The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-07-17 00:00:00

THE EARTHQUAKE IN SWITZERLAND.

A Geneva correspondent writes to the Daily News:
—" The earthquake of Sunday appears to have been
one of the most serious and extensive which has hap-
pened in Switzerland for several years. Originating i
in some point on the eastern slopes of the Simplon, t
seems to have effected the whole of the Penine Alps,
was felt as far north as Berne, as far east as Geneva,
and as far south as the Matterhorn. The chief seat
of the disturbance was in the valley of the Upper
Rhone. A gentleman writing from Virp to a local
paper says he was going on Sunday to the Brieg
station at 9.20 am. to meet the ten o'clock train,
when he heard a noise which he at first took for that
of the expected train, though he knew he was
much too soon for it. This report was followed by
other sounds as if rocks were falling from the moun•
tain which overlooks Brieg to the north, or a flock of
gigantic birds was flying overhead. He could also hear,
although still on the road, the (mashing of crockery in
the neighbouring houses, which seemed to be accom-
panied, rather than preceded, by several distinct
oscillations of the ground. People ran in .great alarm
from their dwellings. The postmaster's House was
split from top to bottom, and many other buildings
were much shaken. In the village the cross of a
chapel fell in the street and killed a child. At Virp
also the shock was very violent. It occurred while
the people were in church, and, as may be supposed,
produced a veritable panic, and several people were
rather badly crushed in attempting to escape by the
single door of the edifice. At Louecho-les-Bains the
oscillation was heralded by subterranean thunder.
Several huge rocks were detached from the sides of
the Gemmd. At Bienne, where also the shock was
much felt, a woman was killed by the falling of a tile
from the roof of a house. In Geneva the shock was
felt only in the upper stories of houses situated near
the lake, and was therefore noticed by comparatively
few persons."

Further accounts of the earthquake (says a Times
telegram), prove it to have been one of the most
severe and widespread which has happened in Switzer-
land for several years. It was felt in the Central and
Penine Alps, at Berne, Zurich, Payerne, Andermatt,
on the Lake of Lucerne, in the Bernese Oberland, in
the cantons of Geneva and Vaud, and doubtlers in
Savoy. The principal seat of disturbance was in the
Valais, in the neighbourhoodof Virp and Brieg. In
both places the shock was preceded and accompanied
by aerial noises and underground detonations. An oc-
ourrence.which may be partially or wholly attributable
to the rude shakings which Switzerland-has recently
undergone, is reported from Quarten, in the canton
of St. Gall. A short time ago the people of the
neighbourhood noticed signs of uneasiness about
the Schnebelberg. The summit of the mountain
appeared to be in a very precarious position, and it
was feared that it might slip down and overwhelm
the Schnebelwald, an extensive wood in the valley
below. In anticipation of a possible catastrophe,
great efforts were made to cut down and carry away
as many trees as posssible, though the men engaged
in the work wrought at the peril of their lives. On
Sunday week, when fortunately there was nobody in
the wood; a deafening report, like the firing of heavy
artillery, resounded through the valley, and the
mountain was hidden from view by a thick cloud of
dust. When it dispersed, the Schnebelberg was seen
to be shorter by a few metros, and the beautiful wood
in the Murgthal had disappeared beneath a huge
avalanche of stones and earth.