The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-09-04 00:00:00

AFFAIRS IN BULGARIA I TERRIBLE EARTHQUAKE IN GREECE

ATHENS, Sunday.
One of the severest earthquakes felt in Greece for
many years happened here at midnight on Friday.
From Larisza to Cape Matapan, from Corfu to
Sunlum, there is scarcely a town or village which
did not feel its effects. There were three successive
shocks, lasting about 20 seconds, in a direction from
south-west to north-east. It is worthy of note that
the barometric pressure that night was less in Greece
than any other part of Europe, thus showing that
earthquakes frequently happen when atmospherical
pressure is small. The most serious effects of the
earthquake were in the south-west Peloponesus,
where whole towns have been destroyed. At Filiara
73 bodies were dug out of the ruins, and several per-
sons killed in other towns. It is feared that the
number of victims will amount to about 300. The
Government has been prompt in sending aid to the
surviving sufferers.

NAPLES, Sunday.
According to Professor Palmieri's report from the
Vesuvian Observatory it appeared that the increased
activity of the volcaiao coincides with the earthquake
in Greece of the 27th. Large masses of lava were
ejected on the same afternoon at an enormous height,
accompanied by loud rumblings, which continued up
to yesterday.
ALEXANDRIA, Sunday.
On Friday at midnight there were two shocks of
earthquake, accompanied by violent oscillations from
north-west to south-east, lasting several seconds. No
damage was done here, but at Cairo one house fell.
It is ten years since an earthquake was experienced
here, and the shock was then less violent than on the
present occasion.
ZANTE, August 28.

AU the houses in Pyrgos have been destroyed by an
earthquake. The captain of a steamer which has just
arrived here from Catacola reports that the town of
Filiatra has been entirely destroyed, and three hun-
dred persons are calculated to have perished. The
earthquake has also been felt here, not a house
having escape damage, although no loss of life has
occurred. The weather here is threatening, and indi-
cates an approaching storm. Strong earthquake
shocks have been felt all over Greece.

5.50 p.m.
For some time past extraordinary atmospherical
disturbances, excessive heat, dead calms, and unusually
high tides warned people here to prepare for some-
thing serious. At 28 minutes past eleven last night,
after a day of heavy and threatening weather, the
whole island was racked with a most violent, but
fortunately steady and undulaing earthquake, last-
ing fifteen seconds. The damage to house pro-
perty is general; but, with the exception of two
deaths from fright, no loss of life occurred. The
centre of the earthquake was in the sea, thirty miles
south-east of Zante, smashing at that point the tele-
graph cable. Information to - day confirms the
general character of this terrible visitation. In the
Mores, the town of Filiatra is reported as being entirely
destroyed and 300 lives lost. Nearly all the houses
at Catacolo and Pyrgos are destroyed, including the
Cathedral at Pyrgos. Information from towns
further inland is wanting, owing to the telegraph
lines being broken down by the shock. Patras, and
the whole of the lonian Islands, especially Corfu,
where high built houses render earthquakes more
dangerous, have more or less suffered. Reports
received from Otranto and South Italy state that the
earthquake was felt there also. The position of the
centre of this earthquake would indicate some violent
volcanic submarine agitation to the south of Zante,
and probably other shocks will follow, as the weather
still remains menacingly heavy.
ATIIENS, Aug. 28, 6 p.m.
The south-western part of the Peloponnesas, and
particularly the department of Messenia, suffered
heavily from the earthquake on Friday night. The
towns of Filiatra and Gargaliano were laid in ruins,
and according to the accountsfreceived here up to the
present, 100 persons were killed at Filiatra, and 20
Gargolians. The Greek Government has despatched
four war vessels with necessaries to relieve the in-
habitants of the suffering towns.