John Milne
Encyclopedia
For other uses, see John Milne (disambiguation).
John Milne (30 December 1850 – 31 July 1913) was the British geologist
and mining engineer
who worked on a horizontal seismograph.
, England and raised in Rochdale
and Milnrow
in Lancashire
. He was educated at King's College School
and the Royal School of Mines
.
, Milne was hired by Cyrus Field as a mining engineer to explore Newfoundland and Labrador
in search of coal and mineral resources. During this time he also wrote papers on the interaction of ice and rock, and visited Funk Island
, writing another paper on the newly extinct Great Auk
. In December, 1873 Milne accompanied Dr.
Charles Tilstone Beke
on an expedition to determine the true location of Mount Sinai
in northwest Arabia. He took the opportunity to study the geology of the Sinai Peninsula
and passed on a collection of fossils to the British Museum
.
as a foreign advisor
and professor of mining and geology at the Imperial College of Engineering
in Tokyo from 8 March 1876, where he worked under Henry Dyer
and with William Edward Ayrton
and John Perry
. Partly from a sense of adventure and partly because he suffered from seasickness, he travelled overland across Siberia
taking three months to reach Tokyo.
In 1880, Sir James Alfred Ewing
, Thomas Gray
and John Milne, all British scientists working in Japan, began to study earthquake
s following a very large tremor which struck the Yokohama area that year. They founded the Seismological Society of Japan
(SSJ). The society funded the invention of seismographs to detect and measure the strength of earthquakes. Although all three men worked as a team on the invention and use of seismographs, John Milne is generally credited with the invention of the horizontal pendulum seismograph in 1880. Milne's instruments permitted him to detect different types of earthquake waves, and estimate velocities. In addition, the foreign professors trained Japanese students including Seikei Sekiya who would become, at the Imperial University, the first professor of seismology at any university in the world and his successor, Fusakichi Omori
who refined Milne's instruments to detect and record finer vibrations.
and a life pension of 1,000 yen. This was in recognition of Professor Milne's contributions to seismology during his long residence in Japan.
, from 1882 John Milne was also contributing to the world of anthropology
. He helped develop theories on where the Ainu
of northern Japan came from, and theories on the racial background of the prehistoric peoples of Japan in general. After having actually excavated for several years in the Omori
shell mound, John Milne introduced the conception of the Koropok-guru race, racially linked with the Inuit
. The word Koropok-guru came from an Ainu word meaning “the man under the rhubarb,” i.e. a small person. An Ainu legend concerning the existence of such a people seems to have been first reported by Milne. However, Milne believed that only in Hokkaidō
were prehistoric sites of the Koropok-guru people. For northeastern Japan proper, he subscribed to the tradition which assigned prehistoric sites to the Ainu, who lived in pits and made stone implements and pottery. He considered the inhabitants of the Kurile Islands, Sakhalin
and southern Kamchatka to be of a different race, though possibly one related to the Koropok-guru. He anticipated the work of later scientists who in actual materials recovered recognized different prehistoric cultures for Hokkaidō and northeastern Japan.
His first cousin William Scoresby Routledge
related to him though his mother, Emma Twycross, was also an anthropologist. Along with his wife Katherine Routledge
they worked in the early twentieth century in both East Africa with the Kikuyu and on Easter Island
(Rapa Nui)
, on the Isle of Wight
, where he continued his seismographic studies. He was made a professor emeritus of Tokyo Imperial University. Shide Hill House is located near the top of St. George's Lane,it is now a private residence.
Milne persuaded the Royal Society
to fund 20 earthquake observatories around the world, equipped with his horizontal pendulum seismographs. His network initially included seven in England, three in Russia, two in Canada (one in Toronto and one in Victoria British Columbia
, three on the east coast of the United States, and one in Antarctica, eventually growing to total 40 worldwide. These stations sent their 'station registers' to Milne, where the data formed the basis of Milne's researches. For the next 20 years, Milne’s seismological observatory was the world headquarters for earthquake seismology.
