250 EARTHQUAKES. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



DISTRIBUTION OF EARTHQUAKES IN TIME (continued). 



The occurrence of earthquakes in relation to the position of the heavenly 

 bodies— Earthquakes and the moon — Earthquakes and the sun ; and 

 the seasons; the months — Planets and meteors — Hours at which 

 earthquakes are frequent — Earthquakes and sun spots — Earthquakes 

 and the aurora. 



The position of the heavenly bodies and the oc- 

 currence of earthquakes. — Since the earliest times, in 

 searching for the cause of various natural phenomena, 

 man has turned his energies towards the heavens. One 

 of the earliest observations was the connection that exists 

 between the season of the year and the motions of the 

 heavenly bodies. Tides were seen to be influenced by the 

 moon. In later times it has been discovered that periods 

 of maximum magnetic disturbances occur every ten or 

 eleven years with the sun spots, and Herr Kreil, of Vienna, 

 tells us our satellite, the moon, has also an influence 

 upon the magnet. 



From day to day we see the bond connecting our 

 planet with the sun, the moon, and other heavenly bodies 

 which are outside us gradually becoming closer. 



Inasmuch as many phenomena, like the motion of the 

 tides, the rise and fall of the barometer, fluctuations in 

 temperature, are all more or less directly connected with 

 the relative position of our planet with regard to the sun 



