A Study Of Recent Earthquakes

A STUDY OF RECENT EARTHQUAKES. BY CHARLES DAVISON, Sc. D., F. G. S., AUTHOR OF THE HEREFORD EARTHQUAKE OF DECEMBER I7TH, 1896. WITH 80 ILLUSTRATIONS. Condon and Dewcastlc-on-Cyne THE WALTER SCOTT PUBLISHIN f CO., LTD. 1905 PREFACE. THE present volume differs from a text-book of seismology in giving brief, though detailed, accounts of individual earthquakes rather than a discussion of the phenomena and distribution of earthquakes in general. At the close of his Les Tremblements de Tcrre, Professor Fouque has devoted a few chapters to some of the principal earthquakes between 1854 and 1887 and there are also the well-known chapters in LyelPs Principles of Geology dealing with earthquakes of a still earlier date. With these exceptions, there is no other work covering the same ground and he who wishes to study any particular earthquake can only do so by reading long reports or series of papers written perhaps in several different languages. The object of this volume is to savc him this trouble, and to present to him the facts that seem most worthy of his attention. The chapter on the Japanese earthquake is re printed, with a few slight additions, from a paper published in the Geographical Journal, and I am indebted to the editor, not only for the necessary permission, but also for his courtesy in furnishing VI PREFACE. me with cliches of the blocks which illustrated the original paper. The editor of Knowledge has also allowed me to use a paper which appeared four years ago as the foundation of the ninth chapter in this book. CHARLES DAVISON. BIRMINGHAM, January, 1905. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE INTRODUCTION ..... i CHAPTER II. TIIK NKAKIUTAN EARIIKJUAKK OK DKCBim R ifira, 857 7 CHAPTER III.THK IsciiiAN EAUTIK. IUAKKS OF MARCH 4x11, 1881, AND JULY 28m, 1883 . . . .45 CHAPTER IV. THK AXDAI. USIAN KAUTIKJUAKK OK DECEMBER 25, 84 75 C1IAPTKR V. TIIK CIIAKI. KSTON KAKTIKJUAKB of AUGUST 3isr, iSSf 102 CHAPTER VI. TlIK RlVIKRA EARTliyUAKB OF FEIJRUARY 23RI, 1887 138 viii CONTENTS. CHAPTER VII. PAGE THE JAPANESE EARTHQUAKE OF OCTOBER 28TH, 1891 .177 CHAPTER VIII. THE HEREFORD EARTHQUAKE OF DECEMBER 17x11, 1896, AND THE INVERNESS EARTHQUAKE OF SEPTEMBER i8TH, 1901 . . - 215 CHAPTER IX. THE INDIAN EARTHQUAKE OF JUNE i2TH, 1897 . 262 CHAPTER X. CONCLUSION . . . . . .321 INDEX ...... 349 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. I IU PA, R 1. Diagram to illustrate Simple Harmonic Motion . 4 2. Isoseismal Lines of the Neapolitan Earthquake. . 9 3. Diagram to illustrate Wave-path and Angle of Emerg ence 12 4. Diagram to illustrate Mallets Method of determining Position of Epicentre 14 5. Plan of Cathedral Church at Potenza . ... 16 6. Fallen Gate-pillars near Saponara .... 17 7. Model to illustrate the Motion of an Earth-particle during an Earthquake 19 8. Plan of Directions of Fall of Overturned Stone-lamps at Tokio during the Earthquake of 1894 . . 19 9. Meizoseismal Area of Neapolitan Earthquake . . 22 10, Distribution of Death-rate within Meizoseismal Area of Neapolitan Earthquake 24 n . Diagram to illustrate Mallets Method of determining Depth of Seismic Focus 26 1 2. Vertical Section of Cathedral Church at Potenza . 27 13. Diagram of Wave-paths at Seismic Vertical of Nea politan Earthquake 29 14. Geological Sketch-map of Ischia 47 15. Isoseismal Lines of Ischian Earthquake of 1881 . . 51 16. Isoseismal Lines of Ischian Earthquake of 1883 . . 59 17. Diagram of Wave-paths at Seismic Vertical ofIschian Earthquake of 1883 62 X LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. FIG. PAGF 18. Diagram showing connection between Depth of Focus and Rate of Decline in Intensity .... 68 19. Isoseismal Lines of Andalusian Earthquake according to Taramelli and Mercalli 79 20. Isoseismal Lines of Andalusian Earthquake according to Fouque, etc i 21. Magnetograph Records of Andalusian Earthquake at Lisbon 83 22. Nature of Shock of Andalusian Earthquake . . 88 23. Diagram to illustrate Variation in Nature of Shock . 89 24. Structure of Meizoseismal Area of Andaiusian Earth quake 100 25...