Evening star., 1921-01-02
A WASHINGTON SCIENTIST WHO MAKES
EVERY EARTHQUAKE REPORT TO HIM

was regarded as the result OF prescd-
ence of q coming calamity.
1853. which shook Chile. immense
f1ocks Of seabirds Aew inland. as II
they had been alarmed by the COM
mencement OF some suboceanic dis
turbance. Before this last shock. 1t
is also related. all the dogs es-
capped from the city of Talchahuano.
People nowadays are always look
ing for results from science. BY this
| they usually mean applications Of the
knowledge gained to the problems OF
other fields of endeavor. Judged from
this standpoint. has seismology any
results to offer: From a practical
and economic point of view the knowl-
edge Of the nature of seismic vibra-
tions has been of material assistance
to the building engineer and is lead
ing to saner and safer construction.
especially in those regions that are
exposed to earthquakes. But it Is to
the geologist and geographysicist that
seismology has been the greatest
boon. Before the advent of seismology
the interior of the earth was a sealed
book. The depths which were reached
by mines and borings can scarcely be
called scratch on the surface. Ac-
cording to various vague assumptions.
we were led now to a molten liquid
earth surrounded by a thin crust; now
to a gaseous interior. Seismology
Of the earth. whatever it's condition.
behaves as if it were a solid more
than twice as rigid as steel.
The notably destructive earthquakes
that have occurred during the past
1000 years are as follows:
79-Accompanied by the eruption of
Vesuvius; the cities of Pompeii and
Herculaneum buried.
742-In Syria, Palestone and Asia
more than $40 towns were destroyed
and the loss of life surpassed all cal
culations.
936-Constantinople overturned; all
Greece shaken
1137-Catania in Sicily, overturned
and $4,000 persons buried in the ruins.
11S6-Caiabria: one of it's cities and
all of it's Inhabitants overwhelmed in
the Adriatic sea.
1456-Naples; 10000 persons per-
ished.
1537-Lisbon: 1900 houses and 80, 900
persons buried in the ruins; several
neighboring towns engulfed with their
inhabitants.
1596-Japan; several cities made
ruins and thousands perished.
1662-China; 100000 persons buried
in Peking alone.
1693-One in Sicily, which overturned
f1fty-four cities ard towns. and 800 viii
lagos. OF Catania and its $4,000 in
habitants not a trace remained more
than 100000 lives were lost.
173l-China 100000 people swal-
lowed up in Pekine.
1746-Lima and Callao demolished !:
$4,000 persons buried in the ruins.
1755-Great earthquake at Liabon.
In about eight minutes most of the
destroyed and whole streets buried.
1759-Syria; extended over 10000
square miles: Balbec destroyed.
17S3-Messina and other towns in
Italy and Sicily overthrown. 10000
17s7-Ths whole country between
Santa Fe and Panama destroyed, inelud
ing Cuzco and Quito; 10000 people
buried
ls42-At Cape Haytien. santo Do
mingo; destroyed two-thirds Of the
town. and 5000 lives were lost.
1S52-At Philippine Islands. Manila
nearly destroyed.
1s54-Amasca. in Japan. and Simoda,
in Nippon. destroyed; Jeddo much in
is57-In calabria: Montemurro and
many other towns destroyed and about
22, 900 lives lost in few seconds.
IS59-Quito; about 5000 persons killed
and an immense amount Of property de-
stroyed.
1sss-Cities of Areauipa. Iauique.
Tacna and Chincha and many small
towns in Peru and Ecuador demolish-
ed.
1888. Krakatoa Island, between
Sumatra and Java, East Indies.
1886 - Shocks throughout eastern
United States; at Charleston, s. c.,
forty-one lives were lost and s5.000.-
900 worth Of property destroyed.
1S93-Islands of Zante and Strom-
bolt, the former west of Greece. the
latter one Of the Lipari group. west
Of Calabria, Italy. severely shaken.
Great loss of life and property at
Zante.
19OS-Severe shocks in California
wrecked San Francisco and adjacent
towns, and caused the greatest fire
in history. Great loss Of life and
over $300,000,000 worth Of property
destroyed; over 100000 homeless.
ls0S-At Valparaiso. Chile; great de-
structien of life and property.
1907-Large part Of Kingston, ia
maica. destroyed.
1s0s-In Sicily and southern Italy;
Messina and many towns and villages
desolated. Appalling loss of life.