Evening star., 1924-10-24
IN TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT
BY PAUL y. COLLINS.

Earthquake shocks startled the peo-
| pie of both the Carolinas and of Geor-
gia last Monday morning at $3.50 a. m
| Houses shook and windows ratified
/ furniture was moved and panic pre-
vailed over three States. yet no rec
| ord OF the seismic disturbance is
| found upon any of the five seismo-
graphs of Georgetown Cd. c. Univer-
sity Father Torndorff the expert
| seismolosist in charge, declares that
all of his machines were in perfect
order. and if any tremor had passed
through Washington it would have
appeared upon the delicately traced
recording sheets. Since no such rec
ord appears, he refuses to believe the
reports of a real earthquake, unless
the seismographs of Ottawa. Canada
should show that the vibrations
reached there. That would necessi-
tate their passing through this lati-
tude and longitude. The quakes
might have been from mere surface
land shifting, he suggests. 1t is
claimed that blasting of rocks could
not have caused tremors which ex-
tended over three States. The heavy
though delicate. seismographs ignore
local disturbances due to minor
causes.
1t has been stated repeatedly by
scientists that Washington is in nc
great danger of ever experiencing ar
earthquake. hence, they say. any in
| terest washingtonians may feel in
the subject would be of an imper-
sonal nature. more or less academic
But when three nearby States CULVER
and quake and our five delicate in
struments remain mute, what are rea-
| sonably prudent inhabitants of this
region to rely upon?
Father Torndorff assures us that 1t
would be a waste of time and energy
to foretell an earthquake. Noah fore.
| told high water, but the people went
right on with their usual vocations.
when a scientist advises the masses
that they are resting upon founda-
ton that is in danger of giving way
beneath them, they think he is an
alarmist. Father Torndorf is conf
dent that 1t would be folly to predict
that a quake is coming at any definite
time. though it is quite possible tc
warn of conditions which indicate
Jeopardy, and to appeal for measures
| to forestall fire peril to some ex-
tent through greater strength Ina the
water mains of the cities, for the
ldamage is usually greater from en-
suing confiagration than from the
seismic cataclysm.
The masses will not heed warnings
Look at Mount Vesuvius. Scarcely
| has the crater ceased to belch forth
death and destruction when people
begin to rebuild closer TO it's mouth
than ever, eager to gf the beneh'
| of the fertile volcanic Ssh.
When the earthquake of 1886 shook
North Carolina the Georgetown seis.
mographs recorded it, Even the tele
scopes. of the United States Nava,
| Observatory saw tor saw the stars
moving backward in their courses
| A uuivering Of the earth Is an awe
some sight, but when the heavens
seem to sway and the stars to move
the Imagination of universal insta'
| bility overwhelms men.
| ~
Last week the first preliminary
/ official report of the japanese i'm
| perial investigating committee on tht
| great disaster of September 1, 1923
| reached Washington. 1t was writer
| by the seismologist, A. 1mamura- whf
had been an eyewitness of the quake
He says:
sMore than s5 per cent of the losi
of property was due to the hre causet
by the first quake. 1t Is my utmos
regret that we, as seismoiogists
could take no measures OF precau
tion mitigating such disaster. But
ask your Indulgence while I tel yo'
| the facts. Our colleagues, especlaii'
Prof Omcrl, often gave advice 70 tl'