Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1909-01-20
Strange Effects of Shocks Related
After a Close Observation of
All the Phenomena.
MEN HURLED OUT OF CHAsMs.
Lakes Formed, Sea Deepened, Rocks
Are Split and Rivers of
Mud Set Flowing.

A previous earthquake that cost
nearly $4,000 lives in Italy is described
by William II. Hobbs. in his book on
Earthquakes" He writes:
The great earthquake which shook
Calabria and northeastern Sicily in
the year 1888 stands ont in striking
contrast with disturbances of other
periods. for the reason that it was
carefully studied by number Of men
Of more than average ability and trust
wOrthinesS. Not content with the stud
les of thse the Royal Academy of Ma
pies sent a delegation with staff
of artists and prepared a bulky report
Of the greatest scientific value. No
earthquake. ancient or modern, has
been more carefully studied.
Calabria is a country which has
many times been racked by earth
quakes. and in no other country save
Japan have the records been so long or
so well preserved. The areas shaken
have not been extraordinary for ex-
tent; but as regards both the geological
changes and the losses of life by which
they have been accompanied they range
among the greatest in history.
The shocks of 1888. which cost 10000
lives, came without warming on Feb. >,
1888. and in the space of two minutes
threw down the structures in number
less cities and villages scattered
through CaIabria and northeastern
Sicily. The great central granite mass
of CaIabria. which was but slightly dis
turbed by the first shock, was more
heavily shaken by those which fol-
lowed
Turns a We'll Inside Out.
During the earthquake the surface Of
the country heaved in great undula-
tions. which were productive of nausea
and which have tie effect of the
clouds having suddenly become motion
less. an effect which is even observed
from the deck of a tossing ship Large
trees swayed by the rocking were
so bent that their tops touched the
earth.
The assures which appeared in the
ground at the time of the earthquake
were numbered by thousands and were
found in many parts of the disturbed
region. At many of these assures dis
placements had occurred which. in
some cases, amounted to as much as
ten feet.
Sea Deepened at AIessina.
Along the great fault line which fol
lowed the straight southeastern coast
of Sicily. movement was especially no
ticeable at Messina, where the shore
was rent and tilted seward so that the
quay sank fourteen inches, and the sea.
bottom was not only depressed in
places but rendered irregular.
Men Thrown Out Alive.
Many assures were observed to open
and close alternately, and instances
were not lacking where men and cattle
were first inguIfed in the assures and
later thrown out alive by succeeding
shocks. accompanied by a large volume
of water and sand.
The closing of the assures is said to
have taken place violently. so that the
walls were pressed hard against each
other Certain houses. which had been
engulfed in the assures. were after
ward exhumed and found to have had
their sides damned together into
compact mass extended along the plane
Of the assure.
Some of the Calabrian plains were
found after the earthquake TO be dot
ted with circular hOllOws, which. upon
the average. had the size of carriage
wheels, and which when filled with
water TO within Il foot or two of the
surface, appeared like wells. In addi-
ton to the well-like pools of water
which occupied the circular hOllOws de-
scribed, there were other water basins
more deserving the names of ponds or
lakes. One of these, in the vicinity of
Seminara. to which the name of Lago
iii TOlfilO was given, was about a third
of a mile in length and was so cOpious-
~ led by the springs ranged on a fis-
sure in the bottom that all attempts to
drain it proved futile. VivenZiO states
that fifty lakes arose at the time of
the earthquake and the government
surveyors. who included smaller ponds,
counted no less than 30. The first
effect of the more violent shocks was
generally to dry up the rivers. imme-
diately succeeding which they were
filed so as to overflow their banks.
Torrents of Mud Let Loose.
As earthquakes are frequent through
out the province it is seldom that some
scars due to this process are not to be
observed in all the deeper gorges. Dur
ing the great earthquake of 1888 the
great volume of water which welled up
from below along the lines of these
ravines 81 modified the usual process
that the soil has been described as dis
solved into great torrents of mud,
which inundated all the low grounds
after manner of mud lavas in connec-