286 



NA TURE 



[July 19, 1906 



clear and unequivocal. The surface soil presents a con- 

 tinuous furrow generally several feet wide with transverse 

 craclis which show very plainly the effort of torsion within 

 the zone of the movement. All fences, roads, stream 

 courses, pipe lines, dams, conduits, and property lines 

 which cross the rift are dislocated. The amount of dislo- 

 cation varies. In several instances observed it does not 

 exceed 6 feet. A more common measurement is 8 feet to 

 lo feet. In some cases as much as 15 feet or 16 feet of 

 horizontal displacement has been observed, while in one 

 case a roadway was found to have been differentially moved 

 20 feet. Probably the mean value for the amount of hori- 

 zontal displacement along the rift line is about 10 feet, and 

 the variations from this are due to local causes, such as 

 drag of the mantle of soil upon the rocks, or the excessive 

 movement of soft incoherent deposits. Besides this general 

 horizontal displacement of about 10 feet, there is observable 

 in .Sonoma and Mendocino counties a differential vertical 

 movement not exceeding 4 feet, so far as at present known, 

 whereby the south-west side of the rift was raised relatively 

 to the north-east side, so as to present a low scarp facing 

 the north-east. This vertical movement diminishes to the 

 south-east along the rift line, and in San Mateo County 

 is scarcely, if at all, observable. .Still farther south there 

 are suggestions that this movement may have been in the 

 reverse direction, but this needs further field study. 



.As a consequence of the movement, it is probable that 

 the latitudes and longitudes of all points in the Coast 

 Ranges have been permanently changed a few feet, and 

 that the stations occupied by the Coast and Geodetic 

 Survey in their triangulation work have been changed in 

 position. It is hoped that a reoccupation of some of these 

 stations by the Coast and Geodetic Survey may contribute 

 data to the final estimate of the amount of movement. 



The great length of the rift upon which movement has 

 occurred makes this earthquake unique. Such length 

 implies great depth of rupture, and the study of the ques- 

 tion of depth will, it is believed, contribute much to current 

 geophysical conceptions. 



The time of the beginning of the earthquake as recorded 

 in the observatory at Berkeley was 5h. 12m. 6s. a.m.. 

 Pacific standard time. The end of the shock was 

 jh. 13m. IIS. a.m., the duration being im. 5s. Within 

 an hour of the main shock twelve minor shocks were 

 observed by Mr. S. Albrecht, of the observatory', and their 

 time accurately noted. Before 6h. 52m. p.m. of the same 

 day thirty-one shocks were noted in addition to the main 

 disturbance. These minor shocks continued for many days 

 after April iS, and in this respect the earthqualce accords 

 in behaviour with other notable earthquakes in the past. 

 The minor shocks which succeed the main one are inter- 

 preted generally as due to subordinate adjustments of the 

 C'arth's crust in the tendency to reach equilibrium after the 

 chief movement. 



The destructive effects of the earthquake are in the main 

 distributed with reference to the line of rift. The e.xact 

 limits of the area of destruction have not vet been mapped, 

 but it is known to extend out about twenty-five or possibly 

 thirty miles on either side of the rift. On the south-west 

 side the greater part of this area to the north of the 

 Golden Gate lies in the Pacific. This area extends from 

 Eureka, in Humboldt County, to the southern extremity 

 of Fresno County, a distance of about 400 miles. 



Beyond this area of destructive shock the earthquake 

 was felt in its milder manifestations over a wide territory. 

 Our reports to date show that it was felt in Oregon as 

 far north as Coos Bay, and on the south as far as Los 

 .\ngeles. To the east it was felt over the greater part of 

 middle California and eastern Nevada, particularly along 

 the eastern flank of the Sierra Nevada. It was felt at 

 Lovelocks, and we have unconfirmed reports of its having 

 been felt at Winnemucca. Far beyond the region within 

 which it was apparent to the senses, however, the earth 

 wave was propagated both through the earth and around 

 its periphery, and some of the most valuable and most 

 accurate records of the disturbance which we have are 

 those which were registered at such distant seismographic 

 stations as Washington, D.C. ; Sitka, Alaska ; Potsdam, 

 Germany ; and Tokyo, Japan. 



