URGENT NEED FOR FOOD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8091, 23 April 1906, Page 2

URGENT NEED FOR FOOD.

Received 22, 5.4 p.ui. SvDKEr, April 22. The Lord Mayor has received cablo from the acting-Miiyor of Frisco to the following effect: A mdst urgent need for food. Vancouvi-r is the noarost sourco of supply. If you are contributing, wire contributions to the Vancouver Relief Committee, which will arrange for its expenditure in food and supplies, and transportation to Frisco.

AUSTBALIAN ASTBONOMEBS'' VIEWS. Peetii, April 21. The Government Astronomer states that the seismograph registered two shocks in connection with the San Francisco earthquake. The first shock was rocorded at 9.38 on Wednesday evening, or twenty minutes, allowing for the difference in the time, after the shocks reached the maximum at San Francisco. \ Questioned regarding Mr Milne's theory, he said that the theory that the oarth does swing a little off its axis is not a new pronouncement, although it was only reoenily advanced. Speaking offhand, he should say the theory was capable of being tosted.' For that reason, it is rather fortunate | that the International Geological Association, whose headquarters is at Berlin, established an observatory in this State. Dr. Essen, a leading German scientist, has been at work since Christmas endeavouring to find out reasons for what arc technically known as variations of latitude. At first sight, perhaps, this has no connection with earthquakes. It has, however, because the variation is caused by the displacement and is due to meteorological causes, such as a great changeliii masses of ice and so on, which in turn must cause the earth a great strain in the struggle to get bnch. It would therefore be extremely interesting to ascertain whether Dr. Essen's observations disclosed any sudden change on the evening of April 18th. The theory might be tested in that way.

Dr Essen, interviewed, stated that at eight o'clock ou Wednesday evening his telescope showed a variation of two seconds in the arc. This caused him to conclude that some disturbance of an extraordinary character had occurred somewhere. He thinks Professor llilne may have been misrepresented, as the theory stated is scientih'eally absurd. A valuation of latitude could be caused by an earthquake, such as that at San Francisco, but such an earthquake could not be caused by a variation of latitude for a variation of the earth's axis. Observations similar to that recorded by his telescopic level on Wednesday evening wore recorded by a telescopo level in Berlin obvorvatory in 188'J, when a big earthquake oofurred in Japan. If there had been any variation of the earth's a\is it would have becu recorded on his in. strument.

mmmumammaasmm. \ % SEISMOGRAPH RECORDS. .'H Reooived 39,12.89 a.m. MwboMnb, April 28. The seismograph at the Observatory was opened to-day. The filmi indi oated shocks which had extended over an hour and a-half. The first showed at ton minutes to 12 on the night of the eighteenth, and the last at two on the morning of the nineteenth. The oxtent of the shock has not yet been % measured by the astronomer, PROFFERED NEW ZEALAND ABBIBTANCE. Wiuntotov, April 21. The Premier, through the Governor an d Secretary of State, has conunnnu oated with President Roosevelt, expressing a desire on behalf of the people of New Zealand to show prac tioal sympathy with the sufferers by tho earthquake calamity in California to the extent of 25,000 dollars, and has also expressed a hope that a favourable reply will be'reoeived as to the acceptances of the offer.

\ AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT SENT. m press lesocuTios. . Wiilihotos, April 82. in reply to his private communioation, the Premier has received the following telegram from R. Seddon, Premier, The President is deeply touched by New Zealand's manifestations of sorrow and gratefully appreciates ymir telegram of sympathy. (Bigned) Robert Bacon, Acting-Secretary of State." No reply has yet been received to | the official communication sent through His Excellency the Governor.

NO TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION. THOUSANDS AWAITING TEANfI. MISSION. Vancouvieradvißeß; All busmen for San Francisco is subject to indefinite delay, as there is no wiro to that city. 1800 messages are on hand at Seattle, and 7500 at Chicago for San Francisco and Bay points. The telegraph office states that al. though no official notice of the inter. ruption of the Commercial Facifio has been received here, Vancouver advises that the Commercial Pacific to San Francisco, is closed. Business for Honolulu and other points on their system cannot circulate by San Fran. CISCO.

