The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-05-03 00:00:00

THE RECENT EARTHQUAKE.

On Saturday a deputation of members of Parlia-
ment and other gentlemen waited upon the Lord
Mayor of London at the Mansion House for the
purpose of asking his lordship to open a Mansion
House fund in relief of the sufferers by the recent
earthquake in Essex and the eastern counties. The
deputation consisted, amongst others, of Sir Charles
Du Cane, Sir Henry Tyler, M.P., Mr. James Round,
M.P., Mr. Causton, M.P., Mr. E. T. Round, the
Mayor and Town Clerk of Colchester, Mr. S. Chaplin,
Mr. Charles Mare, the Rev. Dr. Baillie, Mr. Willis,
Q.C., MP., Mr. J. Jackson of Wivenhoe Hall, Mr.
Coope, M.P., Mr. Courtauld M.P., Hon. C. 11. Strutt,
M.P., Mr. Percy Mitford, Mr. H. J. Trotter, Mr. J.
BoWtree, and Mr. F. B. Philbrick.
Sir Charles Du Cane, in introducing the deputation,
said their object was to ask the Lord Mayor to be
kind enough to allow a subscription list to be opened
at the Mansion House for the relief of the numerous
sufferers who had sustained heavy losses by the shock
of earthquake which had been felt in the eastern
counties and around Colchester, especially on Tuesday
last. The photographs which his lordship had
before him gave a vivid impression of the terrible
damage which had occurred through this visitation.
Not only had great damage been done in Colchester
and the immediate neighbourhood, but four large
villages had been almost completely wrecked, their
churches and public buildings destroyed, and in other
places there was not a single house which had
escaped damage. The calamity would fall with
peculiar heaviness on those least able to bear it. If
the loss had been confined to Colchester, no appeal
would have been made to the general public; but it
fell upon cottagers and villagers, who without such
assistance were utterly unable to meet the losses
which had befallen them. In these circumstances
they thought it was a matter which would commend
itself to the sympathy of the Lord Mayor and the
citizens at large, and that they would show that
sympathy in a calamity brought very near to their
own doors in a practical way.
Mr. Round, M.P., referred to the exceptional
character of the shock, stating that every public and
private building throughout the tract of country ex-
tending along the Colne and between Wivenhoe and
Mersea Island had been injured, and in seine cases
wrecked. They did not, however, desire to bring
under his lordship's notice particularly the case of
the larger landlords who had been almost ruined. It
was the case of the small cottagers who owned the
cottages they occupied that they desired to draw at-
tention to, and they had been involved in great mis-
fortune by this exceptional calamity..
The Mayor of Colchester informed:the Lord Mayor
of the great damage done in Colchester and in the
villages of Wigbourne and Peldon, and particularly
in the villages lying between Colchester and the
Mersea Island; and
The Rev. Mr. Watson spoke of his experience of
the earthquake at Great and Little Wigbourno, and
of the damage done to the church there and at Pei-
don, and to other buildings public and private.
Mr. 0. Coope, M.P., who had come fresh from the
districts in which the disaster had occurred, stated
that one or two of the villages had the appearance of
having undergone a bombardment.
Mr. Jackson, of Wivenhoe, said that the damage
done in that and the two adjoining villages would ex-
ceed £90,40.
Mr. Willis, M.P., and Mr. Edward Round having
also spoken,
The Lord Mayor said: I have listened with very
great irterest to the sad statements which have been
made, and I think this is a case which certainly
appeals very strongly to the public sympathy. The
last occasion on which my predecessor appealed to the
public was in respect of a similar calamity—the earth-
quake at Ischia—about eight or nine months ago.
That was a very sad calamity, and though this one
was not near SO severe, there are circumstances about
it which will justify me in opening a Mansion House
fund. Colchester and the district around are so near
to London that this comes very much home to our
own doors. Indeed, we are told that some people in
London felt the shock. As one of the speakers had
stated, had the earthquake occurred in London instead
of the comparatively sparsely populated country the
consequences would have been very terrible, and
the thought of this should commend the appeal to
the public. In England we have visitations of
various kinds, and occasionally large fires bringing
distress to a large number of persons and leaving
them homeless; but hitherto, I am happy to say, we
have been exempt from earthquakes. It has been
thought that they were confined either to tropical
countries or climates lying far south of England.
This, then, is a new experience in England. It is
quite true that we have had very slight shocks before,
but this is the first time that one has occurred causing
very considerable damage. This consideration also ought
to weigh with the public in inducing them to give a
very liberal response to the appeal I am making in
behalf of those who have suffered so largely. I need
not say that anything which I can do to assist the
fund I shall gladly do, and. I ellen be very pleased to
place the Mansion House at your disposal.
Mr. Causton, M.P., thanked the Lord Mayor
warmly for acceding to the request of the deputation,
and stated that Mr. S. Morley, M.P., had promised
£lOO, and that letters of sympathy had been received
from Colonel Makins, M.P., Mr. Gurdon, M.P., Sir
T. F. Buxton, and Mr. E. N. Buxton.
The Hon. C. H. Strutt, M.P., also thanked the
Lord Mayor, who, in reply, said that he had received
£lOO from the Earl of Essex.
A subscription list was at once opened and it was
announced at the close of the proceedings that upwards
, of £7OO had been received.