appar
I emily without any relation TO pressur
, distribution. 1t was noticed, however
that some earthquakes occurred durinl
, the passage of a marked high acrOs
the northern portion of the coast
5 While any relation OF this characte
must be obscure and indefinite, it /
conceivable that I'm a region Wher
quakes and tremors of tectonic Origil
are frequent. e., a region wher
strata are I'm unstable equilibrium
the passage Of an area Of high pressur
may directly or indirectly affect tn
stresses at critical times The rela
tion is involved and is alluded to her
only because at Manila and Toky
microseismic phenomena bear som
relation to approaching typhoons. III
thought suggests itself that the install
lation of seismographs on the Pacih
coast may lead to the detection Of ad
yancing pressure areas.
At the time Of the San Francisc
earthquake there was a well-delne
high over practically the entire area {
the United States Similar barometrI
conditions had occurred at the begir
ming of April and at other times. tn
high of April IS had no unusual cha
acteristics.
Much has been said by various r.
porters about the high winds an
marked indrafts OF air due to the fir
1t has been said that the strong winC
caused by the Are were felt miles Z
sea. Concerning this, the best con
ment that can be made is that the II
struments Of the Weather Bureau wei
in place throughout the entire day
April Is. The Weather Bureau recOrt
are continuous up to p. N. OF Il
18th, or, in other words, for periC
extending through the earthquake al
twelve hours after the earthquake
These records are available, and sho
that there were no unusual featur
connected with air motion. The viii
had been westerly on April II, wi
velocity Of IA miles an hour, the 81
clear and the weather pleasant. A fe
minutes preceding the earthquake d
wind was from the west, velocity
miles per hour weather clear. At
p. m. Of the 18th the pressure, redu
ed to sea level, was 80. Is inches; Z
temperature of the dry-bulb therm
metr, g.. deg. f., Of the wet-bu
thermometer, $40 deg; and the dire
ton Of the wind, west, the velocity
miles an hour In brief, then, the
was nothing remarkable in a meteor
logical way during the twenty-fo
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