Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1909-01-04
SCIENTISTS PREDlC 7
EARTHQUAKES
ACCURATELY
Prof. TdTr. of Cornell. Says
Re.OCCurrdnCe Of Quake of
1911 Would Play Havoc
ROCKY MOUNTAINS
IN LIKELY BELT

Though scientists do not pretend to
a very deep insight into the mystery
OF earthquakes, it is significant that
qrakes have been accurately predict
ed.
Also, it Is a matter of record with
the British Association for the Ad-
vancement of Science that the quakes
ccme with some regularity. There are
about 60 world shaking tremors
year-that is, shocks which destroy
buildings near the center of disturb
ance, and send out waves which are
recorded by seismographs the world
over.
A comparison of records shows that
only about one-twentieth of the area
OF the earth is affected by earth
quakes in any appreciable degree. The
records kept by Count de Montessus,
famous French scientist, up 10 1908,
describes 159,7S4 earthquakes, the
great majority of which were in Asia,
Eouth America and southern Europe.
OF all these recorded earthquakes
"a per cent have occurred in two mar
row, well-defined bands forming great
circles and crossing each other at two
points. Not all parts of the belts are
equally liable to earthquakes, but in
them occur almost all the world
shaking earthquakes.
One of these belts, in which has
occurred SO per cent of all recorded
shocks, is called by De Montessus the
Mediterranean" or alpine -Caucas-
us-Himalayan," belt 1t swings
roughly east and west about the
earth and includes the Mediterranean
region, Asia Minor, the Caucasus. the
Himalayas, the East Indies, Central
America and the West Indies. Where
the belt crosses the ocean little is
known about its condition.
The second belt called by De Mon
tessus the "Circum- Pacific" or "An-
des- panese- Malayan," belt, almost
encircles the Pacific ocean. Passing
along the Andes, it crosses the other
belt in the Central American region.
thence extends up the west coast of
Central America, passes across TO
Asia along the Aleuthian chain, then
down through Kamschatka, the Jap
anese Islands and the Philippines. and
crossing the Mediterranean belt in the
East Indies extends on to New Yea
land. Forty-one per cent Of all re-
corded shocks occurred in this belt
All the rest of the world-that is,
a surface scores OF times greater than
the combined area of these two 6elts
lis the seat of only 6 per cent OF
recorded shocks.
But Prof. Ralph : Tarr. professor
of dynamic geOgology and physical
geography in Cornell university, shows
that the regions outside these belts
are not entirely immune. He has
this to say. in an article in the North
North American Review, on earth
quakcs i'm the United States:
Eastern United states has indeed, |
been visited by one earthquake which
50 far as can be judged by the meager |
descriptions handed down to us, must |
be classed as Of the first rank. This |
commencing late in the |
year 1911, devastated IA part of the !
Mississippi valley south OF the mouth |
Of the Ohio.
THE descriptions Of the pioneers |
make II clear that, should such a |
shock recur in the now well-settled |
r. glon, the destruction Of life and |
property would be appalling.
That the earthquake forces have |
not completely died out in this sec
lion Is proved by the fact that other |
shocks Of lesser strength have visited |
L since 1872"
There are good reasons" declares |
Prof. Tarr, for believing that severe |
shocks are liable to occur |
In the Great Basin and Rocky moun-