William J. Spain Seismology Observatory at Fordham University
William J. Spain Seismology Observatory at Fordham University
Adjunct College Professor at Marist College
When a magnitude 7.5 earthquake in Alaska struck with enough power to generate a tsunami warning. Scientists all around the world compiled extensive data from many international sources concerning this frightening event. Included in their analysis were seismic recordings from Fordham University’s Observatory. A seismic station developed chiefly by the contributions of two extraordinary men.
The William J. Spain Seismic Observatory, on the university's Rose Hill campus, in The Bronx, rests approximately 5,000 miles from the epicenter of this sudden, earth shaking release of energy in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands region. Despite the great distance, the seismology center provided valuable information as it has continued to do for over 100 years.
Fordham is not an institution that you might typically think of for this very nuanced, capital-intensive field of investigation. But The Jesuits have had a long history working in this field. According to an article in the Seismology Society of America Journal: The first seismographic station installed by Jesuits was about 1868 in the Observatory of Manila. In 1909 sixteen identical horizontal Wiechert seismographs of 80 kg mass were purchased in Germany and were distributed to fifteen colleges in the United States and one in Canada.
In fact, the university doesn’t have a geology department. But because of the unique rock-formations, in that part of The Bronx, and the generosity brought on by a school tragedy, the oldest observatory in the region, as well as one of the oldest in the United States, was developed.
"(It is) best with contact to underground bedrock.” explained Stephen Holler, PhD, Associate Professor of Physics and literally the keeper-of-the-keys for the observatory, “In this part of The Bronx, the bedrock, is exposed near the surface on the campus as well as the nearby New York Botanical Gardens and Bronx Zoo.
The superstructure of the observatory was a beautiful quadrangular Gothic building of native gneiss ( metamorphic rock) which was quarried from the excavations for the Grand Concourse Subway station.* It included a flat roof, turreted ledge and two smaller wings, which extended the building into an oblong structure approximately 40 feet by 20 feet. A concrete pier was sunk to the bedrock. This is essential for obtaining proper, accurate readings.
On April 3rd, 1922, William Spain Jr. died as a sophomore at Fordham. His father, William J. Spain Sr., a late 19th Century Irish immigrant, famous hurler and Gaelic footballer, donated the seismic observatory. It was erected to the memory of his son. Spain graciously assumed all the expenses including donating a new set of three electro-magnetic seismographs, two horizontal components and vertical component(s).
The building was opened in October of 1924. At the dedication ceremony, the building was blessed by Bishop John Collins S.J. (after whom the Collins Auditorium was named). The prayer used at the ceremony blessing was sent over from The Vatican and has since become the official prayer to be used at any future Blessing of Seismic Observatories anywhere in the world. In addition, Pope Pius XI sent over a bronze plaque; which depicts a 4th Century Roman Bishop, St. Emidio, who performed rescue work-some deemed miraculous-after a tragic Italian earthquake during his time.
The 3rd Time or the 3rd location seems to be the charm
Originally located by the slope across from where the softball field currently stands, near Faber Hall, it was moved two years later, “since the rock on which the observatory had been built, sloped off or down rather sharply.” According to Professor Holler.
As a result, the pier developed a decided daily tilt or sway, mostly as a result of thermal expansion caused by the sun's rays. The lines on the record-which should be straight lines-wandered all over in response to the pier's tilt. The recording of an earthquake, during such wandering, was nearly impossible. The observatory was moved in one piece on soaped beams. Those supporting beams of the observatory were slid a few feet at a time. The new site chosen, known as Rose Hill, was an outcrop of (bed)rock that comes to the surface.
Moving the seismology station under the direction of J. Joseph Lynch, S.J.
In the 1930s, the University made the decision to create a more powerful structure on the site known as Rose Hill. Although generally referred to as the collective name of Fordham’s Bronx campus, its specific location, complete with previously mentioned exposed bedrock, lies below the Gothic-Stone structure and internationally known clock tower, at the centerpiece of the campus-named Keating Hall.
To make room for this construction, the seismology station would be moved once again. Now it rests at its current location just off Edwards Parade Ground.
Building a Support Structure to Last
To take care of the seismographs, specifically to avoid corrosion, an underground vault some 40 feet by 20 feet, was first blasted out of the rock. This vault was lined with concrete walls and a roof one foot thick. Buried deep in the ground it created a dark soundproofed repository
The top of this 10 feet high vault, ended 6 ft. below the surface level of the ground. This depth was necessary to maintain a constant temperature (65 degrees Fahrenheit during Winter & Summer). Any use of artificial heat would impact the sensitive instrument readings.
From the earliest days of earthquake recording, annoying, disturbing ground waves were observed periodically on seismograph outcomes. “When the waves from an earthquake roll into an observatory, superimposed angry ground waves make it almost impossible to decipher the quake.” Wrote Father John Joseph Lynch, S.J., who directed Fordham’s seismology center for over 30 years and in 1946, designed an observatory for the Dominican Republic to give warning of earthquakes. “Heavy commuter trains from the neighboring New York Central (now Metro-North rail lines) all leave their distinctive record and can be identified.” Father Lynch, also encouraged the class of 1924, as Sophomores, to donate the first modem addition to the Station in the form of a horizontal seismograph with optical recording.
