80 
NATURE 
[May 22, 1902 
and important questions. The fact that the eruptions 
have been almost simultaneous suggests that the orifices 
are situated on the same fissure, but it is, of course, pos- 
sible that they may indicate a zone rather than a line of 
weakness in the earth’s crust, and so may not have 
tapped precisely the same source of supply. Again, both 
eruptions have been preceded by a long pause, during 
which a column of heated material may have been kept 
standing for several years in the “neck” of the volcanoes. 
If so that would be very favourable to magmatic differen- 
tiation, and this might be revealed on chemical and 
microscopic examination of the materials discharged 
during the successive stages of the eruptions. Dr. 
Tempest Anderson’s wide experience as a traveller, 
especially in volcanic districts, with his skill as a photo- 
grapher, and Dr. Flett’s intimate knowledge of all sides 
of petrology, will ensure, by their working in combination, 
that nothing will be missed, and important accessions be 
made to our knowledge of vulcanology. The shortness 
of the time before starting is the main difficulty, but as 
the enterprise is said to be favourably regarded by the 
Colonial Office and the officers of the Royal Society, and 
is heartily backed by several London geologists, technical 
difficulties should not prove insuperable. 
There are various signs that the eruptions in the West 
Indies are connected with the occurrence of other terres- 
trial and cosmic phenomena. A report in the Daz/y Mail 
states that the mineral spring waters at Teplitz, Bohemia, 
turned brown suddenly last week. A similar phenomenon 
was observed before the great earthquake at Lisbon in 
1755, and a repetition of the disaster is feared. 
Telegraphic communication between Karachi and the 
rest of India has been interrupted for four days by the 
occurrence of the most severe and destructive storm ever 
known in Sind. Upwards of 40 miles of the Sind Rail- 
way have been washed away, bridges and embankments 
have disappeared, and the telegraph line for 50 miles 
either completely vanished or hopelessly dismantled 
There has been a great storm in the United States. 
A telegram from Goliad, Texas, states that on May 18, 
at 3.45 p.m., a tornado, preceded by heavy hail, swept 
over the town and caused great destruction. The storm 
lasted only five minutes. It came from the south-east 
without warning, and travelled as far as Kentucky, 
traversing four States. 
Also from the United States news has been received 
of a great mining disaster. On May 19, at 7.30 a.m., the 
Fraterville and Thistle coal mines at Coalcreek, 
Tennessee, exploded, causing the death of about three 
hundred men at work in them. Rescue parties have 
been unable to penetrate far into the mines on account 
of stifling smoke and gas and extreme heat. 
Mr. W. Eddy, of New York, reports that on May 15 a 
slight earth tremor affected three of his seismographs, 
the wave coming from the south-east. 
All these disturbances are possibly related to a common 
cause, as suggested by Sir Norman Lockyer in the 
following letter, which appeared in Monday’s 7imes :— 
THE West INDIAN ERUPTIONS AND SOLAR ENERGY. 
Sir,—In 1883, in connection with the eruption of Krakatoa, 
you were good enough to allow me to appeal through your 
quickly and widely circulated columns for early information to 
enable me to test an idea connected with the spread of the 
glorious sunsets round the world which followed the event. 
Because the terrible catastrophes in Martinique and St. 
Vincent occurred at a well-defined sun-spot mznzzum I was led 
to inquire whether similar coincidences were to be traced in the 
past. I did not know then, but I know now, that Wolf, 
exactly half a century ago, had suggested a connection between 
solar and seismic activity ; in his time, however, the record of 
solar changes was short and imperfect. 
In my own inquiry I have used our most recently compiled 
tables, which are now complete for the last seventy years, and I 
have only considered seismic disturbances within that period. I 
NO. 1699, VOL. 66] 
find it beyond question that the most disastrous volcanic erup- 
tions and earthquakes generally occur, like the rain pulses in 
India, round the dates of the sun-spot maxzmum and minimum. 
More than this, the 35-year solar period established by Dr. 
Lockyer, which corresponds approximately with Bruckner’s 
meteorological cycle, can also be obviously traced, so that, in- 
deed, the intensification of the phenomena at the wzzz¢mwm of 
1867 is now being repeated. 
In 1867, Mauna Loa, South America, Formosa, Vesuvius 
were among the regions involved ; in the West Indies it was 
the turn of St. Thomas. The many announcements of earth- 
quakes in the present year before the catastrophe of St. Pierre 
will be in the recollection of everybody. 
In the maxzmun in 1871-72, to name only West Indian 
stations, Martinique first and then St. Vincent followed suit ; 
in the next »axzmu, in 1883, came Krakatoa. 
At Tokio, in a country where the most perfect seismological 
observatories exist, we find that at times near both sun-spot 
maxima and minima the greatest number of disturbances have 
been recorded. 
Very fortunately, the magnificent work of the Indian 
Meteorological Department enables us to associate the solar 
changes with pressures in the tropics, and obviously these 
pressures have to be taken into account and carefully studied. 
This, Sir, brings me to the point of this letter, which is, 
through your kindness, to ask from meteorological observers 
in the West Indies and the surrounding regions the favour of 
copies of their barometrical readings, showing the departures 
from the local means for the two months preceding the erup- 
tionat St. Pierre. In this way one or two years may be saved 
in getting at the facts. 
I am, Sir, your obedient servant, 
NORMAN LOCKYER. 
Solar Physics Observatory, May 17. 
MOUNTAIN MASSES AND LATITUDE 
DETERMINATIONS." 
Nye we take a comprehensive view of the informa- 
tion that has been collected in order to determine 
the mean figure of the earth, we must acknowledge the 
important part that has been played by a long succession 
of Indian geodesists. For practically a century, with 
greater or less vigour, according to the political conditions 
prevailing at the time, continuous measurements have 
been carried on, with the result that we have at least eight 
meridional and four longitudinal arcs available for the 
general discussion. The differences of latitude extend 
from roughly 9° to 20° north, and include the determina- 
tion of the astronomical latitude of some 150 stations, 
while the amplitude of the longitudinal arcs embraces 
nearly 25°, necessitating the investigation of fifty differences 
of longitude. The vigour displayed is the more curious 
since it must have been anticipated that the results would 
be affected with systematic error, as the deflection 
of the plumb-line would be materially influenced by local 
circumstances. Not only are the evident masses of the 
Himalayan range and the Tibetan plateau exercising an 
effect, which may, perhaps, be allowed for satisfactorily on 
the assumption of a uniform distribution of density in the 
strata below the surface, but the presence of the Indian 
Ocean on two sides of the peninsula, with its varying and 
uncertain depths, emphasises the difficulties of adjustment 
and compensation. 
Since, however, in order to obtain the full value of the 
admirable work that has been accomplished in India, it is 
necessary to eliminate the effect of local attraction, 
various attempts have been made by different authorities, 
with, it must be admitted, only partial success. It is a 
matter of ancient, but of interesting, history to recall the 
suggestions and the controversy between Archdeacon 
Pratt and the late Astronomer Royal, the views of neither 
authority now being acceptable in their entirety, though 
1“ The Attractions of the Himalaya Mountains upon the Plumb-line in 
India. Considerations of recent Data.’ By Major S. G. Burrard, Royal 
Engineers, Superintendent Trigonometrical Surveys. Pp. vii + 115. (Dehra 
Dun, 1901). 
