i5<> 



NA TURE 



[Dec. 1 8, i! 



children than some that are indulged in. These I believe to be 

 the views of nearly all i tachcrs as well as those of myself, who 

 am but a Sciiojl Teacher 



December S 



The Tokio Earthquake of October 15, 1884 



At 4I1. 211H. 54s. a.m. the inhabitants of Tokio were awakened 

 by a sudden and violent earthquake. In Yokohama, which lies 

 about sixteen miles south-west by south from Tokio, the disturb- 

 ance was noted at 4I1. 21m. 385., that is to say, sixteen seconds 

 before it was felt in Tokio. The chief source of error in these 

 time-records — if error exists — will probably be due to observers 

 at different stations having noted time at different portions 

 of the disturbance, the length of which, as determined by 

 the sensations of those who made the records, was about one 

 minute, but, as recorded by a seismograph, between five and 

 six minutes. At the commencement of the disturbance four 

 complete waves were described in three seconds, but at the end 

 of ilu- disturbance the motion became so slow that each wave 

 occupied from two to three seconds. From a record taken by 

 Mr. K. Sekiya, a gentleman whose especial duty it is to attend 

 to the earthquake phenomena of this country, it would appear 

 that the maximum range of motion may have reached 42 mm. 

 The maximum acceleration per second per second was about 

 500 mm., that is to say, the intensity of the earthquake or its 

 destructive power was similar to that which would be experienced 

 by a building standing on a carriage which was suddenly caused 

 to move with a velocity of about one foot and a half per second, 

 or it, Mich a carriage having gradually acquired such a velocity, 

 it had been suddenly arrested. The result of the earthquake 

 was to overturn a few chimneys in Yokohama and to crack one 

 or two in Tokio. 



Our last severe earthquake was on February 22, 1S80. On 

 that occasion in Yokohama very many buildings lost their chim- 

 neys and were unroofed, whilst in Tokio the damage was chiefly 

 confined to loosening tiles and shaking down plaster. Had oui 

 buildings in Japan been constructed like those in England, it is 

 probable that this last shake would have caused about tile same 

 amount of damage as that which was so recently caused by the 

 late disturbance in Essex. From the observations on direction, 

 coupled with what has been said about lime, it seems that the 

 'earthquake had its origin in Yedo Bay, at or about the same point 

 as that which was determined for its severe predecessor. 



It may here be remarked that nearly all the heavier earth- 

 quakes which are felt in Tokio and Yokohama practically have 

 had a common centrum. They are not large earthquakes as 

 measured by the area shaken, but they are severe because we 

 are near to their origin. 



The earthquake of 1SS0, according to a record furnished by 

 one of Palmieri's instruments, had an intensity of 78 , whilst 

 the recent earthquake, the actual intensity of which, as deduced 

 by iN destructive effect, was much less, is given as 95°. 



These intensities measured in degrees really indicate the height 

 to which a certain quantity of mercury in a bent tube was 

 caused to wash— the height of the "wash " being measured by 

 the turning of a pulley connected by a string to a small weight 

 floating on the surface of the mercury. It would seem evident 

 that the magnitude of the records obtained in this manner must 

 among other things depend upon the duration of the earthquake, 

 the period <>f its waves, and the depth of the mercury contained 

 in the tube. Fur reasons such as these, records like those just 

 given cannot be regarded as anything more than roughly 

 approximative, 



In connection with the remarks made on the amplitude it may 

 be stated that the seismograph by which the record was taken 

 was situated on soft soil in the flat portion of Tokio. This 

 amplitude, had it been 1 :orded on the hard ground of a hill, 

 probably would not ha' eded 25 mm. 



One of the most remarkable points connected with this 

 disturbance were the changes in level a- obs rvi I by the das- 

 I'l. ement of specially arranged pendulums, which took place 

 before the shock, and again about six hours afterwards. 



