*
February 20, 1909.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
+
139
recognised that it was capable of a very earthquakes. Scientific men, for instance, the long run may have something to say to different interpretation to that commonly are pretty well convinced that old notions earthquakes. The earth is much nearer, given to it. The only question of import-regarding the fluidity of the earth's interior some three million miles or so, to the sun ance now is as to whether the Chinese must be given up. Direct measurement has at the end of December than in June, that Government is in a better position to enforce shown that the average specific gravity of is to say it has to tumble the three million its decrees on the subject than it was sixty the globe is about five and a half times that miles in six months. Surely there must be years ago. It is of interest to note that of water, while the average for the materials China is now insisting on the physical ruin constituting the crust is only about half.
some tendency to change form, yet as in the case of the nutation, the tide gauges are of the people through the use of opium, and The explanation is afforded by the enor- practically silent. This has nothing to say nothing is said about the improverishment wous pressure of the superincumbent crust to such abstruse questions as sun-spots, or of the nation through the drain of silver. which must reduce the interior below a electricity. Again Jupiter acts on the Yet the balance of trade has been against distance of twenty or thirty miles to what is earth, and by slow degrees makes it shift its China for many years, and there are not want-practically pulp, ready to flow in any direc-orbit. Directly we can probably never see the ing those who suspect that the anti-opiumtion in response to the least variation in result on our tide gauges; but betimes the movement is inspired even to-day in China superficial pressure. So a quarter of a semi-annual fall of three million miles be- more by this consideration than by any century ago proved the late Lord KELVIN. comes extended to fifteen millions; will any other. Whatever be the motive, the inten- But though Lord KELVIN showed this con- astronomer be bold enough to say that there tion of the Chinese Government will be clusively with reference to certain long will be no perceptible difference in the fulfilled if it has the power to enforce its period tides which are "wanted" to fill up strains? We are just now anxiously looking decrees insisting on the suppression of the certain gaps not shown on the tide-guage, out for HALLEY's comet, which, astronomers native cultivation of the poppy. And un- bis words have been persistently misre- tell us, is shortly to pay us a visit. We do. less buman nature in China is very different presented, even by scientific experts. What not know much about him; true, but we do from what we believe it to be, the Govern- he said was, with reference to certain know that when he comes he will have a ment of China may, long before the present extremely small gravitational effects, that long tail. Is there not some connection century is out, rue the day when it embark- if the earth were a solid mass as rigid as ed on the present enterprise.
between his long tail and the distance steel, it would yield to these effects as if it he is falling? If there be any it were made of india-rubber. Leaving out the is nt least a curious coincidence that the SCIENTISTS ON EARTHQUAKES. conclusion of the sentence Lord KELVIN'S greater number of these heavy earthquakes statement is usually interpreted as meaning appear to have a fancy for concentration that the interior of the earth is as rigid as about steel, which, of course, is not what he in- tended to imply.
(Daily Press, February 17th.) There is a constant tendency amongst a class who may be called "semi-detached scientists" to drive each new scientific dis covery far beyond its legitimate limits, and make it serve as a swivel gun to bear on each and every object in sight. One of the favourite subjects of late has, of course, been radium; and radiography in the opinion of the faddists was to solve every problem in physiography regarding which the scien- tific man held his judgment in suspense, but which his semi-detached confrere was ever ready to settle at a moment's notice by calling in the assistance of the latest half- discovered phenomenon to radiography or the magnetic field. A still more fascinating subject with the semi-detached scientist has been that of earthquakes, and on the occur. rence of an earthshaking of more than ordinary virulence we are sure to be treated to a more than usual crop of the absurdities of the semi-detached. It goes then without saying that the recent earthquake in Sicily and Calabria has been no exception to the rule, and a gentleman who ought from his position to know better has been lauuching one of the latest of these fads in the sugges- tion that earthquakes are the results of spots on the sun. The hero of this latest attempt as a theory has been Lieut. JOHN C. SOLEY, one of the U.S. Hydrographic staff. Lately one or two sun-spots of large size have appeared on the face of the sun, and on the principle post hoc propter hoc Lieut. SOLEY has been trying to lug them into the cause of science by representing them as the cause of the earthquake. Now we do know, thanks to long continued solar re- searches, a good deal about sun-spots; though the best informed astronomer is willing to allow that his knowledge is even so sadly deficient, and is eagerly searching for more. He can connect sunspots with many things on the face of the earth,-with magnetic storms, with variations of tempera- tureand peculiar lighting effects; but even the most advanced have never sought to connect them with such an interf.rence with the ordinary laws of gravity as would be implied in making them the primary causes of earth- quake movements, which indicate the setting in movement of enormous masses of matter. But we may go further safely, and state as a fact that we really do know a good deal about those movements of the figures of the earth which are connected more or less intimately with the phenomenon of
