THE words of our Saviour are being verified in the earth to-day. He told His disciples (Matt. 24 : 3-7), that as a sign of the approach of the day of His return, there would be "earthquakes in divers places." Earthquakes have been increasing rapidly during these last years. They have not been confined to any one portion of the globe. They have truly been in "divers places."
In the twelfth century two are recorded, in Sicily and Syria; in the thirteenth century, one, Cilicia; in the fourteenth century none recorded; in the fifteenth century, one, Naples; in the sixteenth century, one, Lisbon; in the seventeenth century, five, Naples, Schmaki, Santiago, Jamaica, and Sicily; in the eighteenth century, fourteen, Aquila (Italy), Yeddo, The Abruzzi, Algiers, Palermo, Peking, Lima and Calao, Grand Cairo, Kashan (Persia), Lisbon, Syria, Guatemala, Ezinghian (Asia), Santa Fe to Quito; in the nineteenth century, twenty-seven, Naples, Southern California, Aleppo, Murcia, Canton, Cape Haytien, Calabria, Quito, Mendoza (S. America), Peru and Ecuador, Inyo (Cal.), Colombia, Manila, Scio, Ischio, Java, Anatolia (Turkey), Island of Kishim, Alhama, Java, Cashmere, Sopar (India), Asia Minor, Greece, Charleston, villages of India, Kien-Shin.
What the Earthquake did on 17th Street, near Howard, San Francisco.
It will be seen from this that there has been an increase of nearly one hundred per cent. in the earthquakes of the 19th century over those of the 18th. Seismologists tell us that at the present time the earth is in a constant tremor. For instance one hundred and forty-seven earthquakes were recorded in Greece during February, March, and April, 1896. Thirty-four were recorded in January alone.
Some would have us believe that earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are growing less and less, and have expressed displeasure with us for not teaching that such is the case. But we have no desire to teach that which is not true. The record stands for itself and speaks for itself, and for us to teach the diminution of these terrestrial phenomena would be to falsify facts and contradict the records.
Notice, for instance, the strenuous activity of volcano and earthquake within recent months, or even weeks. Within one single month two terrible earthquakes have visited the island of Formosa, each of which resulted in the death of more than one thousand persons. It was something unheard of, something utterly at variance with the "law" of earthquake phenomena, that two severe earthquakes should occur in the same place within so short a time. But Formosa broke the "law."
The recent eruption of Vesuvius was more extensive, buried more territory, than any previous eruption in history. The terrible earthquake which resulted, through what followed, in the destruction of San Francisco was in reality an earth quake. It was felt around the world. The Japanese sesmologists detected that earth tremor coming around the earth from both directions. That brought with it a disaster which is unparalleled in history. Immediately on its heels occurred a rapid succession of shocks of the Pacific Coast, lasting about six weeks. There were fifty-one earthquakes in all during that time, twenty-four during the first twenty-four hours following the great earthquake.
But seismic activity has not been confined to the Pacific Coast of North America during the past few months. Early in March a volcano that had been quiescent for forty years became violently active on the island of Tofua, Tongan group. At the same time there occurred volcanic outbursts on the islands of Fonalaci and New Britain. In the same month also occurred the first of the two great Formosan earthquakes. On April 12 the second occurred. In that month Vesuvius assumed its most menacing aspect.
On May 8 the second of two serious earthquake shocks occurred at Arica, Chile, which lasted two minutes, terrorizing the people and rendering many buildings uninhabitable. On May 8 an eminence on the island of Luzon known as Mount Detula settled outright, and a lake of considerable size formed in its place. An earthquake shock accompanied the sinking of the mountain. During the week ending May 13 there was a series of earthquakes in Great Britain, in Devon, Cornwall, the Channel Islands, and some parts of Scotland. On May 14 a sharp earthquake was felt at Rockaway, N, J., sufficiently strong to throw articles from shelves. On May 21 a severe earthquake visited Southern Illinois, especially pronounced in Clay County, and severe enough to break a water main in the town of Flora. A Honolulu report of May 29 states that the ocean for miles in the vicinity of Laysan Island and8French Frigate Shoals was covered with a heavy coating of pumice stone. The daily papers state that in one day recently fifty-seven earthquake shocks were felt in Michigan. On May 29 there was a decided earthquake shock in southern Berks County, Pa., which caused great alarm.
The disease of sin seems to have fastened upon this old earth. She is palsied with the infirmities of her great age, and truly smitten with the ague of sin. This trembling earth is nearing the time when it will "reel to and fro like a drunken man." The approaching dissolution of this old earth is synchronous with the approaching advent of our Lord.
