The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-07-08
EARTHQUAKES OF OLD
Strange Ideas of the Ancients as
to Their Causes.
WARNING SIGNS OF SHOCKS.

believed that all occurrences OF the
kind were due 10 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 conjunc-
tion with It. more particularly when
the stars were IN the quaFtiic aspect
pilny chronicles the report concern
ing one Anaximander. a Milesian, who
warned the Lacedaemonians to be-
ware Of their city and houses. And
legend has II that the city was soon
afterward destroyed
Pliny, who wrote his natural history
in A. d. n, conceived that earth
quakes were caused by the winds, as
1.-THE earth never trembles except
when the sea u quite calm and when
the heavens are 40 tranquil that tho
birds cannot maintain their flight, oil
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ing withdrawn.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 tis-
sures and concealed hollows."
Many scientists have observed that
all great convulsions Of nature are
likely 70 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 molten Il
is tremulous and Migratory. The cleftz
OF the earth sometimes remain, dis
playing what has been swallowed up,
sometimes eoncealing II. the mouth
being closed and the soil brought ever
Il, the city bSang, as It 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
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 daybreax. They
also take place during ecApses Of tho
moon, because At that time storms arc
lulled. They are most frequent when
great heat succeeds to showers or
showers succeed to great heat
Pfiny further says: There is no
doubt that earthquakes are felt By
persons On shlpboard. There are many
signs for the mariner beforehand, how
ever. The tinabers or the vessel creak.
The birds thas settle on the vessel are
not without their alarms, There IL
also a sign in the heavens, for when
shock Is near at hand, either in the
daytime or 4 little after sunset
cloud is stretched out IN the clear sky
like long, thin line The water 10
wells IS more turbid than usual and It
emits dlsagreeable oder"
In describing the waFious kinds u
shocks and expanding on his inyestd-
cations on the subject PAfny remarks
that "arebed 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 n the most dangerous, or
when the molten Is impelIed IN one
direction. TIE tremors cease when
the vapcrs have burst forth. bat II
there be no escape Of vapor Of any
kind then the trefnoFs 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 T4ueius Martins and
Eextus Julius. when two mountains
rushed together, falling upon each |
other with a very loud crash and then |
recediug. while 10 the daytime smoke
and vapor issued from them" Pliny |
says the wonder was witnessed by "a |
great crowd OF Roman knights and |
along the Aemilian way"
The same writer says: 'eThe 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 he'd accounts Of
tftv-seven earthquakes IN one year.
Nor is it an evii merely consisting in
the danger which Is produced by the
motion; It ~ 40 equal oF greater evil
when It "a considered As prodigy.
The city OF Rome never experienced a
shock that was not the forerunner Of
some great calamity
Pliny, Of course, takes good many
II his accounts from Aristotle, but bis
references to events are confirmed by |
9ther writers. Herodotus describes
zreat disturbance in his day, when
'the sea came beyond Memphis, as far
Is the mountains OF Ethiopia, and Also
from the plains Of Arabia. The sea
also surrounded uium and the whole
If Teuthrania and covered the plain
through which the Meander flows.
Pliny makes actual mention Of one OF
he AeoHan islands having emerged
rom the sea" 1t was a matter Of
common belief among the scientists q
pIiuy's day that Sicily was torn from
italy BY such disturbance. New
York World