Now under existing circumstances it can be seen that were the interior liquid the necessary conditions. for such equili- brium as the earth possesses could not be attained, and this is one of the principal reasons which have led all, or nearly all practical astronomers, who have to deal with problems of celestial mechanics, to hold the doctrine of a necessarily solid nucleus. Under the doctrine propounded by Lord KELVIN, there are conditions that may force the interior betimes to shift, and such shiftings, it is allowed on all sides, are capable of reacting on the brittle crust, and so becoming effective causes of surface movements, and so logically of earthquakes. The science of recording earth movements has of late been reduced to a degree of fineness which but a few years ago would have been considered impractical. Breaking waves, the effects of storms, the rise and fall of the tides, the passage of distant trains, all left their impress on the new instuments whose ultra-susceptibilities had in fact in many instances to be checked. Now all this went to show the truth of Lord KELVIN'S statement that though the earth might be considered as rigid as steel, yet as he suggested, it did actually yield to the deforming influence of gravity. So far practically all scientific meu are in unison.
Now the particular effect of gravity to which Lord KELVIN alluded was that known as Nutation. The moon, it is known by its differential action of gravity at the extre- mities of the Syzygial axis, causes the tides, and the adjustment is so fine that the variation caused by most of its irregularities of motion can be foreseen and calcu- lated. The moon, though moving on the whole in a great circle, occasionally nods to one side or other, and this movement is known as the "nutation", and it was this that set Lord KELVIN thinking. The move- ment, it was clear, ought to affect the tides, but no tide gauges recorded it; and why? Lord KELVIN concluded that it was because the body of the earth itself gave way, so that the rise of the water was. not needed to keep its figure in equilibrium. Here then is the first step in a scientific explanation of earth motions of defiguration.
But there are other celestial movements that may have somewhat similar effects in predisposing to a change of figure; and so in
seisinologists deny it, but their methods the period of perihelion. The
consist in applying rules so long as to cover the crests of a long series of waves; it is as if we were to seek to measure Atlantic waves by rulers stretching half over the ocean. There is little abstruse in the suggestion that we have not to go beyond the every day effects of gravity to find a competent not live in an age of miracles; why should cause for earthquakes. Professedly we do
to find them in natural phenomena, instead our scientific dabblers be perpetually trying of being content to look for the exciting causes in our ordinary surroundings.? The scientific worker, perhaps unduly, distrusts inspiration; but there is a class whose practice is to hang on to the fringes of scientific knowledge with whom imagination is omnipotent. To this class is due the multiplicity of paradoxes which so far from advancing the cause of knowledge, are apt to actually clog the wheels of progress.
THE HOUSE OF LORDS.
(Daily Press, February 18th.) Expectation that the anger of the present Government over the fate of the Education and Licensing Bills would lead to an announcement in the King's Speech of a Bill to amend the House of Lords is disappointed. There is no mention of the subject in His Majesty's speech at the opening of Parliament on Tuesday. The Government has been wise to defer their intention to deal with this
着
question, for now that definite proposals for remodelling the Upper House have been placed before the. Empire, more time is needed than has yet elapsed for the discussion of the proposals. The Report of the Committee on- the subject of reform of the House of Lords is certainly one of the most practical and statesmanlike documents that has for a long time been put forward on a question of this description. With every temptation to enter into discussions based upon historical or legal knowledge, the Committee have sensibly taken up an en- tirely business-like position, and without raising any discussion, have gone straight to the practical subject that has to be dealt with, namely how the House of Lords, as at present existing, can be reformed, so as to enable it to fulfil the political duties which devolve upon it in accordance with the
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.