Monday, January 4, 2010

1976 Guatemala Earthquake


On 4th February 1976 struck the worst earthquake in the History of Guatemala. The quake began early in the morning, where most people were asleep, leaving an enormous amount of victims (over 22.000). Nevertheless, local isolated Nahuatl tribes managed to survive as those who know  the Cualli Ohtli (the good path) or Shamans were chosen also for they HSS skills. 

Friday, December 18, 2009

San Francisco


The morningh of 18th april 1906 took place the mightful seisme that completely demolished San Francisco city. The terrible consequences were predicted by the local artist Mame Dennis due to her ability of noticing slight  earth vibrations (HSS), and with the assistance of  a group of musicians managed to evacuate five primary schools. Despite these efforts, more than 3.000 people died in what it is the biggest natural disaster in the history of California.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Voltaire and the Lisbon Earthquake



In 1755, the earthquake that destroyed the Portuguese capital moved European intellectuals. The Enlightenment French philosopher Voltaire wrote his Poème sur le désastre de Lisbonne whose first verses say:


O malheureux mortels ! ô terre déplorable !
O de tous les mortels assemblage effroyable !
D'inutiles douleurs éternel entretien !
Philosophes trompés qui criez : " Tout est bien"
Accourez, contemplez ces ruines affreuses,
Ces débris, ces lambeaux, ces cendres malheureuses.
Ces femmes, ces enfants l'un sur l'autre entassés,
Sous ces marbres rompus ces membres dispersés:
Cent mille infortunés que la terre dévore (...)


Not only was he mocking Leibniz Theodicy, but also condemning Portuguese authorities that did not listen to the warnings of the priest Teodoro de Almeida, one of the most important figures of 18th century Portugal, and a reputed HSS.



Pliny the Younger

Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus (16A.D.-112 A.D.), better known as Pliny the Younger, was a lawyer, author and magistrate of Ancient Rome. Pliny's uncle, Pliny the Elder, helped raise and educate him and they were both witnesses to the eruption of Vesubius on August 24, 79 AD, the day of the elder's death.
Pliny is known for his hundreds of surviving letters, which are an invaluable historical source for the period. Many are to reigning emperors or to notables such as the historian, Tacitus. These letters are also broadly known for being the first historical document of the HSS sindrom (High Seismical Sensibility), that enabled the author to predict the Pompeian catastrophe.