The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1909-03-10
EARTHQUAKES OF OLD
Strange Ideas of the Ancients as
to Their Causes.
WARNING SIGNS OF SHOCKS.

plny Says They Were Shown In tho
Air, Clouds and Water and by Ami
maIs - Tho Two Mountains That
Crashed Together and Then Reoeded.
II we search history to find to what
causes the ancients attributed earth
quakes we find that the Babylonians
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 con5unc-
tion with 1t, more particularly when
the stars were in the quartile aspect.
Pllny chronicles the report concern
ing one Anaximander, Milesian, who
warned the Lacedaemonians to be-
ware Of their city and houses. And
legend has 1t that the city was soon
afterward destroyed.
Pliny, who wrote his natural history
In A. d. II, 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Ing withdrawn.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 1t ever hap
pen until after great winds. the gust
being pent up. as It were, in the fis-
sures and concealed hollows."
Many scientists have observed that
all great commissions of nature are
likely to be 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 and vibratory. The clefts
Of the earth sometimes remain. dis
playing what has been swallowed up,
sometimes concealing II, the mouth
being closed and the soil brought over
it, tho city being. as 1t were, engulfed,
devoured. Maritime districts are more
especially subject to shocks. Nor are
mountainous districts exempt. ! have
found the Alps and the Apennines fire.
quently shaken by them. The shocks
happen more frequently In the autumn
aud 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 ut 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 or
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 tlmbers OF the vessel creak.
The birds that settle on the vessel nre
not without their alarms. There Is
also sign In the heavens, for when
shock Is near at hand, either In the
daytime or little after sunset. a
cloud Is stretched out In the clear sky
like n long. thin line. The water in
wells Is more turbld than usual and 1t
emits disagreeable odor."
In describing the various kinds or
shocks and expanding on his inyesti-
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 earth
movement that resembles the rolling
of waves is the most dangerous, or
when the motion Is impelled In one
direction. Tho tremors cease when
the vapors have burst forth, but II
there be no escape OF vapor OF any
kind then tho tremors may continue
for forty days. They have been known
to continue for two years.
The historian records the greatest
prodigy OF the earth" as having oc-
CURED In the district Of Mutina during
the consulship of Lucius Martius and
Sextus Julius, when two mountains
rushed together. falling upon each
other with very loud crash and then
receding, while In the daytime smoke
and vapor issued from them" Pliny
says the wonder was witnessed by IA
great crowd OF Roman knights and
travellers along tho Aemilian way"
The same writer says: 'The greatest
earthquake which occurred In our
memory was In the reign OF Tiberius.
by which twelve cities OF Asia were
laid PROSTATE In one night During
the Punic war we had accounts or
fifty-seven earthquakes In one year.
Nor is II an evil merely consisting In
tho danger which Ia produced by the
motion; II is an equal or greater evil
when II Is considered as prodigy.
The city OF Rome never experienced
shock that was not the forerunner Of
some great calamity
Pliny, of course takes good many
OF his accounts from Aristotle. but his
references to events are confirmed by
other writer's. IIerodotus describes
great disturbance IN his day. when
1.-THE sea came beyond Memphis, AZ far
MS the mountains Of Ethiopia. aud ais.
from the plains OF Arabia. The sea
also surrounded Hum and the whole
OF Tcuihrania and covered the plain
through which the Meander flows"
Pliny makes actual mention of one OF
the AeoInn Islands having emerged
from the sea" II was n matter OF
common belief among the scientists Of
Pllny's day TINT Sicily wns torn from
Italy by such n disturbance. = New
York World.
He who sows brambles must not go
barefoot, German Provcrb