The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-01-27
SCIENCE SEEKS
TO ANTICIPATE
EARTH SHOCKS
|tudy Aimed to Fix Safe Lo-
cation for Buildings in
Affected Areas

Washington, Jan. 27.--While man
an never hope TO harness the fo'ces
nature to the extent of prevent
ne, or even foretelling, earth
uakes, it is not impossible, says the
arnegie Institution Of Washington,
hat scientists may be able to devise
Methods of forestalling their disas-
rous effects by the selection Of SAT-
r locations for cities and by appfc-
riate methods of construction.
EARTHQUAKES have occurred ever
ince the crust of the globe began
O form. Indeed, the condition OF
instability is the earth's normal one
nd man long has suffered in conse-
uence. To say then that what
mankind has characterized as phen-
menon which is as sure and as in
vitable as an eclipse of the sun,
night be eluded finally, seems al
most an impossibility. Yet such
borough studies of the nature of
uakes and their occurrence have
zen made in recent years that in
uture years, construction of great
buildings, dams, and even cities,
nay be affected by recent discover
es in geology.
Earthquakes are a natural occur
ence in certain regions where the
mountains are alive, Carnegie Off
ials declare. There are districts,
ike the Atlantic Coast, where the
Mountains are dead, but around the
Pacific and In a great belt which
teaches across Asia and the Medi-
erranean, the mountains still are
growing. In their growth large
masses comprising many thousand
ubic miles of rock are pressed
against each other, but are held by
friction until the strain becomes too
great. Then they slip and what is
:alled an earthquake occurs. THIS
S the modern theory of earthquakes.
t has been developed through pro-
onged studies and demonstrated by
observations of many minor quakes
md of the lines along which they
occur.
Earthquake Rift
The earthquake plane is often
spoken Of as a fracture but it is
really not break, a recent state
nent of. the institution declares. 1t
S the surface between great masses
which never have been united, but
which for ages have been slipping
past each other; and where this
plane comes to the surface of the
Earth there is line called an
Earthquake rift. The greatest of
these riffs in the United States, so
far as known, extends along the
coast ranges of California for dis
tance of six hundred miles. It
passes just west of San Francisco,
to the east of Los Angeles, and dis
appears in the Gulf of California.
Along the San Andreas rift, as it is
called, earth shocks have occurred at
differentztimes in different sections.
South of that stretch for some
300 miles there has been no move
lhent since 1857 when a severe
shock occurred, the mark of which
nay still be traced across the des-
rt plains like an irrigation ditch.
still further south there have been
several recent shocks, but none of
great violence, although there is
ievidence~of considerable activity in
| the section east and west of Los
tAngeles.S
Deep In Study
For some years now, the Carnegie
Institution has been deep in the
/ 'tudy Of. earthquakes. and only re-
:ently organized the advisory COM
nittee in seismology, calling on the
cooperation of many other scientists
! to aid. in the research. Its activities
have resulted in the discovery of
many facts of practical Importance
ito mankind in this connection. The
cooperation Of the United States
Navy was obtained in making a
3eDth- assuring survey over large
area adjacent to the California
kcoast, and while the survey was
made tosfind the trend of earthquake
riffs, it resulted in' important data
flor Marines and map makers.
Through the financial assistance of
1.-THE Carnegie Foundation, of New
York, Dr.. Bailey Willis, seismologist
Sof Stanford University, was sent by
Sthe Institution to Chile to study the
effects of the recent earthquake
there and survey, the aim being to
arrive at the probable causes.
1t might be asked what value to
mankind result from the ex-
spcnditure Of great sums for the
study OF a natural occurrenceawhich,
it is admitted, can never be prevent
ed and which may continue to exact
its toll of human lives and property.
In view Of the fact that scientists
can now locate the certain lines
along which quakes have occurred
and seem sure to occur again in fu-
ture, they are able to speak of live
Earthquake riffs as they speak of
live volcanoes. 1t is known by the
form Of the volcano or by the occur
renee Of eruptions within historical
time that it is potentially or actual
" active, and much the same may
be said of the earthquake riffs.
They are lines of special danger
on which no schoolhouse. skyscraper
|or dam should be built. They
should De avoided, as Mar as posi-
bic. by railroads lines, bridges, aque-
diets and other public works, and
yet it happens that they often run
through valleys where such works
are suggested by the conditions Of
the ground. AS long as builders re-
main ignorant Of their position they
run the risk Of inviting destruction,
IL wss sdded; but it is not difficult
~ proper study to locate these lines
~ danger on Z map and to make
the information public for the bene-
Az Of engineers and others. Indeed,
there Il now being published an
earthquake rift map Of the state Of
California, showing the lines Of ac-