British seismologist and mining engineer, born at Liverpool on the 30th of December 1850, and educated at King’s College, London, afterwards studying at the Royal School of Mines. He then worked as a mining engineer in Newfoundland and Labrador, and in 1874 went as geologist with Dr. Beke’s expedition to northwestern Arabia. In 1875 he was appointed professor of geology and mining in the Imperial Engineering College at Tokyo, and for nearly twenty years made his home in Japan, marrying a Japanese lady. Prof. Milne made a special study of seismology and was recognized as the first authority on the subject. He travelled widely in the East in pursuit of his researches, and about 1880 established the seismic survey of Japan, with 968 stations. He also invented or perfected various forms of seismograph. In 1894 his books and instruments were destroyed by fire, and he returned to England, settling at Shide, I. of Wight, where he established an observing station. During the ensuing years he was largely responsible for the establishment of seismological stations throughout the world, in connection with his work as secretary of the seismological committee of the British Association. He published two standard works, Earthquakes (1883) and Seismology (1898), besides books on scientific mining and crystallography and many papers in scientific journals. He died at Shide on the 30th of July 1913.
