The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-04-16
SHOULD RECORD
VOLCANIC ACTION

/ WV hHNf NttH'H iihHit' .fNNhAi NNMNi NhN
ing slmos, equal value in the deter
mining 81 future phenomena, was
urged last evening az the University
club by Prof +. A. Juggar IT,. Of The
Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
in an illustrated lecture ON volcanoes
and related earth movements Furih
ermorc Prof Jaggar said that. In ad.
dition To the station for volcanic re-.
search TO he established at Blue Hin,
Mass. near the great Roach observa.
| tory. a subordinate station IL also 10
be put elsewhere, and that no better
4 place could be found for il than in the
Hawaiian Islands and close 10 the
crater Of Kiauea.
Prof Jaggar finds Hawaii ideal from
chronological standpoint, ms IL is To-
Gated in the middle of great ocean
which is on advantage IN giving an un.
broken sea area for earthquake shocks
to be carried through and recorded
here. In the volcanoes of Hawaii
there is ample opportunity for very
close contact with the disturbing
elements SO that they could be easily
studied.
In general, Prof. Jaggar stated dur.
afterward. that the natural places for
establishing such observatories at first
are lands where the earth's move.
ments are most rapid, and in the re-
gions of volcanoes. He said that the
japanese have taken leading part in
this Research and their own empire is
girdled with seismic observatories.
Prof. Jaggar referred to monograph
which he has just published on ''The
Messina Earthquake-Pr Prediction and
Protection" in which he referred to
the proposal to build an earthquake
observatory and museum, to be equip.
ped with instruments for measuring
earth tremor, earth waves, earth
sounds, tilt, gravity and magnetism
1T is proposed to secure an endowment
which will provide for expeditions as
the most important part of the work
of the observatory, whereby trained
men can be sent to volcanic lands to
carry on research which may not be
done at Blue Hill, Mass. He realizes
: that Hawaii is central location, from
which, if an observatory station was
: established here, such trained men
could be sent out. His scheme is to
have a great endowment and then with
a certain sum, establish stations in Ha-
waii, Porto Rico, Canal Zone, Alaska,
, Aleutian Islands, Philippines, Sicily,
etc. There would be three immediate
goals for the Investigators; ], predic.
ton of earthquakes; 2, prediction of
volcanic eruptions; 3, engineering and
construction in volcanic and seismic
lands.
Prof. Jaggar advocates the policy of
establishing such perfect knowledge of
the action of volcanoes, recurrence of
t earthquakes, ETC., that sugar planters
n could be advised whether this or that
part of country was best suited fol
investing millions of dollars by reason
of the fact that earthquakes were more
numerous in one part than another. The
! advance knowledge of the possibility
of volcano going into action would
be scientific advantage to a govern.
S ment which could provide means to pro.
Y tect the people of volcanic locality
by removing them to place of safety
These observatories would have fol
their objects the study of the changes
] which are going on in the crust of the
a earth under them and the relations OF
those changes to astronomical anG
, meteorological changes The new
science, like the study of the atmos
phere, deals with moving things ant
so requires continuous local records
through weeks and months and years
u Seismographs, microphones, magnetic
d graphs, promoters, thermometers, gas
collecting apparatus, and many speeia
instruments adapted to local needs ar,
among the devices with which an eartl
J. observatory should be equipped.
q II Il n
Jaggar as a fellow Harvardian. Prot
Jaggar at once plunged into his inter
y esting theme, stereopticOn slides bein
thrown on a screen. He showed pic
lures of the terrible catastrophe at MAJ
:, Unique in 1908, and told of some o
his experiences in visiting St. Pierr
thirteen days after the first eruption-
city of 10000 dead because of il
IN candescent gas, the blast of which Kill
ed as it swept down the mountain
Condensed steam destroyed life in al
other city, the clothing of the victim
ne not even being harmed. This was th
most colossal catastrophe since Pompei
One man in dungeon.cellar was say
ed, and this suggested that in volcani
I'd countries, where .eruptions are recu
ring and disastrous, volcano-proof ce
lars would be an advantage.
The speaker then referred at lengt
IS to the rising of the Bogoslof group
the Aleutians, and the peculiar projec
ing of portion of cone above I'll
newest island, which he saw a sho
"a time after it rose above the surfat
of the ocean. The cone of Metcalf ]
land of the Bogoslof group. was almo
identical with that which appeart
as above Pelee. 1t was like the core
pencil pushed up from the depths.
Prof. Jaggar gave much credit to {
- American scientist, Perrett, who hs
~ made some wonderful records of Yes
wins and Etna and Stromboli, and !
called some of his predictions of cru
tions, particularly of Vesuvius al
Etna, and of the valuable aid he re
dered to the Italian government,
'rd demonstrating his records as provii
that there would be, or would not /
~ activity. In one case, by his record
of he persuaded the commander of an 1t;