In 1898, Milne (with W. K. Burton
), published Earthquakes and Other Earth Movements, which came to be regarded as a classic textbook on earthquakes.
The need for international exchange of readings was soon recognized by Milne in his annual "Shide Circular Reports on Earthquakes" published from 1900 to 1912. This work was destined to develop in the International Seismological Summary
being set up immediately after the First World War.
Milne died of Bright's disease
on 31 July 1913 and is buried in St. Paul's Church, Newport
.
John Milne (30 December 1850 – 31 July 1913) was the British geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
and mining engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
who worked on a horizontal seismograph.
Biography
Milne was born in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England and raised in Rochdale
Rochdale
Rochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan...
and Milnrow
Milnrow
Milnrow is a suburban town within the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Beal at the foothills of the South Pennines, and forms a continuous urban area with Rochdale...
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. He was educated at King's College School
King's College School
King's College School, commonly referred to as KCS, King's, or KCS Wimbledon, is an independent school for day pupils in Wimbledon in south-west London. The school was founded as the junior department of King's College London and occupied part of its premises in Strand, before relocating to...
and the Royal School of Mines
Royal School of Mines
Royal School of Mines comprises the departments of Earth Science and Engineering, and Materials at Imperial College London.- History :The Royal School of Mines was established in 1851, as the Government School of Mines and Science Applied to the Arts...
.
Early career
In the summers of 1873 and 1874, following a recommendation by the Royal School of MinesRoyal School of Mines
Royal School of Mines comprises the departments of Earth Science and Engineering, and Materials at Imperial College London.- History :The Royal School of Mines was established in 1851, as the Government School of Mines and Science Applied to the Arts...
, Milne was hired by Cyrus Field as a mining engineer to explore Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
in search of coal and mineral resources. During this time he also wrote papers on the interaction of ice and rock, and visited Funk Island
Funk Island
Funk Island is a small, barren, isolated, uninhabited island approximately northeast of Wesleyville, Newfoundland, Canada.-Geography:The island is roughly trapezoidal in shape, with a maximum length of 0.8 km and a maximum width of 0.3 km and is nearly flat, rising 14 m out of the North...
, writing another paper on the newly extinct Great Auk
Great Auk
The Great Auk, Pinguinus impennis, formerly of the genus Alca, was a large, flightless alcid that became extinct in the mid-19th century. It was the only modern species in the genus Pinguinus, a group of birds that formerly included one other species of flightless giant auk from the Atlantic Ocean...
. In December, 1873 Milne accompanied Dr.
Charles Tilstone Beke
Charles Tilstone Beke
Charles Tilstone Beke was an English traveller, geographer and Biblical critic. Born in Stepney, London, the son of a merchant in the City of London, for a few years Beke engaged in mercantile pursuits...
on an expedition to determine the true location of Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai , also known as Mount Horeb, Mount Musa, Gabal Musa , Jabal Musa meaning "Moses' Mountain", is a mountain near Saint Catherine in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. A mountain called Mount Sinai is mentioned many times in the Book of Exodus in the Torah and the Bible as well as the Quran...
in northwest Arabia. He took the opportunity to study the geology of the Sinai Peninsula
Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt about in area. It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, and is the only part of Egyptian territory located in Asia as opposed to Africa, effectively serving as a land bridge between two...
and passed on a collection of fossils to the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
.
Career in Japan (1875–1895)
Milne was hired by the Meiji government of the Empire of JapanEmpire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
as a foreign advisor
O-yatoi gaikokujin
The Foreign government advisors in Meiji Japan, known in Japanese as oyatoi gaikokujin , were those foreign advisors hired by the Japanese government for their specialized knowledge to assist in the modernization of Japan at the end of the Bakufu and during the Meiji era. The term is sometimes...
and professor of mining and geology at the Imperial College of Engineering
Imperial College of Engineering
The Imperial College of Engineering was founded as a university at Tokyo in 1873, though its predecessor the existed from 1871. The name "Kobu Daigakko" dates from 1877. In modern-day parlance it would have been called an institute of technology....
in Tokyo from 8 March 1876, where he worked under Henry Dyer
Henry Dyer
Henry Dyer was a Scottish engineer who contributed much to founding Western-style technical education in Japan and Anglo-Japanese relations.- Early life :...
and with William Edward Ayrton
William Edward Ayrton
-See also:*Henry Dyer*John Milne*Anglo-Japanese relations...
and John Perry
John Perry (engineer)
John Perry was a pioneering engineer and mathematician from Ireland. He was born on February 14, 1850 at Garvagh, County Londonderry, the second son of Samuel Perry and a Scottish-born wife....
