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Show COST OF EARTHQUAKES. The annual loss o life iu jliv world occasioned by earthquakes is. om the average, about 35nu. This number is fairly in accordance with the nunlberd lost during the last twelve months. Ou OetobeT S. 1S91, Japan lost 9i)60 of her people, or double the number lost in her war with China. The wounded num- bered 19.9i. With a single earthquake in 1896 the loss of life in the same country coun-try tfpproached 30.000. If we turn to the loss of propertv after the earth' guake of 1891 $30,000.000 was required for the restoration of railways, roads, bridges and other public works. In addition addi-tion to this 128,730 houses, together with factories, temples and other buildings, build-ings, had to be restored. In 1S97, after a disastrous earthquake in .Assam, the chief commissioner of that country reported to the Secretarv of the Government of India that their own resources had been exhausted and, with the object of restoring various public works, a grant from the imperial , revenues would be required to assist his administration. The total damage occasioned, oc-casioned, much of which had to be met bv shareholders in railways, tea factories fac-tories and other industries, was rouehlv estimated at $25,000,000. Sneaking f generally, a large earthquake in a tioou-fited tioou-fited country often results in damage to the extent of several millions. .If it is asked whether these expenditures expendi-tures can be reduced the answer is distinctively dis-tinctively in the affirmative. One of the outcomes of modern seismology has been to devise instruments which measure earthquake motion. From a knowledge of the aetuAl nature of earthquake motion mo-tion derived from the use of these instruments in-struments new rules and formula for the use of engineers and builders have beer established. In -Tartan and other coun tries these have been extensively, ap plied in te construction of piers for bridges, tall -chimneys, walls, ordinarv dwellings, emhsnkments, reservoirs, etc Inasmuch as the rew tvpes of structure have withstood violent earth shakings, while ordinarv tvres in the neighborhood neighbor-hood have failed, it can be confidentlv stated that much has already been ac-cotnnlishe'' ac-cotnnlishe'' to minimize the loss of life. London Mail. j |