

THE 



AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SCIENCE, 



[THIRD SERIES.] 



Art. I. — The Speed of Propagation of the Charleston Earth- 

 quake; discussed by Professor Simon Newcomb, U. S. ~N. y 

 and Captain C. E. Dutton, U. S. A. 



The investigation of the time data of the Charleston earth- 

 quake having been completed and a final result being reached, 

 it is deemed proper, with the consent of the Director of the 

 Geological Survey, to publish a brief abstract of the discussion. 

 The full discussion will appear in the final report upon the 

 earthquake, which report is now well advanced toward com- 

 pletion. 



Immediately after the earthquake all % practicable measures 

 were taken to collect information, and special effort was directed 

 to obtaining the largest amount of time data. Through the 

 courtesy of the Associated Press, notices were published in 

 nearly all the newspapers of the country requesting those who 

 had made such observations to forward them to the Director 

 of the Geological Survey. Many persons did so. The Chief 

 Signal Officer instructed the observers of that bureau who had 

 noted the time of the shock to report it, and he forwarded all 

 such reports to the survey. The "Western Union Telegraph 

 Co. instructed its operators to forward reports and similar in- 

 structions were sent by the Lighthouse Board to light-keepers. 

 Special effort was made to secure newspapers from as many 

 localities as possible. Most of the leading papers of the 



Am. Jour. Sci.— Third Series, Vol. XXXV, No. 205.— Jan., 1888. 

 1 