. Partly from a sense of adventure and partly because he suffered from seasickness, he travelled overland across Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
taking three months to reach Tokyo.
In 1880, Sir James Alfred Ewing
James Alfred Ewing
Sir James Alfred Ewing KCB FRS FRSE MInstitCE was a Scottish physicist and engineer, best known for his work on the magnetic properties of metals and, in particular, for his discovery of, and coinage of the word, hysteresis.It was said of Ewing that he was 'Careful at all times of his appearance,...
, Thomas Gray
Thomas Lomar Gray
Thomas Lomar Gray was a Scottish engineer noted for his pioneering work in seismology.-Early life:Born in Lochgelly, Fife, Scotland, Gray graduated in 1878 from the University of Glasgow with a B.Sc. in engineering...
and John Milne, all British scientists working in Japan, began to study earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
s following a very large tremor which struck the Yokohama area that year. They founded the Seismological Society of Japan
Seismological Society of Japan
The or SSJ is a learned society with the goal of advancing the understanding of earthquakes and other seismic phenomena.-History:...
(SSJ). The society funded the invention of seismographs to detect and measure the strength of earthquakes. Although all three men worked as a team on the invention and use of seismographs, John Milne is generally credited with the invention of the horizontal pendulum seismograph in 1880. Milne's instruments permitted him to detect different types of earthquake waves, and estimate velocities. In addition, the foreign professors trained Japanese students including Seikei Sekiya who would become, at the Imperial University, the first professor of seismology at any university in the world and his successor, Fusakichi Omori
Fusakichi Omori
was a pioneer Japanese seismologist, second chairman of seismology at the Imperial University of Tokyo and president of the Japanese Imperial Earthquake Investigation Committee.-Education:...
who refined Milne's instruments to detect and record finer vibrations.
Order of the Rising Sun
In June, 1895, Milne was commanded to attend a meeting with His Imperial Majesty Emperor Mutsuhito and following this, returned to England. Soon after his arrival he learned that the Emperor had conferred upon him a rare distinction, The Third Grade of the Order of the Rising SunOrder of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
and a life pension of 1,000 yen. This was in recognition of Professor Milne's contributions to seismology during his long residence in Japan.
Contributions to Anthropology
In addition to his work on seismologySeismology
Seismology is the scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth or through other planet-like bodies. The field also includes studies of earthquake effects, such as tsunamis as well as diverse seismic sources such as volcanic, tectonic, oceanic,...
, from 1882 John Milne was also contributing to the world of anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
. He helped develop theories on where the Ainu
Ainu people
The , also called Aynu, Aino , and in historical texts Ezo , are indigenous people or groups in Japan and Russia. Historically they spoke the Ainu language and related varieties and lived in Hokkaidō, the Kuril Islands, and much of Sakhalin...
of northern Japan came from, and theories on the racial background of the prehistoric peoples of Japan in general. After having actually excavated for several years in the Omori
Omori
is a district located a few kilometres south of Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan accessed by rail via the Keihin Tohoku line, or by road via Dai Ichi Keihin. Ōmorikaigan, the eastern area of Ōmori, can be reached via the Keikyu line....
