Imperial Valley press., 1914-01-12
Haskin Letters
Panama Earthquakes.
RN FREDERIC j. Haskin.

BY Frederic j, Haskin.
The Panama canal, the Canal Zone
proper, and republican territory i'm
mediately adjacent are not endangered
by the frequency of earthquakes IN
the southern part of Los Santos prov
ince, 120 miles southwest of Panama
CITY. according to the careful findings
of an expert commission which was
appointed by President Porros. The
commission consisted of Donald f.
Macdonald, geologist of the United
States Canal Commission, and Will
liam Galley Johnston, district engl-
neer for the Panama government. As
precautionary measures, however, the
commissioners recommended the erec-
ton in the future of solid and rein
forced government buildings in Pan
anna City and the establishment of
a permanent tide gauge somewhere
on the southern coast of the Azuere
peninsula.
-
turbances in Los Santos province were
recorded in the month of October last
by the Ancon seismograph, near Pan
anna City. The jolts began with
severe twister on October l and con-
tinued throughout the month to the
Goth inclusive. Seldom passed day
whose low descending sun did not look
upon an oscillating earth surface,
nodding buildings and badly fright
ened natives. By the Sth there had
been twenty-six shocks, and on that
day President Porras designated
Messrs. Macdonald and Johnston to
make a thorough investigation. They
were instructed to examine into the
causes of the earthquakes, and to
make special efforts to determine
whether the regions of control and
southern Los Santos were in any dan
ger from volcanic outburst, or any
other destructive visitation. The fear
of a coming catastrophe that might
strike the canal as we'll as the ter
ritorv nearer to Los Santos was due:
not only to the frequency of the
shocks, but to the heavy subterranean
detonations that preceded each. Pres
ident Porros also directed rec
concentrations that might help the
frightened populace, and to give all
possible aid to those in distress.
Three basic reasons why the canal
strip and Panama City need not view
with apprehension the geologic antics
Of Los Santos province were given by
the commission In the first place,
the distracted area is the southern
tip of Panama's southernmost prov
ince, which occupies the southern and
eastern slopes of the Azuero penin-
sula. 1t extends southwark into the
Pacific ocean a distance of 120 miles
from Panama City. Again, the Repub-
lie of Panama is not within any one
of the worlds several earthquake
belts which have been so clearly de-
fined by geologists and earthquake
specialists of repute. In this respect
the little republic, fares better than
it's neighbors, most of whom are with
in the Central and South American
earthquake belts.
Lastly, the danger from volcanoes
is nil. The pyroclastic or volcanic
agglomerate group of rock exists in
Panama, beyond a doubt. 1t is found
under the canal strip itself, So it is
in South America and parts of this
country and Canada as well. But this
does not mean that there are any
sulking Vesuviuses in this corner of
the globe This pyroclastic compost
ton does indeed represent the vol
canic activity that prevailed during
the early stages of formation of the
Central American mountains. The vol
canic craters from which the material
was elected have gone the way of all
things mundane. This group of rock
consists of volcanic ash, clay, bombs
or fragments of basalt thrown out
from craters, all in masses or rough
ly bedded lenses. The main mass of