EARTHQUAKE PROPHECY.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17460, 22 May 1922, Page 2

EARTHQUAKE PROPHECY.

Mr J. J. Shaw, . of JlVest Bromwich, an expert in earthquake shocks, discussed with a London "Daily Mail"' reporter the prophecy of an impending widespread earthquake era winch would result in the submerging of a large part of Europe, maue by Dr. Milton A. .Noble, the United tttates student of volcanic disturbances. Mr SHaw said he thought it was extremejy improvable that Dr. >JNobie's propueey wouiu be finlined. The eruption of' Vesuvius, wiiictt begun with two earthquuKe siiocks on March sth, a lew days alter JL)r. Aoole's prophecy to that eueet, miglit be a coinciuence. I.he earthquakes iu question were particularly mud, and wnun voicanic eruptions occurred tiiey were generally accompanied by a very mild type of earenquiike. With reference to the suggestion that the earth has tilted on its axis, any changes in the past of which we had details were extremely remote. r lhey would omy taKe place at exceedingly long intervals, 'liie axis ot tue earth was not constant, but was continually moving over a dehnite area roundabout the average North Pole, and observations were, continually being made at Greenwich and at another station on the oilier side of the workhfor measuring the amount of movement. It was, however, very slight each year. If the eatth's axis moved very much it would cause the stars apparently tc move. Extravagant prophecies had beei. heard before, but they had not been fulfilled. "Ihe changes of the earth's surface of which we had any historica. record had never happened as it was suggested they might. Never had whole continents gone down." Dr. H. H. Turner, F.R.S., Savilian Professor of Astronomy at Oxford University, said: "The theory of an impending earthquake era is new to me, It sounds unlik'ely."