Page:Science vol. 5.djvu/145

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���lost sight and henring from the same le. The roturus have not yet beeo auf- Adently analyzed to enable 119 even lo separate Uie congenital from the adventitious cases. We cannot therefore tell at the present time how far the evidences of correlation may be weakened by a closer inspection of detnils.

The large number of deaf-mtites who have been classified as idiots, also suggests caution in accepting the returns. I recently met a young lady — one of the brightest and best pupils of the Illinois institution for the deaf and dumb — who commenced her school-life in an idiot-asylum. She was there discovered lo be simply deaf, and was transferred to the InstttatioD for the deaf and dumb at Jackson- ,TiUe, where she not only received a good 'ucatiou, but was successfully taught to ^ak. Not only are children who are simply laf, sometimes sent to idiot-schools ; but liotic children who hear perfectly are often iDt to institutions for the deaf and dumb, ben it becomes the painful duty of the prin- ^ ipal to undeceive the parents as to the real 'eoudition of their child. The dilHculty in distinguishing these two classes of defective peraona arises from the absence of articulate Bpeedi. Children who are deaf from infancy, and idiots, do not naturally speak, but from very different causes. In the one case, the cause is lack of bearing ; in the other. lack of intelligence. The judgment of unskilled per- sons regarding the intelligence of deaf-mutes ahould evidently be received with caution. It ifl only to be hoped that the number of idiotic ~" taf-mutea returned in the census has been rer- estimated. Before accepting the results thoroughly reliable, it would be well to know ither or not the persons who made the re- comi^etent to judge in the matter. Graiiau Brll.

��EARTHQUAKE OF JA!f. «, 188S.

Thb daily papers of Jan, 3 containeil re-

Hts of a alight eailbquake in Maryland and Viiginia the previous evening.

On Jan. 4 circulars of inquiry were sent to more than twenty places in the vicinity of the reported shock. The questions asked had reference to the time of the shock, its dura- tion, number of shocks, character of accom- panying noise, and intensity accoi-ding to a ^ven scale. It will be necessary here to quote

ily the Brst three of the six numbers of this iposed scale of iu tensity, which are as

��No. 1 . Very ligfit. — Noticed by a few |>er- sons, but not generally felt.

No. 2. Light. — Felt by the majority of per- sons, rattling windows and crockery.

No. 3. Moderate. —Sufficient to set sus- pended objects (chandeliers, etc.) swinging, or to overthrow light objects.

In response lo this circular, seventeen writ- ten reports, and a copy of the Leesburg Mirror, were received : and from these replies, together with reports in the New-York 2'ribune and in Science, a tabulated summary was prepared, and represented graphically upon the accom- panying map, on which are marked all the places from which any rei)ort, either m.inu- script or press, was at hand.

As is there ahown, the northern boundary of the region affected is well determined by manuscript reiwrts from five places lying be- yond its limits. The inquiries, which might have determined its limits as clearly in other directions, failed to elicit any response. It appears to have extended very little, if at all, west of the mountains. The only direct report obtained from that region was from Boonea- borough, Md., where it was felt near, but not in, the town. The Leesburg Mirror stated generally that it was felt in Jefferson county, W. Va., but no reply was received lo circu- lars sent there.

The closest approximation to the true time is probably 21 h. 1-2.1 m. eastern time, as given by W. C.'Winlock at Washington, D.C., with which agree also the reports of W. J. Grove at Lime Kiln, Md., and W. H. Routzahn at Middlelown, Md. These are the only reports which vary from '2lh. 10m. or21 h. 15 m.. ex- cept Fairfax, Va.. which is ai h. 5 m., and W. 11. Dall at Washington, who gave:ilh. 16 m. At Adamstown, Sid,, two shocks were reported ; and at Buckeystown, Md.. a second verj' light shock at 21 b. 4.1 m.

The estimates of duration were, as usual, very discordant, varying all the way from three seconds to two minutes. As the ten- dency of oi-dinary observers is always to ex- aggerate this element, the unexpected and exciting nature of the phenomena making the time seem longer than it really is, probably ten or fifleen seconds would be a Uberal esti- mate of the duration.

The noise accompanying the shock was compared to that made by a loaded w^on paasing ra])idly over frozen ground or over a bridge, to distant thunder, and to the roaring of a chimney on lire. In some cases persons went out of their houses to see if their chim- neys were not burning.

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