The sun., 1909-01-10

region between newer and older rock
which Ia the line Of disturbance in tn
course OF contraction Of the earth's sur
face.
In the toe Of the boot Of Italy you hav,
Reggie. You have the Apennine Noun
tains Of old geological structure extend
ing In northeasterly direction, and at thu
western base Of these the foothills OF com
paratively more recent geological dat
and OF less firmly consolidated sediment.
When In the course OF contraction the
earths crust 10 squeezed the greatest
disturbance comes along the line Of de-
narration between the highly elastic ant
the less oopsolidated soil. During al
historic time that has been a region oi
adjustment Of strata OF different degrees
OF resistance 10 altered conditions in
duced by accumulation Of strain
'The geological importance OF an
earthquake depends upon the change In
the oonfguration OF the earth's surface.
Biologists would be very much surprised
TO find that this change had been great
In the Messina region as result Of the
earthquake shocks already experienced
there.
III for instance, it should be found that
there was q differential movement OF
several feet In the earth's crust as a re-
suit Of the shock OF last week In Messina
1t would be up to the scientists to inquire
why the seismograph did not indicate a
greater shock. Later shocks or later re-
ports may Of course indicate some such
change.
1T will be recalled that at the time
that st. Pierre was destroyed by the erup-
ton Of Mont Pelee. on May 8, 1902, the
greatest eruption did not come until the
following August, although the great
damage, the destruction OF $4,000 people.
vas the result Of the first eruption.
'One OF the most severe earthqpak es
OF recent record occurred some years
ago in Alaska when there was a change
in the confguration OF the earth's surface
Of ~ feet. That was at the time when
the Muir glacier was partly destroyed.
Although the ultimate Gauss Of the
Messina earthquake is traceable TO the
fact that that region IL within an earth
quake district where there is a constant
contraction Of the earth 8 strata the i'm
mediate cause is one Of those things that
no fellow knows Although it is re-
ported that Frank A. Perret the Brooklyn
scientist who has been making an ex-
tensive study Of theearthquakes Of Italy,
has stated that he predicted the Messina
quake should take exception to the value
Of such predictions.
while 1t might be possible once in a
while TO make guess about such a prob
able happening believe that the cause
and effect is not we'll enough known to
the geologists to make any exact pre-
diotion possible. The accumulation of
exact observations and Of numbers Of
such observations together with an in
crease In the number Of instruments by
which to study such disturbances may
enable US some time In the future to give
some definite information as to the prob
able occurrence Of earthquakes.
Like the weather men. the more ma
terial with which we have to work the
nearer We can predict. but unlike the
weather prophets. We have to work with
forces unseen and unfelt. Many OBJ
servers widely scattered Throughout. the
world are accumulating data which may
some time lead to the discovery OF laws
the periodicity as well as the
other phenomena Of the earth move
ments which are Of such vital Importance
to the inhabitants OF certain parts Of the
globe and are Of interest TO everybody