J, Milne 



Large Meteor 



ONE of the largi I : :en for some years 



appeared at 7h. 15m. 15 this evening. It began as a speck, 



north of Vega, at about 4' greater altitude than that star. The 



oursewas perpendicularly down, onlj d ip] earing by passing 



below the horizon. It was 2 east of Vega on descending to 

 the altitude of th. 11 star, ami by that time hail increased to fully 

 a quarter the apparent size of the moon, and this size it main- 

 tained whilst above the horizon. The colour was an intense 

 blue, and there was left a streak of orange-red elongated sepa- 

 rate stars in is track, and this streak was about 1° in length, 

 although the separate stars of which it consisted disappeared 

 almost as rapidly as they were formed. The stars, like the 

 meteor, increased in size and brilliancy from a mere point, and 

 instantly vanished on attaining their maximum brightness. Each 

 moved perpendicularly down for the length of about half a 

 degree, and left a continuous momentary streak. None of these 

 stars were seen within half a degree of the meteor, and their 

 ignition was confined to the centre of the meteor's path. Their 

 size was tolerably equal, being about that of a second-magnitude 

 star. The speed of the meteor was unusually slow, it being 

 visible for nearly six seconds. The shape was circular in front 

 and cuneate behind (bluntly conical). Its brilliancy was great, 

 i onsidering the presence of a nearly full moon. 



Shirenewton Hall, near Chepstow, E. J. Lowe 



December 4 



The Cost of Anthropometric Measurements 

 ALLOW me to correct an absurd typographical blunder in the 

 account of my anthropometric laboratory at the Healtheries, 

 which appears in Mr. Ernest Hart's lecture at the Society of 

 Arts. It originally occurred in the Journal of the Society of 

 Arts, wdience it was copied into your columns (p. 142) last 

 week. The effect of the error to which I refei is to make the 

 statement that the cost of measuring each person at the labora- 

 tory in seventeen different ways was 5/., whereas it should have 

 been yi. The subsequent argument, based on the extreme 

 cheapness of the process, becomes inconsequence unintelligible. 

 I write myself to make the correction, because the part of Mr. 

 Ernest Hart's address which refers to the anthropometric 

 laboratory was written for him, at his request, by myself. I 

 1 egret I had not an opportunity of revising it in proof. 



Francis Galton 



The Northernmost Extremity of Europe 



As "a Norwegian" now fully admits that the pretended 

 discovery of Capt. Storensen is no discovery at all, but an ele- 

 mentary fact well known and long known to Norwegian 

 geographers, I need not discuss that question any further, but I 

 must protest against his reference to Sonsberg's " Norge," 

 which is the joint production of some of the most eminent men 

 in Norway. Sonsberg is the editor and publisher. 



Amongst the writers wdio have co-operated to produce the 

 national "Handbook" are the following: — Lieut. -Col. Broch, 

 Chief of the Geographical Survey of Norway (he is the largest 

 contributor, and the writer of the words I quoted), Prof. H. 

 Mohn, Prof. T. Kjerulf, Prof. Kasch, Prof. L. K. Daa, Sorens- 

 kriver, H. Thoresen, J. I!. Halvorsen (the well-known writer), 

 Beaureauchef Kjer, and Secretary Mohn, Th. Bceck (Royal 

 plenipotentiary), J. N. Prahm, Capt. Scliarffenberg, E. Mohn, 

 Lieut. Flood, Capt. Overgaard (the Inspector of Forests), Horbye, 

 Lieut. Langeberg, and Mr. Lan^e |n erg, K. l.assen. Dr. Kahrs, 

 Lieut. Solem, O. T. Olsen, Capt. Bang, Capt. Haffner, and 

 Sbrenskriver Nannestad. 



All these names are given in the preface, and the contributors 

 of each carefully specified. This was kit wn to " A Norwe- 

 gian " when he wrote his last letter, for he refers to that same 

 preface, and yet asserts that Sonsberg "never claimed the 

 "graphical authority for a faulty and crude guide to 

 tourists" (his own italics). That preface is written for the 

 express purpose of claiming such authority and thanking the 

 au'hors. It makes special claim in a special paragraph of the 

 geographical authority of the "head of the Geographie.il Sin 

 vey," Lieut. -Col Broch, whose aame, Sonsberg says, "oftersa 

 sufficient guarantee of correct m 



ddie anonymous "Norwegian," in further disparagement of 

 the book, states that in this preface "the author himself says 

 that for reasons explained it has many faults." I will quote this 

 very damaging conies, ion. It is as follows: — "A few errors 

 and misprints will be found here and there." A list of them is 

 given. After this the flippant misrepresentation oi my preten- 

 sions in the last paragraph of the letter is not surprising, and 

 demands no further notice. 



I make this proti it, In iwin'g that Nature is Iargelj 



