The "Japan Chronicle" draws attention to the failure of all attempts yo find a theory. on which might be based some idea of the probable recurrence of earthquakes. It says:—
It is possible that a disaster of the magnitude of that which has overtaken Tokio and Yokohama will not occur again for another 100 or 200 years; on the other hand it might occur again next year, since all attempts to establish a periodicity in earthquakes have failed. It is true that on general considerations two big earthquakes seldom if ever occur at the same place' in succession, but this does not warrant us in deciding that this can never be the case. Lisbon has not had a big earthquake since 1755; Tokio's last big earthquake was in 1855, 100 years later, The present disaster of the kind bids fair to surpass the Lisbon earthquake in the number of deaths, in proportion to the population and area, and while "Lisbon has been free from such visitations for 168 years Tokio has had two severe earthquakes within 68 years, not a period which can be ignored as of no concern to one generation.
The conclusion one would' draw from these remarks is certainly not. reassuring to Japan, and we here are not in a position to offer any suggestion to the contrary. So far as can be seen the theory that holds out most hope of affording an indication of danger is that. of Nature's compensating
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.