REVIEW.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5165, 11 October 1877, Page 3

REVIEW.

“ THE NEW ZEALAND MAGAZINE,” Oct., 1877. After an existence extending over only eight issues this magazine has died. All the grand words with which its birth was heralded have faded into thin air—all the high hopes of success as quickly vanished. This was scarcely to lie wondered at, because of the narrowmindedness and peculiar mental constitution of its editors. Under such editors the magazine could never have flourished. We hope most strongly that a new magazine may now be started—a magazine edited by some broad-viewed, liberalminded, many-sided man ; a man like John Knowles, of the “ Nineteenth Century,” who knows so well how to get the best articles (by the best writers) on the topics of the day. If a magazine were started which could furnish a list of contributors which included men like Dr. Hector, Hon. W. E. Stafford, Theophilus Heale, Carruthers, J. T. Thompson, Bishop Hadfield, Captain Hutton, S. Locke, Judge Maning, Colonel Whitmore, Dr. Haa-t, several leading merchants, doctors, barristers, ministers of religion, schoolmasters, engineers, and men of no trade or profession, it would most assuredly flourish. It cannot be doubted that it would also prove a great pecuniary success. By far the most interesting paper in this number is that by Captain Hutton on that most fascinating of subjects, Earthquakes. Histories or descriptions of earthquakes, from the “sad catastrophe of Sodom and Gomorrah” downwards, have ever been read or heard with intense eagerness. H\v ton asks, “ What is an earthquake?” and immediately discusses some of its phenomena, which is rather a useless proceeding; for most of us know what an earthquake is like. What we really want to know is the answer to the question, “ What causes an earthquake ?” To this query most varied replies are given. Savages always and everywhere, and unfortunately even civilised people, do still attribute earthquakes to the wrath of the gods. Even now we are ignorant of the real causes of earthquakes; very many scientific men holding peculiar views, but few of these are supported by much else than pure conjecture. One man thinks they are volcanic, and that this is a satisfactory explanation. Another thinks that in the earth’s crust (800 miles thick) there are vast caverns ; that these slowly fill with gas, which presently explodes. A third believes that water trickles deep into the earth, is there heated into steam, and causes an explosion. A fourth, that the crust 1 is composed chiefly of calcum magnesium, sodium, potassium, and other alkalies. He knows that if pure potassium be put in water it will ignite with fervent heat, and that lime and water evolve heat, therefore, if heavy rains fall, he predicts an earthquake from the chemical combinations of this deluge with these alkalies. A fifth is firmly convinced that sea water pours down vast cracks in the crust of the earth, and there entering into combination with magnesium and other rocks, generates steam, and an explosion ensues. A sixth fancies that some volcano acts as a chimney or safety-valve, and that earthquakes follow from the plugging up of this vent. A seventh is perfectly certain that the earth is a hollow globe with a thin crust, and knowing that air, heat, and water are disintegrating and denuding continents, and covering the ocean beds with the debris, believes that when one part becomes thicker than another, the thicker falls in, that the act of falling in constitutes an earthquake, and that hence result areas of depression and of elevation. An eighth, a believer in the nebular hypothesis, is convinced that our globe is slowly cooling, and that when one part cools more quickly than another, it shrinks, the crust falls in, and earthquakes result. This man thinks that mountain chains are elevated by tangential thrust ; in other words, by the crumpling up at the line of fracture. A ninth holds the view that when a volcano vomits immense quantities of lava, pumice, &c., as do Hecla, Etna, Aconcagua, or Tongariro, huge caverns will be formed in the earth crust, and that the falling in of their roofs will cause earthquakes. A tenth believes that the retardation of the earth by the tides causes so much tension and racket in the must as to cause earthquakes, and therefore volcanic action. An eleventh supposes that a change in the barometric pressure will cause earthquakes, e.g., if the barometer- stands at 29 inches and rises to 31 inches, he thinks that the extra weight of air acta the part of the last straw that breaks the camel’s back. A twelfth fancies them due to tides in the solid earth cruet, and thinks they occur most frequently when the sun and moon pull in unison and are nearest to the earth. A thirteenth believes them cosmical—whatever that may mean. A fourteenth knows that electricity or magnetism (that dens ex machinfi of all ign rant minds) causes earthquakes." A fifteenth believes that they are connected with maxima and minima of sun-spots. The sixteenth, a scoffer, affirms that none of them know anything at all about the matter. Probably he is as right as any of the others. Mr. Malet, who knows more about the subject than any one else, believes that the focus of action of a volcano is never more than 30 miles below the surface. In one case he believed it to be only seven or eight miles down. No doubt we should all like to know more about the earthquakes of New Zealand. Captain Hutton therefore proposes that all the chief meteorological stations in New Zealand should be furnished with seismological instruments. These instruments would tell us much. One instrument is very simple and cheap. It consists of a graduated series of tall, erect cylinders. These, by their fall, tell us whether the earthquake wave is coming from north, south, east, or west. Supposing a set of cylinders told the Auckland observer that the earthquake was spreading from the north, he might telegraph to the Wellington observer, “ Prepare for an earthquake,” and so all Wellington might be warned (by noise of a gun) of its approach. As the shock travels at the rate of 20 miles per minute or thereabouts, all Wellington might have at least a quarter of an hour's warning, which might be the means of saving property, and even a number of valuable lives, for every one could then get clear of lofty brick chimneys. There is no reason why the approach of an earthquake should not be signalled beforehand, just as are storms. At a very trifling coat earthquake signals might be sent in addition to storm warnings. A very interesting and able paper by Mr. Henderson on Religions should he read by all, and especially by the clergy, who are usually so ignorant of any religions except their own.