NOTABLE EARTHQUAKES. —. • —.— The occurrence of an earthquake in ancient times was usually attributed to the punishment of sinful, men by an offended deity, and down to this day something of the samo cause is assigned to the phenomenon when a. town is lestroyed and lives losf., The Porta, ruese attributed the 'Lisbon catasrophe of 1768 to the harbouring of a few Protestants, and at the same time some English clergymen met in London, and in. solemn aslerably asoribed the earthquake to papistical practices in the realms of the " most faithful and Christian" monarch. The number of earthquakes attended with heavy loss of life and stupendous destruction of property, from ancient times is so great that there is not <pace enough to give a list of those re. corded, but some of the must notable ire givon hereunder : 1781: Pekin, China, 138,000 lives lost. 17(13: Lisbon, Malaga, and Morocco 02,000 fatalities. 1797: Santate and Panama, 40,000 deaths. 1822: Aleppo destroyed, and 20,000 perished. 18511 Melfi, Southern Italy, 14,000 Uvos lost. 185«; Great Sanger, Moluocas, 8000 leaths. 1857: Montemurro, Calabria destroyed, deaths 10,000. 1880: About 7000 lives lost at Menloza, Argentina. 1803: Manila, 1000 persons killed. 1868: Many towns in Peru and Ecuador, South America, destroyed. 25,000 deaths. 18751 San Jose, Spain, 14,000 lives lost. 18811 Soto destroyed, 4000 deaths. 1881; Casamlcciola, Italy, 2000 deaths. ' 1884: Severe shook in East Auglia, great destruction of property, but few lives lost. 1884: Granada, Spain, 1000 killed. 1885: Srinagar, Kashmere, 8081. deaths reported. ' 1887: Shocks in Nioe, extending to Milan, Geneva, Marseilles, ete., 2000 killed in French territory, and 800 in Italy. King Edward, then Prince of Wales, was at Nice at this time and <lept through the earthquake. 1887: Charleston, United States, America, 100 lives lost, oity ruined. 1888: Bovore shocks in New Zealand, no fatalities. 1888: Yunnan, China. 4000 killed. 1891: San Salvador, heavy mortality. 1893 : Kusohan, Porsia, 12,000 deaths. 1896: Kumaishi, Japan, ajmost completely destroyed, 1000 lives lost. About 20,000 persons drowned by a tidal wave. 1902: Mont Peloo eruption, St. Pierre desfroyod in top minites, whole population of 30,000 perishing.

A BUILDER'S OBSERVATIONS. NOT MANY HIGH .BUILDINGS. Mr Holmes, an Auckland builder, who worked in San JVaneiseo, speaking of the buildings and their ability to withstand an earthquake shock, said the highest building in the city when he was there was the San Franoisco Call Office, of 19 storeys. This, like some other large building) in the city, was built of steel, filled in with white stone. The custom is to discard the use of wooden beams, joists, and floor, mg, using iron girders and joists, filling in with concrete for the floors. He did not think such buildings would stand a severe so well as brick structures, and if thoy fell the mortality would be greater. The majority of the private hotels were built of J$ wood, which would stand a good deal J of moving, but instead of rough lining S being used for the interior, plaster was sub>lituted. This would crack on the - slightest vibration The..mortar generally used, added Mr Holmos, was very poor stuff compared with that used by < " Auckland builders, and not calculated to stand an earthquake shock nearly so well. There had not been the ten. doncy to erect sky-scrapers in San Francisco like those of New York and " Chicago until recent years, consequently most of the buildings wore about the height of those in Auckland to-day: Imt there was now a disposition to raise them, or to displace them with much higher structures. •'J