The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-08-18
EARTHQUAKES Of 0tD.
WARNING SIGNS OF SHOCKS.


Piiny says They Nbsss shs~w In the
Air. Clouds and WeAss and BY Anil
mails The Two aewsGalns Thss
Crashed Tessthsr and Then RsesdsA
II We search histosy t. and to what
causes the aneieats attributed earth
quakes W 1od that the BabylonianS
believed that I'll sccusrsnees Of the
kind were due to the influence Of the
stars. especially Of the three to which
they aserlbed thundsr-namely. Sat
urn. jupiter and Mars. The seers OF
the DAY believed shak these disturb
aAees were caase0 ~ the stars NOV
ing with the sun Or being In eonjunc-
tien with 1t. mere particularly when
the Stars were In the Quartile aspect.
PMny chronicles the report concern
ing one Anaximander. . Aileaian. who
warned the Laeedaemontans to be-
ware Of thsis city and houses. And
legend has 1t that the city was soon
afterward destroyed.
Pliny. who wrote his natural history
in A. p. n, cooceived that earth
quakes were caused BY the winds. as
Tho earth never trembles except
when the rea 10 quite calm and when
the heavens are 90 tranquil that tho
birds cannot maintain their flight. al
the air which should support them BE-
ing withdraw Nor does 1t ever hap
pen until after great winds. the gust
being pent up. ~ It were, in the rs
la
Many scientists have observed that
all great oopvulsions Of nature are
likely to b preceded by Gains: also
that birds and animals generally ex-
hibit certain psssentiments Of the
event, facts which the wise men Of
ancient days noted and accounted for
In their different ways.
Pliny says: when IN earthquake
occurs thepe - often sound without
any motion. When there Il motion 1t
is tremulous and vibeatory. The clefts
Of the earth sometimes remain, dis
playing what has been swallowed up.
sometimes cencoalng 1t. the mouth
being closed aad the soil brought over
1t. the city being. - Il were, engulfed,
devoured. Maritime districts are more
especially subject to shocks. Nor are
mountainous aistyicts exempt. have
found the Alps and the Apennines fire.
quently shaken by them. The shocks
happen more frequently in the autumn
and 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 at daybreak. They
also take place daring 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 timbers Of the vessel creak.
The birds that settle On the vessel aFe
not without their ahrms. There b
also q sign in the heavens. for when .
shock Is near at hand. either in the
daytime or a little after sunset. .
cloud IL stretched out In the clear sky
like q long, thin line. The water In
wells is more turbid than usual, and It
emits a disagreeable odor."
In describing the various kinds Of
shocks and expanding on his investi
cations on the subject Pliny remarks
that "arched buildings are the safest:
also the angles Of walls and waNs
made Of bricks suffer least. The earth
movement that resembles the rolling
Of waves is the most dangerous. or
<k~ a. - &0
direction. Tho tremors cease when
the vapors have burst forth, but II
there be no escape Of vapor OF any
kind then tho tnemors may continue
for forty days. They have been known
to continue for two years."
The historian records tho greatest
prodigy Of the earth" as having &C.
CURED in the district Of Mutlna during
the consulshiD OF Lucius Martins and
Sextus Jullus. when two mountains
rushed together, falling upon each
other with q very loud crash and then
receding. white u the daytime smoke
and vapor issued from them" Pliny
says the wonder vas witnessed BY -
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 Of
Nfty-se~en earthquakes in one year.
Nor 10 n an evil merely consisting In
tho danger WITCH II produced BY the
motion: Il Il an equal or greater evil
when It - considered ~ q prodigy.
The city Of Rome never experienced Q
shock that was not the fore1unnee q
some great calamity"
Plioy, Of cearse, takes q good many
Of his accounts from Aristotle. but hls
references to events are confirmed By
other writer's. Herodotus describes Q
great disturbance In his day, when
'4the sea came beyond Memphis. N far
rs tho mountains Of Ethiopia, and also
from the plains Of Arabia Tho go
also surrounded nium and the whole
Of Teutheania and covered tie plain
through which the Meander lows"
Pliny makes actual mention Of one of
the Aeolian Islands having ~emaeged
from the sea-" It was q matter OF
common belief among the scientists OF