Salt Lake Telegram | 1928-12-07 | Page 5 | Earliest Known Seismograph Made by Chinese Coppersmith

I ri Dade d b by aown ch Chinese Seismograph Coppersmith t V NE W OP ORLEANS LEANS La AP To AP-To To Toa a simple copper object hammered ou out out by t bY a Chinese coppersmith In B B. C C. C has lIas been traced the origin origin ori ori- gin of the tho seismograph that delicate delicate delicate deli deli- cate scientific apparatus apparatus' that re records re- re cords and charts earthquakes The Thc Rev 0 O TJ L r. Abell seismologist seismologist seismologist gist at Lo Loyola Loola ola university here heie sa says sas s that rece recent lt research haS his disclosed such an instrument was was' in in use use uise moro more than 2000 years ears ago This original seismograph as wrought by the Chinese coppersmith copper coppel smith was described as practical as aswell wen well as unique the tho simplicity of its design affording an interesting contrast contrast con con- to the complicated modern device According to the Rev ne Father rather bell it consisted of a pendulum suspended within a a. a hollow copper sphere The Thc pendulum was free flee to move In hi eight dight directions an and on the outer surface of the globe corresponding cor eor- responding to tp these directions ap alT appeared heaved eight dragon heads In the throat of each cach was n-as a small ball which fell when an earth tremor caused the pendulum to swing Located at It varying van Ing points on the sphere also w were ci the upturned I mouths of frogs and the ball upon being dislodged from a dragons dragon's mouth fell into o one of these Thus If it the ball baH was forced fr from m the s southeast side of the instrument instrument u ment and fell into the mouth of 4 frog on the northwest it was de deduced deduced do- do that the shock came from the tho southeast pro proceeding I in l the direction dl- dl taken b by the ball baU The present s seismograph ism was developed de developed developed de- de about forty years ago aso as the thele the result of the efforts effort of five l Ep En English glish scientists Gray Grav Perry Milne Shaw and Knott The instrument at af Loyola known as the Vel chert seismograph seismograph graph gr ph consists essentially of a heavy Inverted pendulum perfectly perfect perfect- t- t ly balanced but In n a state slate of unstable unstable un un- stable equilibrium so that it re responds responds responds re- re to the slightest earth tremors trem trem- ors Instead of stand standing inS inS' with the weight on the tho bottom this pendulum pendu pendulum lum luni has the weight on top and reacts ic- ic acts to earth movements not by bythe the motion of the heavy mass of the pendulum itself but by the relative relative relative rela rela- tive motion o ot of the pivot with re respect respect re- re to the mass balanced above it The inertia of the great reat mass gives it st stability while the pig x rigidly attached to the frame of the Hie ma ma- machine machine chine tends to overtake the motion motion mo mo mo- tion of the earth Fi From Flom om the the bob of the pendulum delicate pens pens pens' are projected on a as s smooth writing wilting surface on a a re revolving re- re drum These pens trace trace the th the record of the earths earth's tremors which are transmitted to the apparatus up through the thc earth by long pilings pit pil ings InS's driven deep into the tho ground beneath the university science building