The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1909-04-07
EARTHQUAKES Of OLD
Strange Ideas of the kncIents as
to Their Causes.
WARNING SIGNS OF SHOCKS.
PIiny Says They Were Shown in the
Air, Clouds and Water and by Ami
mails Thy Two Mountains That
Crashed Together and Then Receded.

Air, Clouds and Water and by Ami
mails Thy Two Mountains That
Crashed Together and Then 3eceded.
If we search history TO fad 20 what
causes the ancients attributed earth
ouakes we find that the Baby ylonlans
believed that all occurrences of the
kind were due to the influence Of the
stars, especially Of the three to which
they ascribed thunder-namely. Sat
urn, Jupiter and Mars. The seers Of
the day believed that these disturb
ances were caused by the stars NOV
ing with the sun or being in conJunc-
ton with it. more particularly when
the stars were in the quartile aspect.
Pliny chronicles the report concern
ing one Anayimander, a Milesian, who
warned the Lacedaemonians to be-
ware of their city and houses. And
legend has it that the city was soon
afterwe ID destroyed.
Pliny, who wrote his natural history
in a. D. IT,. conceived that earth
quakes were caused by the winds, as
"the earth never trembles except
when the sea is quite calm and when
the heavens are so tranquil that the
birds cannot maintain their flight, all
the air which should support them be-
ing withdrawn. Nor does it ever hap
pen until after great winds. the gust
being pent up, as it were, in the fs-
sures and concealed hollows.'
Many scientists have observed that
all great convulsions Of nature are
likely to lie preceded by Gains; also
that birds and animals generally ex-
hibit certain presentiments Of the
event, facts which the wise men OF
ancient days noted and accounted for
in their different ways.
Pliny says: when an earthquake
occurs there is often sound without
any motion. When there is motion 1t
is tremulous ard vibratory. The clefts
of tie earth sometimes remain. dis
playins what has been swallowed up,
sometimes concealing it, the mouth
being closed and the soil brought over
if. the city being. as it were. enGulfed,
deyoured. Maritime districts are more
especially subject to shocks. Nor are
mountainous districts exempt. have
found the Alps and the Apenntnes fire.
ouently shaken by them. The shocks
happen more frequently in the autumn
and the spring They also happen
more frequently in the night than in
the day. The greatest shocks are IN
the morning and the, evening. but they
often take place at daybreak. They
also take place during eclipses Of the
moon, because at that time storms are
lulled. They are most frequent when
great heat succeeds to showers OF
showers succeed to great heat"
Pliny further says: There is no
doubt that! earthquakes are felt by
persons on shipboard. There are many
signs for the mariner beforehand. how
ever. The timbers of the vessel creak.
The birds that settle on the vessel are
not without their alarms There Is
also a sign in the heavens, for when q
shock is near at hand, either in the
DAYTIME or a little after sunset, q
cloud IS stretched out in the clear SKY
like long, thin line. The water II
wells is more turbid than usual, and II
emits disagreeable odor.
In describing the various kinds OF
shocks and expanding on his invesu
cations on the subject Pliny remarks
that "arched buildings are the safest
also the angles of walls and walls
made Of bricks suffer least The eartf
movement that resembles the rolling
Of waves is the most dangerous, OF
when the motion is impelled In one
direction. The tremors cease when
the vapors have burst forth, but i
there be no, escape Of vapor OF any
kind then the tremors may continue
for forty days. They have been know
to continue for two years"
The historian records the greates1
prodigy Of the earth" as having oc
Cured in the district Of Mutina during
the consulship Of Lucius Maruus anc
Sextus julius, when "two mountains
rushed together, falling upon eacf
other with a very loud crash and the1
receding. while in the daytime smoke
and yapor issued from them" PlioJ
saws the wonder was witnessed by "s
great crowd Of Roman knights anc
travellers along the Aenilian way,
The same writer says: "The creates
earthquake which occurred in oul
memory was in the reign Of Iloer1us
by which twelve cities Of Asia were
laid PROSTATE in one night. During
the Punic war we had accounts o1
ffty-seven earthquakes in one year
Nor is it an evil merely consisting II
the danger which is produced by the
motion: it is an equal or greater eT1
when it is considered as a prodigy
The city of Rome never experienced
shock that was not the forerunner 0:
some great calamity"
Pliny, Of course, takes good many
of his accounts from Aristotle, but nl:
references to events are confirmed oJ
other writer's. Herodotus describes
great disturbance in his day, Whel
sthe sea came beyond Memphis, as tai
as the mountains of Ethiopia. and als'
from the plains Of Arabia. The ses
also surrounded Ilium and the whole
Of Teuthrania and covered the plau
through which the Meander flows.
Pliny makes actual mention OF one 0:
the Aeolian islands having "enersee
from the sea- 1t was a matter 0:
common belief among the scientists 0:
Pliny's day that Sicily was torn III :
italy By suc;, a disturbance. = New
York World.
He who sows brambles must ioI >
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