1 52 PROCEEDINGS OF THE [ Julj, 1887. 



noticed, even by those wlio were working the instruments at the time when the 

 lirst shock occurred, and who. in their alarm, rushed out of the building. Mr. 

 O'Dripcoll, who was sitting at his desk at the time, made his way to the safe, in 

 oj-der to close it, and returning, while feeling his way out of the building, as 

 the lights had all gone out, was struck in the face by a number of the wires 

 which pass across the room and which had been broken by the first shock, but 

 felt no more effect from the contact with the wires than might have been ex- 

 perienced on being struck by them in their usual state. This happened while 

 the earthquake was still in progress. As a result of these observations, Mr. 

 O'Driscoll is very strong in his opinion that electricity had no connection with 

 the earthquake, either as a cause or result. 



About two months after the first shock, and during the time when the minor 

 shocks were still felt, this City was visited by a thunder storm which was the 

 first in a period of six months, and which was peculiar inasmuch as there was 

 only one clap of thunder which was sufficiently loud to be distinctly heard, 

 and this was so loud that it caused considerable alarm among the people as the 

 rumbhng which it caused was somewhat simihar to that experienced during an 

 earthquake shock. The hghtning which preceeded this clap of thunder struck 

 one of the wires which enter the Western Union Telegraph building, and melt- 

 ing the wire in its passage across the room, caused a loud explosion with a 

 brilliant flash. No injury was done except to the wire which acted as a ground 

 conductor to the electricity. Mr. O'Driscoll's observations as to the absence 

 of any disturbances on the telegraph wires for a considerable time previous to 

 the earthquake, agrees with the absence of thunder storms during this period, 

 which has been so much commented upon. .... 



Mr. W. A. Schmidt, Superintendent of the local Telephone exchange, stated 

 that no unusual disturbances had been observed on the telephone wires before 

 the Earthquake. The night operator had the telephone at his ear during the 

 first part of the first shock, before he realized his danger, but observed no un- 

 usual disturbances. The telephone is one of the most sensitive instrimaents for 

 detecting the presence of electricity. On a hot, close evening, it gives off a 

 crackling, frying sound, showing the presence of an unusual amount of atmo- 

 spheric electricity. If the telephone wire passes parallel with and near to a 

 used telegi-aph wii'e, the current induced by the latter causes a sound which 

 can be distinctly heard. The current of an electric light wire passing near a 

 telephone wire causes such a disturbance as to make it difficult to use the tele- 

 phone. 



There has been much discussion as to the velocity of the earthquake wave. 

 There can be but little doubt, however, that it resembles more the velocity of 

 so and than it does that of hght or electricity. This being the case, it is clear 

 that the telephone wires, some of which are 17 miles in length, would have 

 given evidence of the disturbance before the shock arrived, had there been any 

 evolution of free electricity. 



In viewing these statements, given by persons who had special facilities for 

 detecting electrical disturbances, we are struck by their unanimity in maintain- 

 ing that no unusual electrical disturbance took place. " 