To avoid the interference of the Big City, including the then active 3rd Avenue el train, a new station was set up at the Jesuit Seminary, College of St. Andrew, in Hyde Park, NY (which is now the main campus of the Culinary Institute of America).
“Not only were readings affected by traffic and trains.” added Doctor Holler, “They had horses to eat the grass rather than have lawnmowers disturb readings.”
Stephen Holler obtained his Doctorate in Applied Physics from Yale University and joined the faculty of Fordham in 2011.
Rev. J. Joseph Lynch, SJ: An Immigrant Story
Father Lynch was born in London. He joined the Society of Jesus and was sent to study the physical sciences in the Netherlands and at Oxford University. He once likened the earth to a ''bowl of Jell-O'' and said that New York City was just ''writing her autograph'' each day at rush hour. He came to Fordham in 1920 where he began work on the university's seismic observatory and served as a professor of seismology and mathematics until 1967. At the New York World's Fair in 1939 and again in 1940 an extensive seismological exhibit was set up with an attendant in charge daily from 10 a.m. until 10 pm. Some 3,000,000 people visited the exhibit.
Among his lifetime of dedication to causes both geological and religious, in 1951, he conducted seismic tests in Rome to help Vatican Officials search for the tomb of St. Peter. Described in a March 1954 article in Pageant magazine as “six-feet-two with a broad, trim build.” Since the age of nine, Lynch was without the tips of his first two fingers, on the right hand, because of an accident on his Aunt’s farm, in Ireland, while playing near a thrashing machine.
Father Lynch holds a graph which may have recorded China's 1st atomic bomb detonation.
In his memories, Watching our Trembling World for 50 Years, Lynch recounts an incident in 1929. He spied a running car, near present day Finlay Resident Hall (then the Chemistry Building) with its lights out after 10 PM. It proved to be two bootleggers. They had imported bulk liquor in barges brought up the nearby Harlem River. It was bottled and likely diluted under a Grecian stage on the Southeast corner of Edwards Parade ground, then used for graduation ceremonies. As the tall priest approached, the intruders tried to flee in their “darkened car”. He Jumped in the car, via the back seat. Despite the criminals efforts to knock Father Lynch from the vehicle, he held his position and was taken for a gangland style ride through the then relatively deserted swamps of The Bronx.
After some negotiation, the apparently unarmed bootleggers agreed to return the Jesuit to campus.
If true, Father Lynch concludes this tale with a bit of a comic narrative:
“The bootleg era … gave rise to gangland murders ... to much bad liquor, but to many good stories. It was by no means agreed among theologians whether the Prohibition Law was a moral law or merely penal. Newly ordained neophytes (priests) were therefore sometimes on the spot. A young curate, with one such offender in the confessional box, excused himself and asked an experienced pastor for guidance. ‘Father, I have a bootlegger in the confessional, what should I give him?’ The answer came back at once, ‘don’t give him more than four dollars a quart.”
William J. Spain: An Immigrant Story
William J Spain Sr. (September 3, 1865–April 9, 1936) was a famous Irish hurler and Gaelic footballer. He was the first player to win All Ireland hurling and football medals. He played Gaelic football with the Limerick senior inter-county team in the 1880s. Spain also played hurling with the CJ Kickhams club. Spain emigrated to the United States in April 1890. Spain played in an exhibition Gaelic football game in Madison Square Gardens in December 1890 for New York Gaelic who beat Port Chester Sarsfields.
Spain settled in New York and became a very successful silk merchant. He married Margaret Shanahan and they had two children. His son William died aged twenty while a student at Fordham University. His daughter Mary married Herbert Weston and they had a daughter Melissa who married Thomas Bancroft Jr.
William J Spain died at his holiday home in Florida on April 9, 1936. (Courtesy of William J. Spain Wikipedia Page)
*The 5 train on White Plains Road opened in 1920 and may be a better materials source?
There is a lot more to the history of Fordham and seismology. Check out the Pinterest link to meet other early directors of the observatory; photos of the World’s Fair Exhibits (1939-40) as well as a Seismology PinBall game: https://www.pinterest.fr/bergin0639/fordham-seismology/
The Fordham University Seismic Station, New York, New York, St Louis University Archives, Monograph, J.Joseph Lynch, SJ
nytimes.com › 1987/05/17 the rev. j. joseph lynch, 92; noted scholar of seismology
Pageant Magazine, 1954, Vol. 9 No. 9
Seismology Society of America, (from Seismological Research Letters, Vol. 67, No. 3, pp. 10-19; May/June 1996)
Watching Our Trembling World For 50 Years, J. Joseph Lynch, SJ © 1970.
William J. Spain, Wikipedia page
