A TREMULOUS EARTH

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 89, 9 January 1926, Page 22

A TREMULOUS EARTH

RECORD YEAR FOR EARTHQUAKES

A BRIEF REVIEW

The earth is uneasy. Not that part which is New Zealand particularly, but apparently’ universally. Not for many, manv vears has there been such a notable record of earthquakes as have been registered during the past year (writes H.P.). As a start for the year Svdncv experienced a slight earth-jar oil laimarv 7, and on January J IL several villages near Ardrahan, in Turkey, were destroyed by earth oscillation. It was probable the same 'quake which destroyed some forty Transcaucasian towns,’ a trilling incident, evidently, as the news was not received until January ‘2l. About the same time alarming earth tremors were felt ill Alaska, with Seward as their centre. tin Alarch 21 occurred the most severe earth shock ever recorded in New York—a shock which broke the needle of the seismograph at the Fordham I'niversity. This movement, felt all along the United States coast of the Atlantic, was supposed to be centred at Boston, where furniture and crockery were broken, and people -were thrown out of bed. According to a Yale geologist, this shake was due to the gradual sinking of the New Fngland coast. Jhe same shake spread over a wide field, for it was felt in Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec. In the latter city a church was destroyed, and two people died of shock. Some three weeks later news was received through the China Inland Mission, that an earthquake had destroyed the town of Talifu, in West Yunan. A disastrous fire followed this upheaval, to add to the honor of the situation.' On Alarch 23 Riverview College, in Svdncy, reported the record of a .severe shake, supposedly due to a disturbance in the New. Hebrides, lhat motion was also recorded at Kelburn. Like maiiv other earthquakes, no news was received later from any inhabited part of that corner_pf the Pacific, so that it may be fairly concluded that the centre of disturbance was beneath the ocean bed. Within a week news was received of violent earthquakes shaking an extensive section of Durango State, and almost destroying the town of Chalchihuites (in Mexico). As the result of recurrent shocks thousands of people were residing in the open on account of their homes being unsafe to enter. The Philippines, which are in the Western Pacific earthquake belt, was reminded of its position oil May 10, when several people were killed as the result of 'quakes in Samar, Negros, and Leyte. Mere, also, as at Quebec, a church was singled out for destruction. One house (with five adults and one child) was swallowed up by an opening in the earth. Fiftv houses were destroyed and eight deaths were recorded. Poor Japan is always oscillating dangerously, and, as usual, that country provided the sensation of the earthquake vear, when on May 23 Osaka was terrified by a big earth jolt. Kobe and Kyoto were also affected. Buildings were destroyed—there were 1500 casualties, a whole village being wiped out bv a tidal wave. A health resort was also submerged by a landslide. Ibis did not end Japan’s talc of wot, for on June H extensive damage by earthquake was repotted from her island possession Formosa. Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho, in the United States, were “harassed by earthquakes for four hours’ on June 27, and half-a-dozen buildings failed to stand the earthquake test Then came three days later the big shake that nartlv destroyed Santa Barbara, 'in Southern California. Ihe place is said to have “rocked, and swaved like a turbulent ocean.” 'twelve lives were lost, and several buildings (ollapscd. Gaviota was also partly demolished. Australia got a fright on December 19, when Sydney, and as far .inland as Dubbo, was shaken more severely than for many years past. Much crockery and manv windows were broken, but no very serious damage was reported. The centre of this rock was about 80 miles N.N.F. of Sydney. . Nor has New Zealand been seistnologically quiescent. We have probably liad as manv shocks during the last two months as'in any previous period of the same duration since the historic 1855 earthquake, but fortunately, tlioiigh manv recent shakes have been fairly good jolts, particularly the twin shake of last week, no damage was done, save to a few decrepit chimneys. Still we have been in a distinctly oscillatory mood lately, but as the foregoing records show, not more so than many other parts of the world.