The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1928-01-05
SCIENTIST URGES
STUDY OF QUAKES
U. S. Seismologist Sees Pos
sibility Of 1911 Shock Re-
peating Itself
PECULIAR TESTS USED
Tests Reveal All Follow
Same Curve-Mentality
No Factor

Nashville, Tenn, Jan 3.-When
a blindfolded penon walks in what
he thinks is a straight line, he is
actually going in more or less
regular clockspring spiral, DIR. A.
A. Schaeffer of the University of
Kansas, reported today in describ-
ing new experiments before zoolog-
ISIS of the American Association
for the Advancement of Science.
DR.. Schaeffer made more than
800 experiments with iblindfolded
persons on the open prairie of
Kansas and Colorado, on the ice
of a reservoir in Massachusetts, on
a racetrack in Tennessee, and in a
160-acre field. The subjects walk
ed, swan, rowed and drove auto
mobiles blindfolded, and in each
case they steerei essentially the
same kind of a curv1ng path. Us
ually they started out with a
straight stretch and then began to
turn in circles. These circld, usu-
ally became smaller in diameter.
A 24-year-old mental imbecile
with the mind of a 4-year-old child,
was tested and the path he took
was like that of normal person,
indicating that intellect does not
play any part in directing the
spiralling mechanism. No connec-
ton between right and left hand
edness and the direction taken Iby
the spiral turns could be found.
"There IA no doubt the same
mechanism that produces these ex-
perimental spirals when blindfold-
ed also makes one go in circles
when lost" the biologist stated. To
be lost, he explained, means that
the orienting sentes are not func-
tioning.
The spiraling mechanism ap-
pears to be situated in the central
nervous system and to operate
when the mechanism that controls
balance and orientation is not in
normal control.
An immediate investigation of
the earthquake kituation in the
Mississippi valley was urged by
Commander N. H. Heck, in charge
of the seismologic work of the u.
S. coast and geodetic survey.
Calling attention to the fact that
one of the great earthquakes of
all history occurred in the New
Madrid region of the Mississippi
valley in 1811-12, Commander
Heck intimated there was posi-
bility that history would repeat it.
self, although it can not be fore
told what the future will bring.
Occasional minor earthquake
shocks have been felt in the Mis-
rippi valley and along the Ohio riv-
er in recent years and one of the
sharpest of these shocks was on
April 9, 1917.
Another occurred at the time Of
the Mississippi flood. Probably
the fact that flood and earthquake
came at the same time was merely
coincidence that server to call at
tention to the damage that would
be done by a major earthquake in
that region today.
Through examination of the
situation in the entire middle west
ern region subject to earthquakes
is Desirable" Commander Heck
said. "There is little doubt that the
first investigation should Ibe con-
fined to the area surrounding the
New Madrid region. DR.. James B.
Macelwane, S. j., director of the
Jeauit Seismological Association,
has proposed such plan, and it is
endorsed by DIR. Arthur l.. Day,
chairman of the advisory commit
tee of seismology of the Carnegie
Institution of Washington, who is
in charge of earthquake investiga-
ton in California.
"This organization has all that it
can take care of in the California
problem. The middle west Is left
to work out it's problem. Its rap
idly growing cities make it impor-
tant that the problem be attack
ed"
The trees in every forest are
reincarnations Of their own dead
forefathers. Without the decaying
leaves of yesterday and the smold-
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES