The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-03-25 00:00:00

EARTHQUAKE IN THE NORTH OF
ENGLAND.

The Times has collected the following information respect-
ing the earthquake that occurred in the northern counties of
England on Friday uhstit in last
. . .

" Our Carlisle correspondent write's that the accounts
from various parts of the c 'nutty agree that there
were more shocks than one. The tint was much less
severe than the second, which occurred a few minutes
afterwards. At Silloth and Aapatria, 20 miles west
and north-west of Carlisle, the windows of houses were
shaken with alarming violence. A gentleman who
resides near Aspatria states that he felt the floor of the
room in which he was sitting heave, the piano was
perceptibly moved, and a statuette upon it was rocked
so much that it was nearly overturned. At Castle
Canock, on the eastern aide of the county, the windows
were severely shaken, and the experiences of inhabi-
tants of the southern districts about Penrith were of a
similar nature. In Carlisle the trembling of the earth
was distinctly felt in various parts of the city, preceded
or accompanied by a loud rumbling noise resembling
the sound of distant thunder or of a cart rattling over
a stoney street. It was noticed in several places that
cage birds were much alarmed, and at Hutton-hall,
near Penrith, the pheasants in the adjoining preserves
made so much commotion that their unusual move-
ments attracted the notice of the Inmates of the hall.
No damage has been reported.
"About three or four minutes past eleven on Friday
night a smart shock was experienced over the Lake
district. The effect was sudden and the agitation
powerful, but of short duration. It was accompanied
by a sound as if a heavy goods train passed at ex-
press speed, and the shock was followed by a rushing
wind which quickly died away. Articles of furniture
rocked fearfully, and many persons who had retired to
rest sprung out of bed in the greatest alarm, expecting
the houses they occupied to fall. The recent gun-
powder explosions suggested an accident at one or
other of these manufactories, and one man actually
ran two miles partially dressed to satisfy himself that
the works in which he was interested were not des-
troyed. The shock lasted 15 or 20 seconds, and ap-
Tears to have extended over a wide area. Lancaster
Castle is said to have been damaged so much as to need
repairs. Opinion differ as the course taken by the
wave, but those who were sufficiently calm and self-
possessed to be observant, and feel a scientific interest
in the phenomenon, considered the earthquake
travelled front east to west. The vibration was so
powerful that beds were lifted, and persons standing
were thrown on the floor, During last week there
has been a heavy fall of snow in the Lake district,
and two or three nights of sharp frost, but at the
time of this cecurrence the night was tine and the air
mild and moist. On the 15th of February, 18115 an
earthquake occurred on the sea-coast of Furness, at
Rarnpiside and Barrow-ins Furness. when great excite.
ment was produced and considerable damage dune to
buildings in the neighbourhood, besides the formation of
immense cracks and holes in the land and on the sands.
The earthquake wave at that time was ascertained to
have gone from south-east to north-west, and extended
over an area of about seven square miles. On Friday
it is asserted by several persons that shocks were felt
about noon,f and again In the evening, about six
o'clock. It was difficult touscount for these sounds and
vibrations until after the more severe shaking at eleven,
but the experience of the latter convinced these per-
sons that the sensations of the earlier part of the day
were due to the same mysterious cause. Criessof the
pheasants' in the woods were heard for solllt3 time after
the event, and doge gave unmistakeable evidence of
alarm. . . . .

"A correspondent writes that at Kendal the first ' I
shock occurred about twenty minutes past six in the
evening. It was sicaompaniel by a low rumbling noise I
like what might be produced by the passing of a
heavily-laden waggon, but there was not much vibra-
tion, and, generally, the occurrence did not attract
much notice. About a quarter past eleven, however, a
most severe shock was experienced, throwing down in
two or three cases flower-pots on window sills, and this 1
time the violent vibration of the earth occasioned great ,
alarm—so much so that numbers of people started '
from their beds and rushed half-dressed into the streets r
to ascertain what was the cause of the concussion. At I
first it was attributed to a supposed explosion of same ,
of the powder-works in the neighbourhood, and the '
telegraph was at once set in motion to ascertain if any-
thing of the kind had happened ; but, as nothing could
be learnt of any explosion having occurred, people
forthwith concluded that it was a shock of earthquake.
"Mr. Farquhar writes to us from Grasmere that the
inhabitants were disturbed on Saturday evening by two
shocks of earthquake. The first occurred at about 20
minutes to 7 pot., the second at about 11 p.m. Each
was accompanied I y sounds and motion of similar
kinds, but the last was much the more severe of the
two. A loud boom, as if an immense explosion had
occurred, at a distance of, say, live miles, preceded the
first shock, which moved apparently from east to west ;
the same phenomena, though far more decided, occur.
log on the second occasion, with a great jingling of
crockery, shaking of windows, and barking of dogs.
Another shock subsequently occurred.
"At Preston the shock was very keenly felt, and it
created very much confusion and alarm. People he.
longing to all classes, the intelligent as well as the
illiterate, seemed to be completely bewildered by it.
Souse rushed out of their houses fancying that adjoin.
big buildings had fallen in or that there had been a
great explosion in the town; others had an idea that a
sudden storm had arisen ; not a few suspected that
their premises were being broken into or mischievously
, tampered with • while the more timid and ignorant
persons got an idea into their heads that the world was
coming to an end, and they began to pray and ejaculate
in a most earnest fashion.
" At Bamber-bridge some of the houses wore, it is
reported, shaken terribly ; ' at Walton-le-Dale walls,
doors Sic , oscillated remarkably; at Ashton-on-
Ribble the vibration was particularly strong, one gen•
Liman whom our correspondent saw stating that his
house rocked and heaved as if it were going to tumble
to the ground. In Longridge and Alston there was
much consternation.
"On the south-western border of Lancashire,
ranging from Ormskirk to Longton, the reports we
have received chow that the shock of earthquake was
most palpably felt, and that it was accompanied with
many of the ',Ages and scenes before mentioned.
"Round the Fylde of Lancashire, and across it
from Kirkham to Garstang, the shock was in several
places experienced. Farmers, their wives and servants,
were all thrown into a state of excitement, wondering
what hail happened, and it was not until they reached
some of the market towns on Saturday that they be-
came acquainted with the nature of the phenomenon.
In Blackmail and the neighbourhood the action of the
, earthquake was noticed by numerous persons. It VMS
i very violent in some parts, glass and crockery having
I been throwni 11 shelves and broken.
I" in the Tyne, west of Newcastle, the earthquake,
about half-past eleven o'clock on Friday night, shook
the windows and doors of many of the houses. It was
very distinctly felt in the large manufacturing village
; of Blay don, arid, indeed, all up Tyneaide. Several
families jumped out of bed in great alarm through the
noise occasioned by the rattling of the lighter articles
lof furniture. The shock was felt in Newcastle and
Sunderland, but lees distinctly than in the neighbour-
' lag villager. The weather on Saturday afternoon
i became suddenly warm in Newcsstle, and more re. 1
I sembled that of June than March. It had been cold
1 and bleak during the week, with occasional snow
1 showers.
1 "It was about noon on Saturday before the in.
habitants of Leeds made up their minds that the town
1 on the preceding night had experienced the shock of
I an earthquake. It may be inferred that the phenomenon
I WM not very startling. At about 1115 p.m. on Friday
a slight tremor of the earth was percsiiied—eo slight
that it would not have attracted notice had it not been
almort immediately succeeded by a more unmistakable
agitation or vibration of the ground.
"At York some persons were awolse by the rattling
of doors and windows and crockery, and several who
had not retired to rest rushed into the street, fearing
that some catastrophe had occurred.
"At Manchester the oscillations are described as
, producing only a slight, though perceptible tremor.
, At Singleton Brook, near the city, the first shock was
felt at precisely six minutes to eleven. A resident says
that the windows of his house were violently shaken,
as though a heavy vehicle was passing along the road.
Several inmates of the house remarked the effeet as
peculiar, hut it did not than suggest the idea of an
earthquake, and had nothing further occurred the irrii
pression produced would have been forgotten. About
; five minutes past eleven, however, the noise was again
heard, accompanied ashefore, by a tremulous motion.
i This time the effect was much more marked and con
sinuous. All the inmates of the house (nine in number)
s were in bed, and each felt the shock. At first the am-
session produced was morely that of trembling, which
lasted for, perhaps, two seconds. This was succeeded
i by a slight pante of about WI a woad, and then the

exactly like heaving of a ship at anchor, g 0... .
the same sharp and sudden check to the motion.
The time occupied by the second shock was abiut for
seconds.

- ';ite the hew

lior, and with

"A correspondent at Bowdon, near Manchevter,
says he had just retired to bed when, exactly at
11'4 p.m., Greenwich time, he experienced the tree
mulous motion peculiar to an earthquake. lie adds
that the shock lasted as nearly as possible 12 seconds,
and that the course of the earthquake was from north.
east to south-west.
"The earthquake was felt at Doncaster and the
neighbourhood on Friday night about 10'10 p.m. The
vibrations lasted a few sec sids, and were strong enough
to shake the windows, beds, and other articles of fur-
niture."

Referring to the Earthquake, the Pall Mall Ga:atc
remarks

The oeeurrenee of an earthquake In the north of lingland
will no doubt call general attention to the bowels of the
earth, and (recite some anxiety in nervous circles It must,
however, be remembered that the atmospheric changes which
accompany earthquakes Immediately affeot the nervous
system and have a direct physical tendency to Impair the
intellectual power.. According to Cosier, " tue augmenta-
tion d olectrioilo s'y manifesto miss] presque tonjours, et tin
soot geueralement anoonces parts mugissement doe beetlaux,
par Tinquietude des animaun domestiques, et duos les
hommes par cette sorte do malalle qqi en Europe precide
lee orages dens let personnes nerveuses." The effect of this
late earthquake will probably be the reappearance of many
old friends of whom we have seen but little for some time
The gentleman who " was awakened by his wife" and heard
the windows d istluctly rattle is sure to come forth; also aeveral
weather prophets—these latter are never more in their element
than In earthquakish seasons. On the 7th of April, 1750, thou-
sands of person., inclnding many of the "upper clams,"
passed the night in their carriages and tents in Hyde Park to
avoid the effects of a shock predicted for the Bth of that
month by an espert in these matters.... There Is. however,
little cause for alarm, judging from past experience ; for
although Glastonbury was destroyed by an earthquake in
1076. yet of about 20 earthquakes that have occurred in the
British Isles none have been very serious In their results,
and dwellers iu modern houses have at lead the consolation
of reflecting that they always run the risk of their bourns
tumbling about their ears and of being hurled In the ruins—
they incur therefore no greater peril during a prevalence of
earthquakes than at ordinary seasons.

HUMILITY IN TRIUMPH.
Their conquered foe the Germans made
Under no Caudine yoke to march ;
But they themeelves trampled, calm and staid,
beneath that foe's Triumphal Arch.
Therein did they forbearance show,
And let all Europe see they knew
The honour to a !rib's, though
Aggreasl7e nation, which was dua--/,,n, h.