204 ^ e Philippine Journal of Science ms 



Six months had scarcely elapsed since the Manila earthquakes 

 when a large series of seismic movements began in Nueva Vizcaya 

 which lasted from January until November, 1881. Enrique 

 Abella y Casariego, engineer of mines, was commissioned to visit 

 the affected province, to investigate as to what likelihood there 

 was of any greater seismic cataclysm happening in the future, 

 and if there were to see if it would be possible to make the inhab- 

 itants emigrate to other provinces not so affected. Abella's 

 work 5 is a very able and complete study of the local and super- 

 ficial character of the earthquakes and of their probable duration, 

 and his predictions with regard to their continuance were per- 

 fectly realized, for as he prognosticated the earthquakes ceased 

 shortly afterward, and up to the present no other of any great 

 importance has occurred. In his discussion of the origin of these 

 earthquakes, this author shows that he, too, was influenced by 

 the current volcanic theories and hence searched for possible 

 connections between the Province of Nueva Vizcaya and Mayon 

 Volcano which a short time before had shown signs of greater 

 activity. 



The Pangasinan earthquake of 1892 gave Abella the oppor- 

 tunity of writing another interesting memoir. 6 In this work he 

 does not limit his studies to the earthquakes, but adds many valu- 

 able notes on the'geology of Pangasinan, La Union, and Benguet 

 Provinces, thus coming more into line with modern seismolo- 

 gists. Notwithstanding this, when he draws his final conclu- 

 sions, he places most weight on the existence of volcanic rocks 

 and other volcanic signs and remains, both ancient and modern, 

 as if it were impossible to discover the origin of these earthquakes 

 without recurring to volcanic action either directly or indirectly. 



Several other very interesting and useful geologic monographs 

 are due to the indefatigable labors of Abella. 7 



In 1895 Saderra Maso 8 published a book on earthquakes in 

 which he did not pretend to give a complete seismologic study, 



"Terremotos de Nueva Vizcaya en 1881. Madrid (1884). 



* Abella y Casariego, E. Terremotos experimentados en la Isla de 

 Luzon ... en Pangasinan, Union y Benguet. Manila (1893). 



T Apuntes fisicos y geologicos de Nueva Vizcaya. Madrid (1884). Ra- 

 pida description fisica, geologica y minera en bosquejo de la Isla de Panay. 

 Manila (1890). El Mayon 6 Volcan de Albay. Madrid (1885). Ema- 

 naciones volcanicas subordinadas al Malinao. Madrid (1885). El Monte 

 Maquiling y sus actuales emanaciones volcanicas. Madrid (1885). La 

 Isla Biliran y sus azuf rales. Madrid (1885). 



'La Seismologia en Filipinas. Manila Observatory (1895). 



