$46 



NA TURE 



[August 9, 1883 



cosmical instruments at Rocca di Papa and connected 

 microphones in Rome showed a great increase in sub- 

 terranean activity. The earthquake which took place at 

 Cosenza and Catanzaro on July 25 seemed to be the one 

 predicted by those movements ; but their continuance 

 and increasing force showed clearly the approach of a 

 new dynamic effort. Science, however, cannot yet deter- 

 mine the topographical point menaced by such effort, 

 because we have not a sufficient number of observatories, 

 and they are especially wanting in the places where the 

 manifestations of the subterranean forces are most to be 

 feared. Thus -we could only suspect the direction of the 

 movement, and gather from the daily observations made 

 here and there in Italy that the seismic activity has 

 concentrated in the southern part of the peninsula. The 

 earthquake of Saturday, July 28, was registered by the 

 seismographs in Rome, Velletri, and Ceccano at 

 9.30 p.m., with slow waves from north to south and 

 east to west. The other instruments, which register 

 quick and abrupt movements of the ground, remained 

 quiet. As far as can be gathered from the obser- 

 vations till now made, this earthquake was an exact but 

 more extensive repetition of that of March 4, 1 88 1, and 

 those just preceding, confirming the previsions and data 

 collected at that time. It is deplorable that my advice 

 respecting the institution of regular observations in those 

 parts was not followed, as such observations would cer- 

 tainly have given warning of the imminent catastrophe. 

 I gave that advice not only immediately after the cata- 

 strophe of March 4, but also on my visit to Naples at the 

 Meteorological Congress. In consequence of that visit I 

 wrote in the name of the Observatory to the director of 

 one of the chief baths in Ischia, begging him at least to un- 

 dertake daily note of the temperature of the thermal waters 

 and the state of the fumarole (natural apertures from which 

 issue smoke and steam). Alteration in the temperature of 

 thermal-mineral springs, when that alteration exceeds 

 certain limits, is one of the surest signs of a subterranean 

 storm, and such alteration has always been noticed at 

 Casamicciola, even without regular scientific observations. 

 This time, as often before, the drying up of wells, subter- 

 ranean thunder, and slight oscillations of the earth, have 

 preceded the catastrophe, which shows what valuable in- 

 dications might have been afforded by the delicate seismic 

 instruments, the microphones, and telephones now at our 

 command. The reluctance shown to follow my advice 

 arose purely from a selfish fear lest the establishment of 

 a meteorological observatory at Casamicciola should give 

 an appearance of danger, and frighten visitors away. This 

 false idea is so prevalent in the minds of even educated 

 persons in the place that notices of the occurrence of 

 small phenomena during the last few years have often 

 reached me with great reserve, and very late. Let us 

 hope that such a prejudice will not long continue to the 

 damage of science." 



The actual moment of the explosion has, according to 

 the correspondent of the Standard, been variously stated. 

 The clock in the Sala Belliazzi stopped at twenty-two 

 minutes past nine, but it is generally agreed that the real 

 time was fifteen or twenty minutes later — a singular detail, 

 which has not been generally noticed. 



Shocks of earthquake are reported to have occurred 

 daily in Ischia since the 28th ult. 



Prof. Palmieri states that all the later shocks felt at 

 Ischia have been registered instantaneously by the seis- 

 mographic instruments at the Observatory on Mount 

 Vesuvius. C'n Friday morning, according to the Naples 

 correspondent of the Standard, the instruments showed 

 signs of considerable subterranean disturbance. Vesuvius 

 was rather active, but the fear that a fresh crater was 

 about to open immediately above Torre del Greco appears 

 to be unfounded. Neapolitan passengers returning from 

 Ischia appeared delighted to see Vesuvius blazing away in 

 the distance. "Oh," said they, "so much the better; 



that may, perhaps, be a safety valve." Rossi and other 

 observers, who differ from Palmieri on this point, predict 

 nothing less than the reopening of the old crater of Monte 

 Epomeo or the opening of a new one. 



In making the tour of the hospitals on Wednesday, in 

 order to collect the narratives of the wounded, the 

 Standard correspondent found strong confirmation of the 

 fact that there were signs of danger two or three days 

 beforehand, which cannot have escaped the observation 

 of the inhabitants of the island ; but they were, unfor- 

 tunately, he states, suppressed, in order to avoid giving 

 alarm to the visitors, and so spoiling an unusually 

 prosperous season. The Advocate Jeremiah Tonti, of 

 Antria, Bari, who lies badly hurt in the Church of the 

 Pellegrini, adjoining the great hospital, related to the 

 correspondent that he had gone there with his wife 

 to take the baths for rheumatism. The spring used 

 comes forth from the ground so hot that it is neces- 

 sary to temper it for the bath with one-fourth of cold 

 water, but two days before the disaster the temperature 

 of the spring rose so suddenly that it was found impos- 

 sible to enter the bath until the supply of cold water had 

 been largely increased. Dr. Dominico Bucco, who lies at 

 the Hospital of the Pellegrini, says that the shocks at Forio 

 and Lacco Ameno were vertical as well as undulatory, 

 so that the floors of the houses fell in one upon another 

 from garret to cellar, sometimes still leaving the outer 

 walls standing. He was also conscious of a momentary 

 whirling motion, as if being drawn into the vortex of a 

 whirlpool. 



A telegram from Athens states that a strong shock was 

 felt at Piraeus on Saturday last. 



We have received the following communication from 

 Dr. Johnston-Lavis, of Naples : — ■ 



The island of Ischia is but too well known from 

 the earliest historic times for the prevalence of earth- 

 quakes and even volcanic eruptions. In 1827 a shock 

 destroyed the greater part of Casamicciola, some portion 

 of Lacco Ameno, and injured Fontana Serrara, besides 

 shaking severely Barano and Forio. On March 4, 

 1 88 1, a quite similar shock to the former brought down a 

 large number of houses and severely injured the rest. 

 The present one occurred at about 9.30 on Saturday, 

 July 28, and resulted in the absolute and total destruc- 

 tion of the whole town, most of Lacco Ameno, and a large 

 part of Forio, F.ontana, and Barano. 



One remarkable fact is that the exact detailed area has 

 been similarly affected in each case, so that the description 

 of the earthquake of 1827 by Covelli, that of 1881 by 

 myself, and the present would be much the same ; the 

 only difference being in intensity. The earliest killed 

 under 50 people, the second 127, and the present will 

 carry the number near a thousand. 1 The large increase 

 of the deaths of the present one is due to its occurrence 

 at the culminant point of the bathing season, so that the 

 hotels were crowded with visitors ; and the hour also 

 found many of the peasantry going to bed. 



The earthquake of two years since only ruined the 

 worse built houses, and fissured the better ones, which 

 were replastered and patched, so that the present shock 

 has reduced every one to a heap of stones and mortar. 



The shock was estimated to have lasted fifteen seconds, 

 but a number of inquiries I have made as to what dif- 

 ferent persons had done to escape, and how the time 

 was occupied between the first and last sensation, and the 

 distance traversed during the movement, makes me believe 

 thirty seconds nearer the point ; for instance, one man 

 awoke, jumped out of bed, stumbled over some furniture, 

 opened the door, descended a flight of twenty steps, and 

 when in the courtyard below still felt the movement. 



The sound is said to have resembled a report followed 



1 Later information makes it near 5000. — Ed. 



