Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1922-12-21
American Naval Officers Eyperi-
enCe Recalled by Recent
Disaster in Chile.
DROPPED At FOOT OF ANDES
keceding Sea Leaves Ships Stranded
and Exposes Ocean Bottom, Then
Returns ana Sweeps Every
thing Before 1t.

Washington.--A single graphic ex-
ample of what tidal wave in Chile
can do is provided by the experience
Of an American officer. during sim
Gar upheaval, when his vessel was
carried three miles up the coast, two
miles inland, and dropped at the foot
81 a range Of the Andes mountains.
Earthquakes and tidal waves are
discussed in bulletin -om the Ma
tional Geographic society which also
quotes from communication by the
hate Rear Admiral L. q. Billings,
whose unpar; lelee adventure oc-
enrred some hundreds Of miles north
# the recently devastated towns.
"There is no natural phenomenon
more deeply interesting and yet so lit
tie understood as the seismic iist'Nrh-
ances which have from earliest his
tory devastated the earth and carried
terror and disInay into the hearts Of
slI survivors" says the bulletin.
up TO 1903, 1t Is computed by an
eminent scientist Compile de Ballore.
there had been 159.7s2 recorded earth
quakes. OF later years. when more
accurate records have been kept they
have averaged about sixty a wear.
There is comfort to the dwellers in,
most Of the world to know tina. "a per
cent of recorded shocks haze occurred
b two narrow well-defined belts-one
called the Mediterranean. with 81 per
cent to its credit. and. the other the
Crrum-Pacif1c, with Al per cent
while the remainder Of the world has
only q ner cent, widely distributed.
U. S. Had One Major Quake.
"The United States Fas been singu-
hrly free from recorded seismic dis
turhance, perhaps the most disastrous
being in 1911, when = very severe
shock occurred In the Mississippi val
ley south Of the Ohio. which was felt
n New York in one direction and in
The West .dies in another. This
earthquake changed the face of the
earth. A vast extent of land was
sunk. lakes were formed, md even the
course Of the Mississippi river was oh
Sructed for a time.
Most of the earthe iakes occurring
81 late years can hardly he classed
with the great ones of history, nearly
az Of the destruction being caused by
uncomfortable fires In the more
stable zones lons periods may eIapse
between shocks. as for Instance, in
hlngstan, Jamaica, where 2l5 years
htervened.
The cause Of earthquakes and vol
cahees is an ca:Isive problem. not yet
sef'led to th.. satisfaction of the
scientist Treioors of the earth may
Oe caused by many things. The ex-
plosion Of mines, falling In Of caves
alpping Of rock strata. and many 9th.
q movements of the earth. may cause
slem hut for the great shocks which
naVe required almost since the his
further.
Though man, times there seems to
an Intimate connection between
earthquakes and volcanoes. the law
ekarding them has not been estah
asiiea. Some remarkable condolences
sa'e been observed in late years. The
t'hie cataclysm of Mount Pelee.
sH,ch on May S. 1O2, almost Instant
Ailied 10000 Inhabitants, was pre-
Id by the earthquake which in
January and April of the same year
-, ven humber of cities in Mexico
~ ''ualelnala. The distance between
-. pnints Is at least 1000 miles.
~. ule bow deep-seated must have
ms No. me disturbance. II, as has been
Assn. 'ea there was communication
us,.a thenh The great San Fran
#rhouaks wis preceded only