Evening star., 1927-09-25
CITY MAY BECOME
QUAKE STUDY HUB
Coast and Geodetic Survey
Has Plans for Enlarging
SeiSmograph Work.

Washington will become the biggest
point in the Western Hemisphere for
the study of earthquakes If plans of
the Coast and Geodetic Survey ma
terialize. As first step in this am
bilious program. Congress will likely
be asked at the coming session to ap-
propriate $S5,000. The great need in
this work. Frank Neumann. math-
ematician in charge of chronological
work. declares. is for instrumental
data for the United States, rs earth
quake history is lacking in complete
ness. Experiments aimed at securing
more delicate instruments to record
the commissions of the earth are now
going forward in the survey, but Mr..
Neumann says that, due to the absence
of adequate funds, this is hampered.
In fact. while Congress has author
ized the survey to take over from the
Weather Bureau the task of studying
earthquakes. it neglected to appro-
pirate money for it.
One necessity for getting earthquake
data accurately. MIR. Neumann de-
clares, is so that insurance companies
may fix rates. He considers that Rev.
Francis a. Tondorf of Georgetown
University has one OF the best equipped
seismological stations in the country.
so that Washington is already on the
way to becoming an earthquake re-
search center
Chain of Stations.
The survey obtains reports on earth
quakes from the United States and
several foreign countries, an interest
ing point being that while this Gov
ernment maintains no diplomatic re.
Iations with Russia, the Soviets send
their earthquake reports to Wash
1ngton. Russia is considered to have
an efficient system Of stations. Comdr.
N. Fl. Heck, chief of the division Of
terrestrial magnetism and seismology,
is at present at Prague, attending
the sessions of the international Geo.
detic and Geophysical Union. He is
preparing a history of earthquakes
in the United States, which will soon
be published.
Six observation stations are oper-
ated at various points in the country
by the Coast Survey. The Jesuit
Sefsmologlcal Association has II OBJ.
servatories and various universities
operate independently 10 or Is seis-
mographs. Survey headquarters makes
a special study of data supplied by
Harvard and the University of Vir.
ginia. The nearest stations to Wash.
ington are those at Charlottesville
Va. and at Cheltenham. Nd, the lat
ter survey station. In addition to
these channels Of scientific informa.
ton. volunteer observers all over the
Nation report to Washington on any
earthquakes felt There are 5000 of
these persons, who formerly served
the Weather Bureau.
While most earthquakes occur in
the Pacific Ocean, Mr.. Neunann feels
that sthere should be an adequate
seismological station in the Rocky
Mountain region, which he says may
be classed as a fairly active earth.
quake region.
So far. 1927 has been without spec
tacular earthquakes in the United
States. Some States, like Louisiana,
have no record Of earthquakes within
their borders. Half of the States
experienced earth shocks in 1925, Mr..
Neumann's records show.
While it is said that Washington
felt the big earthquake that occurred
in Charleston, S. c., many years ago,
as we'll as that which Canada and
parts OF New England had recently.
Survey records do not indicate that
any shocks OF note have shaken the
Nations capital.
Mr.. Neumann declares that earth.
quake study. held merely an adjunct
to magnetic work of the Survey In
years past, has now come to be placed
on par with ii. The Survey took
over chronological duties from the
Weather Bureau in January, 1925, at
the suggestion Of Congress.
The ultimate ideal goal toward
which many seismologists are working
is the prediction of earthquakes, but
Mr.. Neumann sees a vast amount of
ground to be covered before Wash
ington can hope to assume the role Of
earthquake seer.