shell mound, John Milne introduced the conception of the Koropok-guru race, racially linked with the Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
. The word Koropok-guru came from an Ainu word meaning “the man under the rhubarb,” i.e. a small person. An Ainu legend concerning the existence of such a people seems to have been first reported by Milne. However, Milne believed that only in Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
were prehistoric sites of the Koropok-guru people. For northeastern Japan proper, he subscribed to the tradition which assigned prehistoric sites to the Ainu, who lived in pits and made stone implements and pottery. He considered the inhabitants of the Kurile Islands, Sakhalin
Sakhalin
Sakhalin or Saghalien, is a large island in the North Pacific, lying between 45°50' and 54°24' N.It is part of Russia, and is Russia's largest island, and is administered as part of Sakhalin Oblast...
and southern Kamchatka to be of a different race, though possibly one related to the Koropok-guru. He anticipated the work of later scientists who in actual materials recovered recognized different prehistoric cultures for Hokkaidō and northeastern Japan.
His first cousin William Scoresby Routledge
William Scoresby Routledge
William Scoresby Routledge was a British ethnographer, anthropologist and adventurer. With his wife, Katherine Routledge, he completed the first ethnographies of the Kikuyu and the people of Rapa Nui .-Early life:...
related to him though his mother, Emma Twycross, was also an anthropologist. Along with his wife Katherine Routledge
Katherine Routledge
Katherine Maria Routledge, née Pease was a British archaeologist who initiated the first true survey of Easter Island....
they worked in the early twentieth century in both East Africa with the Kikuyu and on Easter Island
Easter Island
Easter Island is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian triangle. A special territory of Chile that was annexed in 1888, Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapanui people...
(Rapa Nui)
Career in England (1895–1913)
After a fire on 17 February 1895 destroyed his home, observatory, library, and many of his instruments. Milne resigned his posts on 20 June 1895 and returned to England with his Japanese wife, settling at Shide Hill House, ShideShide, Isle of Wight
Shide is a small settlement on the Isle of Wight, some of which is considered to be in the Newport conurbation. Shide Hill House which is the white house near the top of St. George's Lane was the retirement home of Professor John Milne , inventor of the horizontal pendulum seismograph after he...
, on the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
, where he continued his seismographic studies. He was made a professor emeritus of Tokyo Imperial University. Shide Hill House is located near the top of St. George's Lane,it is now a private residence.
Milne persuaded the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
to fund 20 earthquake observatories around the world, equipped with his horizontal pendulum seismographs. His network initially included seven in England, three in Russia, two in Canada (one in Toronto and one in Victoria British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, three on the east coast of the United States, and one in Antarctica, eventually growing to total 40 worldwide. These stations sent their 'station registers' to Milne, where the data formed the basis of Milne's researches. For the next 20 years, Milne’s seismological observatory was the world headquarters for earthquake seismology.
In 1898, Milne (with W. K. Burton
W. K. Burton
William Kinnimond Burton was a British engineer, photographer and photography writer, born in Edinburgh, Scotland, who lived most of his career in Meiji period Japan.-Early life:...
), published Earthquakes and Other Earth Movements, which came to be regarded as a classic textbook on earthquakes.
The need for international exchange of readings was soon recognized by Milne in his annual "Shide Circular Reports on Earthquakes" published from 1900 to 1912. This work was destined to develop in the International Seismological Summary
International Seismological Summary
-Earthquake Catalog :The International Seismological Summary is the most comprehensive global earthquake catalog for the time period between 1918 and 1963...
being set up immediately after the First World War.
Milne died of Bright's disease
Bright's disease
Bright's disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that would be described in modern medicine as acute or chronic nephritis. The term is no longer used, as diseases are now classified according to their more fully understood causes....
on 31 July 1913 and is buried in St. Paul's Church, Newport
St. Paul's Church, Newport
St. Paul's Church, Newport is a parish church in the Church of England located in Barton, Isle of Wight and Newport, Isle of Wight.-History:The church dates from 1844 by the architect J. W. Wild and was built on Staplers Road in Barton, Newport...
.
External links
- John Milne on Tokyo University library website (Japanese, includes photographs)
- Earthquakes – A Seismograph Measures Earthquakes at inventors.about.com
- John Milne the man who mapped the shaking earth
- http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-7294%28193701%2F03%292%3A39%3A1%3C23%3AAOOTCT%3E2.0.CO%3B2-L