Clarksville Weekly Chronicle

Prof. Palmieri on Earthquakes.
London Daily News.

Prof. Palmieri has been lecturing on the possibility of foretelling earthquakes. After mentioning earthquakes as known and remarked in ancient days, he illustrated the three signs of the coming earthquake, which, from time immemorial, have been popularly believed in--namely, the sultry, oppressive state of the atmosphere, the drying up of wells, and the uneasiness shown by animals, observing that though these signs do not always, yet they undoubtedly often occur. Prof. Palmieri went on to say that earthquakes have no doubt shorter or longer periods of preparation. The earth is never perfectly quiet for some time before and after a great shock, but gradually sinks into repose or increases in agitation. The professor believes that, by registering the slight preliminary tremblings, and noticing their increase or decrease, it would be possible to foretell an earthquake about three days in advance, just as tempests are now foretold. "If a connected system of seismographic stations were to be organized--the different stations communicating with each other by telegraph--it would be quite possible in most cases to issue warnings to the threatened district in time. He scarcely expected to live to see it; but he hoped that, after he was gone, posterity might benefit by such a system, universally and permanently established. The seismographic stations should be erected by the different governments in quiet places, where the ground was not liable to be shaken by heavy railway trains.

[Prof. Palmieri is the Italian scientist who has established an observatory close to the cone of Mt. Vesuvius for the purpose of studying the phenomena of volcanic eruptions. The professor is noted for the daring, approaching to rashness, with which he exposes himself to the perils of the great volcano during eruptions, when prosecuting his researches.--ED. CHRONICLE.]