Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2014 | Page 50

FEATURE

How Island lamp post
helped plot 'quakes'

M

evening - which was eventually put down
As a result of his ground-breaking
ore than 120 years ago
to a regular liaison between a butler and a
research many scientists and dignitaries
an iron lamp post on the
chambermaid in an adjoining room!
from around the world came to the
Island played a vital role in
Earthquakes are caused when
Island to visit him, including the then
teaching the world about
movements within the Earth's crust cause
Prince of Wales.
the nature of earthquakes.
stress to build up at points of weakness.
Records reveal that Milne, known as
Scientist John Milne, who moved to
Seismology is the study of earthquakes
the ‘father of seismology’, became a
the Island with his Japanese wife Tone in
and seismic waves which are generated
familiar figure around the Island with
1895, actually used an iron lamp post to
following a sudden movement when pent
some locals mistaking his instruments
help build a home-made seismograph to
up energy is released.
for ghostly activity. Slight movements
pick up signs of tiny ground tremors.
Seismographs allow experts
Although Milne's
to determine where, and
experiments were
how deep, a particular
revolutionary, his name
'Slight movements in his instruments'
earthquake is, and is vital to
in this country is now little
the well-being of millions of
known outside scientific
lights at night were enough to
people, bearing in mind there
circles. However, he is still
convince drinkers at one pub that the
are about 100 earthquakes
revered in Japan where he
each year of a size that could
laid the foundations to help
Island was tipping up and down.'
cause serious damage. Milne
that country cope with
lived and worked in Japan
the ever-present danger of
for 20 years before moving to
earthquakes.
the Island.
in his instruments' lights at night were
From his observatory at Blackwater
Milne died in Shide on July 31,1913,
enough to convince drinkers at one pub
Road in Shide, he collated and analysed
earthquake information sent from around that the Island was tipping up and down. and is buried in St. Paul's Church,
Newport. Before his death he also helped
Others thought it was the sign of ghosts
the world. Based on his studies of tremor
establish Newport Golf Club, and the
data he plotted the Pacific fault line known in the fields.
John Milne Vase is still played for by
Another piece of monitoring equipment
as the ‘Ring of Fire’. He acquired a full size
members in his honour.
installed at a sailing club showed
lamp-post from a local ironmongers to
increased readings at the same time each
make the horizontal seismograph.

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