The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-05-16
WILL ALSO KEEP TAB
ON BELATEO STUDENTS
Ingenious German Mechanism
Which Reflects the Slightest
Movement
lBy Associated Press

4
Lawrence, Kas., May 16.-A seismo-
graph has been Installed at the un-
velsty of Kansas and in in charge
Of Professor Fl. P. Cady.
so sensitive Is the seismograph that
1t can detect not only the most dis
tant and faintest earthquakes but even
the time that the students go to class.
All students ae expected TO be in
their class rooms by eight 0 clock in
the morning but by the record Of the
seismograph the msjcr.ty Of them are
one or two minutes late Tn dlsmis-
sal hours as well as chapel time also
are accurately recorded The instru-
ment even detects iight-footed
registrar whenever he lrngs some
noted visitor to see the quake ma
chine. But this is not to be wonder
ed at when it is stated that an cleo
trio bulb burning for two or three
minutes within several feet of the in.
strument will cause variation in the
records.
In setting up this very delicate
piece Of German mechanism In the
weight and measures room in the
basement of Fraser Hall, all possible
care was exercised. 1t is built on a
solid brick and cement foundation
running several feet into the earth
and is free from all contact with the
building.
AT first glance the seismograph ap-
pears little more than ipod. AT
the top of one of the legs there is
small affair that resembles a nina.
ture water supply tank. Then there
is cylindrical appearing body that
carries a wide strip of blackened
paper. This cylinder Is in fact mass
of iron weighing several hundred
pounds, which is dellcately balanced
by means of steel hangers and springs
Whenever quake comes this pen
dulum, being so accurately balanced
does not move as might be supposed.
The rest of the machine, solid on
its base of brick and cement, however,
does move and this movement causes
two little needles supported on two
truss-like arms to ina the vibration.
If the quake is in north-south di-
rection the needle makes the record
and if the earths movement Is an
east-west direction the other needle
takes the vibrations.
Under normal conditions both need
les make q perfectly straight line on
the smoked paper. slight shock
will p oduce Jagged line.
BY an ingenious arrangement each
minute of the day is marked off SO
that tie exact length of an earth
quake may be told at glance.
But this is not all. II the quake Is
Of any Importance whatever the dis
tance can be more or less accurately
determined. The records are made
upon smoked paper which after being
filled. a.e run through a chemical pre-
paration which SETS the lamp black SO
that they can be handled.
Since the installment OF the sells
mograph two months ago, four earth
quakes have been detected by the
university machine, The last one
was on May H. A shock was recordeu
at l39 O'Clock in the morning on that
date The tremors lasted nearly
three hours, and at times We're severe,
p.of Cady gave Il as his opinion
that the center of the quake was at
some point between 1000 and 5000
miles from Lawrence. Subsequent
developments showed that this record
was of quakes in Costa Rica, which
have REQUIRED frequently since the re-
oquf licactor in that ppuntrv