Chapter 16
Section 16 of 1000 Things Worth Knowing. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Adele Pooley. 1000 Things Worth Knowing by Nathaniel C. Fowler Jr.
Earthquake Areas of the Earth. Major de Montesus de Ballot has compiled a catalogue of 130,000 shocks, and this indicates with scientific accuracy how the symptoms of seismic activity are manifested. The period of observation includes generally the last 50 years, but there is no reason to suppose that a longer time would materially affect the proportionate numbers.
Area. Earthquakes. Scandinavia. 646. British Isles. 1139. France. 2793. Spain and Portugal. 2656.
Switzerland. 3895. Italy. 27672. Holland and North Germany. 2326. Sicily. 4331. Greece. 10306.
Russia. 258. Asia Minor. 4451. India. 813. Japan. 27562. Africa. 179.
Atlantic Islands. 1704. United States Pacific Coast. 4467. Atlantic Coast. 937. Mexico. 5586. Central America. 2739.
West Indies. 2561. South America. 8081. Java. 2155. Australia and Tasmania. 83. New Zealand. 1925.
The most shaken countries of the world are Italy, Japan, Greece, South America, the Pacific Coast, Java, Sicily and Asia Minor. The lands most free from these convulsions are Africa, Australia, Russia, Siberia, Scandinavia and Canada. As a rule, where earthquakes are most frequent, they are most severe.
But to this general statement, there are exceptions. Indian shocks, though less numerous, being often very disastrous. Loss of life in many cases depends, however, on density of population rather than on the intensity of the earth movement. Numerically also, France has registered more seismic tremors than Spain and Portugal,
but France in historic times has experienced no earthquake disaster approaching the havoc wrought by the one calamity at Lisbon. Electrical and other beautifiers. So far as is known to the writer, none of these contrivances or concoctions possess any merit other than what may be obtained by ordinary massage or rubbing.
Electricity, as a medicinal agent, is rapidly going out of use, as it has been proved that it has very little effect, except in special cases. The reader is advised against the purchase of any electrical appliance for beautifying or other purposes without the advice of a physician. Electricity.
This peculiar and all-powerful energy has never been analysed and no one knows exactly what it is. It is produced by friction, either mechanically or by chemicals. It is transmitted through wires or other metallic conductors. Electricity is usually produced mechanically by what is known as the dynamo, but can be made chemically by the use of galvanic batteries.
The former, however, is much more economical. Electricity and magnetism are closely allied, and yet they are commercially different. Embezzlement. From 1896 to 1911, the total embezzlement in the United States amounted to nearly $164 million. The majority of embezzlers stealing the money for gambling in stocks
and not on account of increased personal expenses or desire to live beyond their means. End of section 16
