The Express.
London, England, 1856-11-08 00:00:00

THE EARTHQUAKE IN EGYPT.

The following are some further particulars of this
omit, se gins is a letter to Mom. Nato& Brother', of
Sunderland: . . _

" Alexandria, Oct. 17, Ifti6.
" On Sunday morning last we had an earthquake here,
' which was both severe and long. It occurred about eight
minutes to then a.m., use time • our clock was stopped at
twelve Ininstas to thno It caused no little alarm, and, for
my part, Inset say I felt more uncomfortable in my
11U. I had not been leer in bed, and was sot asleep (for I
bad been siting up reading, not feeling et ell sleepy). when
the first thing that attracted my attention was a little dog of
Mad ame's Ur it deeps in my room,which began to move about
moonily, and than felt my bed rock violently as if
dozen fellows were tagging at it. My first impression was
that some Greeks on the ground-floor were kicking up a
shindy, as they do sometime., only that the roaring noise bo-
thered no As soot as 1 put my head outside Use morqoito-
net I at ones became aware of the true state of the ease.
for the walls were moving as though they were made of
pasteboard, and the photons were moving out from the walls
and then swinging violently bark again—the walls all the
time cracking away like fan. The first thing that struck
me on seeing this was, that then wee no chance of escape,
the house would be down long before we could get out of it;
bat wodene's door opened ea the other side of the corridor,
and the called out, ' Levee yens Cite, sortes, mtge.' 1 went
and picked up all my two, put them over my arm, and
bolted ; all this tine the lime and plaster were dropping
upon us is all directions, and at this critical moment the
I went was PO frightened, end the door shook so, that she
could not unlock it for some time. Madame was calling
1 out all the time, 'Nous names perdu, nous sesames
perdue.' I certainly was of the same opinion, for,
on looking up to the lifters by the light s,f the
moon, I could see first one side go op then the
other, the walls all the tint beading and cracking in all
directions. The noise was awful—like e very heavy gale
of wind during the whole time, end the fiorr was t easier
like a ship's dick at sea. When the door wee opened into
the stairs, the poor Invest called out, Main madame noes
amine, en chemise;' however, after bailing the lolls above
stair., sod getting an newer, we all darted down the stain,
which were locking like vengeance. When we got into
the street we found our neighbours out bef re as all is
white, making very mints efforts to get on their chewing.
gowns. It took them some time before that could be
managed. The sane was very ridiculous, but not a single
individual felt ioclined to laugh just then, for it was
touch sod go. Had the shock continued a little while
longer all Alexandria would have been in nine, for
the last shod', instead of being simply undulating,
like the first and second, was a regular jerk upwards,
which is the most destructive. Properly &peskier there
woe but one shock, but there were three intervals, that is
to nay the shaking became gradually 'troupe and stronger
up to a certain point, then died away, and then become
strong *gain, and died away to a feint shake, end then come
the lest jerking, which finished off the business; it lasted
altogether upwards of two minutes. When I finished my
toilet in the streets I footed out that I was mines both stock-
' legs and boot,. As soon as the shock ceased 1 w d got
my boots, etc., put them on, end my hereon, with a stock
of cigar., prepared for may even•uolity. Al the people got
Into the of en places clear of the houses, suck as the middle
of the square, dtc , and a curious lot of costumes there were;
lots of people were wry sick, and completely done up. As
soon as I got clear of the houses I lighted up and smoked
away till daylight, when I had sone grub and went to bed,
but the 'lightest thief; made me Iran up out of my sleep ; the
nerves had been thrown off their halenee, and even after I
was asleep anything hitting the wall aroused me up for e
m meet. It was most fortunate that the weather was warm
and vaunt, otherwise loads of people would have taken
their eoliths with colds. lam not a nit worse for bring in
the stoats is bare feet arid night chin. The tkermomi ter
sad barometer were not changed at all by the earthquake.
A lot of the old houses in the Arab quarter were 'oaken
down, bet none in the European, though all show marks.
Many of than have VIVA, from top to bottom, Ours amongst
the rest. The erehitects end builders say the erects are of
no consequence unless they are ecru's, then the buildings
bee wee dangerous. I cresmt of bricks, stones, and
mortar having each an amount of elasticity ; they held out
wonderfully ; bat they say that the immune quantity of
wood seed here is the walls was what caved them from
going Kenn. At Cairo 160 houses and ewe or two mosques
have gene dawn; at Damietta the shock was not felt at all,
but we have news today that it was felt at Curls ; is Syria
these was some. Wherever it came from, some dreadful
diameter meet have occurred, for it was moot violent here,
and we are almost out of the range altogether. Thera is
gnat difference of opinion as to the duration, bat most
people make it at least two mutates, and I believe it lasted
longer."