Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-04-27
LIVING ABOVE THE EARTHQUAKE
The People of the Abruzz Build Houses of Stone After Every
Destructive Shock-A Town in the Azores That Has
Risen Many Times From Similar Ruin.
BY SAMUEL HARRIS

island. AS 1t lies in the sun and looks out
on the Atlantic 1t Is constantly reminded Of
its many troubles by huge, bleak rock that
was once part Of the city, but is now almost
a mile from the coast. The moorlng rngs
with which the city once gripped vessels to
the shore of it's prosperous harbor are now
rusting far out in the sea, and the harbof
has been destroyed by reefs and rocks that
have tumbled up to the surface during the
upheavals.
The big. black rock out in the sea Is
crater that was active before Villa France
was settled. Throughout the city one hnds
great masses OF black lava that poured
through the streets. But Villa Franco never
has been discouraged. After each destfuc
ton 1t has rebuilt itself and returned to lts
business. Boiling lava has buried parts Of
the city, but as soon as the lava cooled Il
has been laid out into streets and houses
have been built above those buried. To-day
Villa Franco is community of short but
wide streets, beautiful avenidas, pretty
parks and quaint old churches Tomorrow
all these may be ruined without moments
notice. just as has happened many times 10
the past.
AS the stories of San Francisco, the Ab-
earthquakes OF high and low degree Their
frequency in many parts of the world y
more startling to read about seemingly
than 1t is to experience as resident Hs
ures show that japan in eight years nAu
1891 shocks, and Greece, S1S7 In six years
These statistics include disturbances
slight that only the seismograph detecle'
them, but the number is plentiful enough
San Francisco feels slight tremor aimo"
every week.
The Seismologist's Interest
There are two curious points well worm
noting about earthquakes which are not senf
orally known, In the first place, the n'U''
overwhelming the consequence OF an cara
quake may be in a human and maisl4
sense, the less interesting Is 1t usually 70 wy
chronological expert; In the second pi1'n
the range OF the shock Is in inverse ra''O
the amount OF destruction which 1t causes ~
the earth's surface. For the scientist WY
has specialized in the Investigation OF 's's
mic disturbances will tell you that the fse'y
big earthquakes occur most requen'iy ~
in popuIous countries like Italy and 1Ala1
but in desolate regions far from the ia.il,l.
centres of civilization or down IN 'he ~ -
of the ocean. The fact that so many W..
sands of lives have been lost In an Sai.
quake has less significance for the eAps
who is concerned with the scientlhc t@4
than the human consequences OF the e0n,-. n'..
slon-than the effects which may nave ~ -.
made on the transformations OF the sA'
we inhabit.
There are. you must know, such 'n'Hs, ~.
earth-waves as we'll as ether-waVes' ~
while the ether-waves have, by the - -.
of Marconi, been harnessed into the s1.a ''.a
of mankind. no scientist has yet 's.,s ui7'v
any uses for earth-waves. or even any -. -.
of utilizing them. The shock OF : h
disturbance travels in waves at the ~
two miles a second in the actual Vlsann
the disturbance, and this rate rapidly o.a., .,s.
ishes as the distance Travelled by the s -s
waves increases. The deeper the orsina ~
movement happens to be, the faflhs. 49,
shock travels; but the deeper the mVYs-i 'N.' "a
on the other hand the less EXTENSIVE, ',.s \
usually the less serious. from lhe go 49, u
view OF loss OF life. is the visible sh's'
the earth's surface.