CHARLES DAVISON, Sc.D., F.G.S.

AUTHOR OF
"THE HEREFORD EARTHQUAKE OF DECEMBER 17TH, 1896."

WITH 80 ILLUSTRATIONS

London and Newcastle-on-Tyne:
THE WALTER SCOTT PUBLISHING 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 Terre, Professor Fouqué has devoted a few chapters to some of the principal earthquakes between 1854 and 1887; and there are also the well-known chapters in Lyell's 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 save him this trouble, and to present to him the facts that seem most worthy of his attention.

The chapter on the Japanese earthquake is reprinted, 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 me with clichés 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.

PAGE
CHAPTER I.
[Introduction]1
CHAPTER II.
[The Neapolitan Earthquake of December 16th, 1857]7
CHAPTER III.
[The Ischian Earthquakes of March 4th, 1881, and July 28th, 1883]45
CHAPTER IV.
[The Andalusian Earthquake of December 25th, 1884]75
CHAPTER V.
[The Charleston Earthquake of August 31st, 1886]102
CHAPTER VI.
[The Riviera Earthquake of February 23rd, 1887]138
CHAPTER VII.
[The Japanese Earthquake of October 28th, 1891]177
CHAPTER VIII.
[The Hereford Earthquake of December 17th, 1896, and the Inverness Earthquake of September 18th, 1901]215
CHAPTER IX.
[The Indian Earthquake of June 12th, 1897]262
CHAPTER X.
[Conclusion]321
[Index]349

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

FIG. PAGE
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 Emergence]12
4.[Diagram to illustrate Mallet's 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
11.[Diagram to illustrate Mallet's Method of determining Depth of Seismic Focus]26
12.[Vertical Section of Cathedral Church at Potenza]27
13.[Diagram of Wave-paths at Seismic Vertical of Neapolitan 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 of Ischian Earthquake of 1883]62
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 Fouqué, etc.]81
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 Andalusian Earthquake]100
25.[Isoseismal Lines of Charleston Earthquake]106
26.[Curve of Intensity at Charleston]110
27.[Flexure of Rails at Jedburgh]113
28.[Epicentral Isoseismal Lines of Charleston Earthquake according to Sloan]118
29.[Epicentral Isoseismal Lines of Charleston Earthquake according to Dutton]119
30.[Planes of Oscillation of Stopped Pendulum Clocks at Charleston]121
31.[Diagram to illustrate Dutton's Method of determining Depth of Seismic Focus]124
32.[Diagram to explain Origin of Regions of Defective Intensity]136
33.[Isoseismal Lines of Riviera Earthquake]144
34.[Meizoseismal Area of Riviera Earthquake]148
35.[Nature of Shock of Riviera Earthquake]152
36.[Seismographic Record at Moncalieri]155
37.[Distribution of Observatories at which Magnetographs were disturbed by Riviera Earthquake]158
38.[Record of Tide-gauge at Nice]163
39.[Record of Tide-gauge at Genoa]164
40.[Distribution of Seismic Activity in the Riviera]172
41.[Isoseismal Lines of Japanese Earthquake]178
42.[Structure of Meizoseismal Area of Japanese Earthquake]180
43.[Plan of Directions of Fall of Overturned Bodies at Nagoya]187
44.[Map of Mean Directions of Shock and Isoseismal Lines in Central District of Japanese Earthquake]188
45.[Meizoseismal Area of Japanese Earthquake]190
46.[Fault-scarp near Fujitani]191
47.[Fault-scarp at Midori]192
48.[Displacement of Field-divisions by the Fault near Nishi-Katabira]193
49.[Map of Swamp formed by Stoppage of River Toba by Fault-scarp]194
50.[Shifting of Trees by Fault at Uméhara ]195
51.[Daily Frequency of After-shocks at Gifu and Nagoya]196
52.[Monthly Frequency of After-shocks at Gifu]197
53.[Distribution of Preliminary Shocks in Space]202
54.[Distribution of After-shocks in Space, Nov.-Dec. 1891]203
55.[Distribution of After-shocks in Space, Jan.-Feb. 1892]204
56.[Distribution of After-shocks in Space, March-April 1892]205
57.[Distribution of After-shocks in Space, May-June 1892]206
58.[Distribution of Audible After-shocks in Space, Nov. 1891-Dec. 1892]208
59.[Map of Adjoining Regions in which Seismic Activity was affected by Japanese Earthquake]210
60.[Isoseismal and Isacoustic Lines of Hereford Earthquake]216
61.[Nature of Shock of Hereford Earthquake]222
62.[Coseismal Lines of Hereford Earthquake]228
63.[Map of Minor Shocks of Hereford Earthquake]239
64.[Geology of Meizoseismal Area of Hereford Earthquake]241
65.[Isoseismal Lines of Inverness Earthquake]248
66.[Diagram to illustrate supposed Fault-displacement causing Inverness Earthquake]256
67.[Map of Epicentres of After-shocks of Inverness Earthquake]258
68.[Isoseismal Lines of Indian Earthquake]263
69.[Section of Tombs in Cemetery at Cherrapunji]270
70.[Time-curve of Indian Earthquake]278
71.[Seismographic Record of Indian Earthquake at Rocca di Papa]282
72.[Seismographic Record of Indian Earthquake at Edinburgh]283
73.[Displacement of Alluvium at Foot of a Hill]287
74.[Twisting of Monument at Chhatak]294
75.[Epicentral Area of Indian Earthquake]303
76.[Plan of Chedrang Fault]305
77.[Re-triangulation of Khasi Hills]313
78.[Diagram of Thrust-planes]318
79.[Seismographic Record of Tokio Earthquake of 1894]329
80.[Time-curves of Principal Epochs of Earthquake-waves of Distant Origin]338

A STUDY OF
RECENT EARTHQUAKES.