1884.] 
Earthquakes and Electricity. 3 
very comprehensive manner, and is especially powerful in 
treating on the geological portion of the question. 
In April, 1882, the present writer published a small work 
on “ The Action of Lightning,” completed by him in April, 
1881. He was unfortunately unaware of the researches 
concerning the association of electricity and earthquakes 
made by the authors he has mentioned, or the short allusions 
made to the subject in his work would probably have been 
more copious and decided. He ventures, however, to re- 
submit these few references as being perhaps entitled, in 
their measure, to take part as links in the chain of literary 
effort under investigation. The passages are as follows : — 
“ We appear to have primd facie grounds for believing that 
the earth’s surface is really the collecting plate of the ter- 
restrial condenser ; . . . but the questions now arise, what 
is the original source of the earth’s electricity ? and how 
does its surface collect it ? In our present state of know- 
ledge it seems to be impossible to get beyond conjecture in 
replying to such questions. Supposing, however, that we 
take up the opposite view, that the clouds form the collecting 
plate, the task of attempting to prove how they originate 
and collect their electricity would appear to be even more 
hopeless ; for although we reasonably infer that the clouds 
are collectors of electricity, we do not know the faCt for 
certain. . . . But we do know with certainty several im- 
portant faCts regarding the earth’s electrical constitution ; 
one is that it is a great holder of electricity ; . . . another, 
that terrestrial disturbances, such as waterspouts, earth- 
quakes, and volcanic eruptions, are connected with the 
actions of electricity or magnetism.” . . . “ As to how the 
earth . . . became a magnet we are practically in total ig- 
norance. The faCt, however, that it is simultaneously both a 
holder of electricity and a magnet is well worthy of attention ; 
and so also is the faCt that phenomena undoubtedly elec- 
trical, i.e., earth-currents and aurorae, are invariably accom- 
panied by magnetic disturbances.” . . . “ May we not 
conceive the subtle force usually called magnetism to be 
nothing but electricity, i.e., electricity bound or manifested in 
a peculiar manner, and magnetism itself as only a property or 
influence . . . appertaining to certain bodies and permitting 
this particular manifestation ? ” . . . “ On this principle, 
then, the earth is a magnetic body like steel or iron, and 
what is known as its magnetism becomes an additional 
proof of the presence and activity of its electricity, and 
strengthens the probability that the globe is itself the 
originator of thunderstorms and of all other electrical phenomena 
