Evening star., 1925-12-06
By DONALD EDWARD KEYHOE.

7 y the dead of night an observa-
tory watcher leans over II deli
cate instrument. his eyes in
tently following the apid fiuCtu
ations of Il tiny stylus needle on
a strip OF moving paper. y violent
earthquake has just taken place some
where more than two thousand miles
away. His keen mind conjures up a
series Of appalling scenes. A mod
ern city thrown into darkness with
out warning. save a sinister rumble,
which is quickly drowned by the
fearsome crash of falling buildings;
terrified inhabitants fleeing in stark
panic from the dread, invisible force
which menaces their lives; "A bridge
crashing from its piers into turbu-
lent waters, cutting off an avenue
of escape: and then. to complete the
horror. the lurid glow of flames
which lick their way greedily through.
the Wreckage. in search of human
prey.
In fancy. the man at the seismo-
graph hears the cries of doomed
men and women, trapped in the ruins
of their homes; the walls of fright
ened children, who have been sepa-
rated from their parents: and then
the rush of frenzied mob, stamped
ing for the safety of the wider
streets and open parks. The roar of
an explosion fills the air, as a spark
reaches a ruptured gas main. The
flames leap higher. unchecked, for
the water mains also have burst
completely crippling the fire de-
partment.
Indescribable confusion results from
the efforts of automobile drivers to
force their way through the debris
lnH of of "A
ton fail; hasty attempt to send
radio call for help discloses
wrecked transmitting station. Above
all, the cracking of the flames
mounts into a steady roar-an un-
prepared city Is transformed into
seething inferno.
Or perhaps. less horribly, it is a
tropical isle, where cowed natives
huddle together in superstitious fear
as their wretched huts sway and col
lapse before their eyes. A few at
tempt to escape from the trembling
land by putting to sea in their frail
canoes. Hardly have they started
than they are caught by a mighty
tidal wave, caused by the same mys-
terious force which. has razed their
homes. A trading vessel, lying at
anchor, is hurled far inshore and
wrecked.
himself and hurries to the telephone.
He learns that no word has come over
the leased news wires. 1t may be min-
utes, perhaps hours, before there
comes a hasty flash which starts the
presses to grinding out the story of
a great catastrophe. Or the word
may never come, and the origin of
the earthquake remains unknown.
1t may have been at the bottom of
on he nAD pf
ocean trough: it may have spent its
force in some wasteland, with no hu-
man eye to witness the humbling Of
mountains as the earth struggled to
readjust its distorted surface.
THE study of such seismic dis
turbances is of increasing impor-
tance, especially in affected regions
where cities are constantly growing.
This work was formerly controlled by
the Weather Bureau, but it is now
assigned to the Coast and Geodetic
Survey.
There are several reasons why this
bureau is particularly qualified for
earthquake investigation. 1t has oper.
ated seismographs in connection with
it's magnetic work for more than 20
years It's photographic division is
| able to construct detailed charts of
the ocean bottom. showing changes in
depth from tremors; it's coastal tide
cages give permanent records OF tidal
| waves, and its triangulation surveys
determine lateral or vertical changes
in the surface of the earth. In addi.
ton, the bureau is in constant com.
munication with foreign geodetic and
seismographical organizations, from
which valuable data are received.
Many of these foreign bureaus have
been established for long periods, espe-
cially In countries subject to frequent
shocks. Their fundamental purpose
is the protection of life and property.
Accurate prediction of earthquakes Is
not yet possible. though it has long
been the object of some investigators.
i The earliest attempts at prediction
were based on supposed foreknowl-
edge by animals, according to +. De
Montessus De Ballore. famous
French seismologist. De Montessus
was the director of seismic research
in Chile for Is years.
To-day" wrote this scientist, I'VE
know how to construct buildings
which will withstand violent earth.
quakes. A still further aim is to pre-
dict these shocks. The problem has
not been solved, but we see our way
Ito its solution. The scientific discov.