Within the area of destructive effects, approximately 400 



VO. 1 916, VOL. 74] 



miles by 50 miles in extent, the intensity varied greatly. 

 There was a maximum immediately on the rift line. 

 Water pipes, conduits, and bridges crossing this line were 

 rent asunder. Trees were uprooted and thrown to the 

 ground in large numbers. Some trees were snapped off, 

 leaving their stumps standing, and others were split from 

 the roots up. Buildings and other structures were in 

 general violently thrown and otherwise wrecked, though 

 some escaped with but slight damage. Fissures opened in 

 the earth and closed again, and in one case reported a cow 

 was engulfed. .\ second line of maximum destruction lies 

 along the floor of the valley system of which the Bay of 

 San Francisco is the most notable feature, and particularly 

 in the Santa Rosa and Santa Clara valleys. Santa Rosa, 

 situated twenty miles from the rift, was the most severely 

 shalien town in the State, and suffered the greatest disaster 

 relatively to its population and extent. Healdsburg 

 suffered to a nearly similar degree. San Jos^, situated 

 thirteen miles, and Agnews, about twelve miles, from the 

 rift, are ne.xt in the order of severity. Stanford University, 

 seven miles from the rift, is probably to be placed in the 

 same category. .Ml of these places are situated on the 

 valley floor, and are underlain to a considerable depth by 

 loose or but slightly coherent geological formations, and 

 their position strongly suggests that the earth waves as 

 propagated by such formations are much more destructive 

 than the waves which are propagated by the firmer and 

 highly elastic rocks of the adjoining hill lands. 



One of the lessons of the earthquake which seems 

 peculiarly impressive is the necessity for studying carefully 

 the site of proposed costly public buildings where large 

 numbers of people are likely to be congregated. In so far 

 as possible such sites should be selected on slopes upon 

 which sound rock foundation can be reached. It is prob- 

 ably in large measure due to the fact of their having such 

 a rock foundation that the buildings of the State Uni- 

 versity, at Berkeley, escaped practically uninjured. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Prof. Doixtz, privatdocent for metallurgy in the Berg- 

 akademie in Klausthal, has been appointed professor of 

 metallurgy in the Charlottenburg Technical High School 

 in succession to Geheimrat Weeren, and will enter on his 

 new duties on October i. 



The council of the University of Birmingham has 

 approved of a scheme for the foimdation of a department 

 of economic zoology, and has appointed Mr. Walter E. 

 Collinge the special lecturer on that subject. Bv this 

 arrangement, Mr. Collinge will vacate his lectureship in 

 zoology and comparative anatomy, and take over the new 

 department at premises at present being fitted up at 

 55 Newhall Street. These comprise an inquiry office, 

 consultation room, research laboratory, and museum. 



One of the most satisfactory features of American 

 university education is the keen interest shown by old 

 students in their respective colleges. We learn from 

 Science that at the recent alumni meeting at Harvard 

 University it was stated that during the year graduates 

 had contributed about 360,310/. to the productive funds 

 of the University, and that 17,623/. had been received for 

 immediate use. This sum docs not include the more than 

 22,600/. that the class of one year has given to the Uni- 

 versity to be used as the corporation sees fit. An 

 anonymous gift of 12,000/. from a graduate was also 

 announced. .Another instance of the same enthusiasm is 

 shown by President Hadley's announcement at the Yale 

 alumni dinner that the total of the alumni fund for the 

 year amounted to 25,847/., as compared with the 10,700/. 

 announced a year ago. From our contemporary we also 

 learn that a fund of 30,000/., of which .Mr. Carnegie con- 

 tributed 15,000/., has been raised at Amherst College, and 

 will be used lo provide for the woriv in geology and 

 biology. Mrs. Louisa N. Bullard, too, has given Harvard 

 LIniversity Medical School 10,400/. to establish a chair of 

 neuropathology. 



Mr. Haldane, Secretary of State for War, distributed 

 (he prizes on July 13 to the students and nursing pro- 



