206 • REPORT— 1897. 



having taken place on the evening of June 1 5, so that all who were to 

 reach the stricken district after that date were in safety. 



On August 31 of the same year, the Isle of Wight records showed that a 

 disturbance similar to that which had occurred in Japan had taken place. 

 On account of this similarity, it was stated that we should probably hear 

 of a great earthquake having taken place in or near that country on the 

 above date at 5.7 p.m. Four weeks later this was verified by mail. 

 Another instance occurred some weeks latei-, when our newspapers an- 

 nounced that a great earthquake had taken place and sevei'al thousand 

 lives had been lost in Kobe. No doubt those who had friends and pro- 

 perty in that city were filled with anxiety. On this occasion the Isle of 

 Wight instruments were still indicating that nothing of the magnitude 

 described could have occurred. Later it was discovered that the telegram 

 was devoid of all foundation. 



If we next turn to the scientific aspect of the proposed investigations, 

 we at once recognise the importance of the results which it is hoped may 

 be obtained for the hydrographer and the student of physical geography 

 and geology. 



The greatest result which it is hoped may be achieved is to accurately 

 determine the rate at which earthquake motion is propagated over long 

 distances. In some instances the rates which have already been deter- 

 mined are so high, reaching 12 and more kilometres per second, that 

 the supposition is, that motion does not simply go round our earth, but 

 that it goes throuffh the same ; and if this is so, then a determination of 

 these rates of transit will throw new light upon the eSective rigidity of 

 our planet. 



Experiments for improving the Condrnction of Practical St(i7ida7-ds for 

 .Electrical Measurements. — Report of the Committee, consisting of 

 Professor G. Carey Foster (Chairman), Mr. R. T. Glazebrook 

 (Secretary), Lord Kelvin, Lord Rayleigh, Professors W. E. 

 Ayrton, J. Perry, W. G. Adams, and Oliver J. Lodge. Drs. John 

 HoPKiNSON and A. Muirhead, Messrs. W. H. Preece and 

 Herbert Taylor, Professors J. D. Everett and A. Schuster, 

 Dr. J. A. Fleming, Professors G. F. FitzGerald, G. Chrystal, 

 and J. J. Thomson, Mr. W. N. Shaw, Dr. J. T. Bottomley, 

 Rev. T. C. Fitzpatrick, Professor J. Viriamu Jones, Dr. G. 

 •Johnstone Stoney, Professor S. P. Thompson, Mr. G. Forbes, 

 Mr. J. Rennie, Mr. E. H. Griffiths, and Professor A. W. 

 Rucker. 



I. JVute on tlic Const ant-rolume Gas-tTiermmncfer. By G. CABEY Fostee, F.R.S. 210 

 II. On a Determination of the Ohm made in Testing the Lorenz Apparatus of tne 

 McGill University, Montreal. By Professor W. E. Ayrton, F.Ii S., and 

 Professor J. Vieiamu Jones, F.R.S. 213 



At the Liverpool meeting the Committee agreed that the ' calorie,' 

 defined as the heat equivalent of 4-2 x 10'' ergs, should be adopted as the 

 unit for the measurement of quantities of heat, but the question as to the 

 exact part of the absolute thermodynamic scale of temperature at which 



