New-York tribune., 1921-01-02
By Fred B. Pitney
N EARTHQUAKE

a N EARTHQUAKE was re-
~ ported as occurring Deem
Der Is in Picking. It was q
sizable quake. Buildings were rocked
and some damage was done, al
though there was no report of lives
lost Two days later the report
come Of q great earthquake on
the western side Of the southern
end of South America. One hum.
dred and fifty persons were killed
and twenty injured. The quake ex-
tended over a wide range of terri
tory, and a great deal of damage
was done.
Corresponding In time with the
Pehns earthquake Georgetown Uni
veraty, at Washington, reported the
record at the universitys seismo-
graphic observatory Of a great earth
shock, one Of the most violent the
instruments have ever recorded.
But this shock probably was under
the sea, near the Azores. 1t took
place in the early morning, while
the Peking earthquake occurred in
the afternoon. There was no later
telegraphic report Of loss Of life or
property destruction corresponding
to the quake recorded at Washing
ton. Two days later telegraphic re-
ports from Rome told of the de-
struction by an earthquake of the
Albanian village Of Tepelini. Twen-
ty-two persons were killed.
May Have Been Connected
These four earthquakes were so
widely separated in location that it
may seem that there could be no
possible connection between them.
Yet it is quite possible that there
was a distinct connection between
the two shocks in the Western Hemi-
sphere, and just as close a connec-
tion between the two in the Eastern
Hemispherc-that the South Amer
ican shock was a consequence of the
Peking disturbance, while the AL
tanian shock resulted from the un-
dersea quake in the Azores region.
After the great San Francisco
earthquake a Japanese expert pre-
dicted that the next big shock would
occur in South America, and short
time later his prediction was veri-
fed by a destructive earthquake at
Valparaiso, Chile.
It is possible, following the same
theory, to connect the Peking shock
with the recent quakes in Los
Angeles and southern California.
Development of the theory with
proof of its correctness, if such
proof can be obtained, may result
in the future in the ability to de-
termine both the proximate region
and the proximate time of earth
quakes.
The Earthquake Belts
The theovy on which the Valpa.
raiso earthquake was predicted and
on which is predicated the possible
connection between the Los Angeles
Peking and South American eartn.
quakes and between the Azores and
Albanian earthquakes depends on the
so-called earthquake belts, or regions
where earthquakes are of most fre
quent occurrence. The Pacific bet
Is one of the two great earthquake
belts. 1t follows fairly closely ths
outline Of the Pacific Ocean and i.
traced up the Pacific coast Of the
two Americas, through Alaska
across to Japan, down the China
coast and by way Of the Pacific
islands and huge curve under the
sea back to the southern end ot
South America. The chief land
marks in the other great belt are
the Alps, the Caucasus Mountains
the Himalayas and the Mediter.
rancan. There are numerous othe,
minor belts or earthquake regions
for example, the one that takes In
the Lesser Antilles, the Leeward
Islands and Central America and