The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-07 00:00:00

THE E ARTHQUAKE OF YESTERDAY.

Sir,— -About 22 minutes after 3 o'clock this morn-
ing, G reenwich time, the tremor of an earthquake
was v cry perceptible here. It appeared to me that
the c iscillatory motion was from E.N.E. to W.S.W.,
lasting three seconds, or rather less. I heard no
sound whatever after the shock, but cannot say
positively whether any preceded it. The sky was
partiall y clear at the time, and the air perfectly
still. ' The sensation produced by the tremor was
very p aculiar, and different from that of ordinary
vibration.—l am, Sir, your most obedient servant,
S. R. HIND.
M.r. Bishop's Observatory, Twickenham, Oct. 6.

STOKE NEWINGTON.—I awoke this morning be-
fore it was light, and on getting out of bed looked
at my watch, which was hanging on a stand in my
bedroom, and found that it was a little over quarter
past 3. I got into bed almost immediately after-
-wards, and had scarcely laid down when I felt the
bedstead, a heavy four-post, violently shaken. The
windows of my bedroom also rattled, but not very
much. The vibrations did not last for more than
two or three seconds, but the motion was altogether
so extraordinary that I could not account for it. I
lay awake for some time afterwards, bat did not
experience any return of the vibration.

BLACKHEATH.—This morning at 20 minutes past
3 o'clock, my wife and myself, both having been
awake for some time, were startled by feeling our
bed move with an undulating motion, as if caused
by an earthquake. We instantly roused the family,
fearing an explosion of gas had taken place, but
such was not the case. One of our domestics, being
two floors above, felt the same kind of motion.
Each bed is placed north and south. There were
four very distinct shocks in the space of two seconds.
The motion was from east to west, and felt as
if four waves had succeeded each other at equal
intervals under a boat. The house is situate
on the top of the Heath, facing the Surrey Hills on
one side to the south, and London on the west.
Perhaps
the some others of your readers may have
noticed
motion. The air was perfectly still,
with a slight frost, the moon shining brightly at the

time.
EDGB
ASTON, BIRMINGEEAM.—At 3.23 this morn-
ing two shocks of earthquake were distinctly felt in
this neighbourhood. The first shock was very
slight and did not last more than five seconds; the
second shock was much more violent and shook the
house from its foundation, so much so that a brother,
who slept in an adjoining room, knocked at my
door immediately afterwards, exclaiming, " What is
up, there is such a dreadful rattle?'' and a rattle it
seemed, though there was little real noise, but
rather a sense of sound, caused by the sensation that
everything around was violently agitated. It will
lge interesting to learn whether the shock was felt
in, other localities.

WOLVERHAMPTON.--A shock of an earthquake,
or rather two shocks, closely following each other,
was felt here at 25 minutes past 3 this morning,
each lasting several seconds. The vibration in-
creased until it rattled the windows somewhat
vigorously, and then gradually died away in pul-
sations, a complete rest being alternately followed
by a slight tremor until it altogether subsided.
MARKET HARBOROUGIL—WiII you allow me to
avail myself of your columns to record an extraor-
dinary phenomenon which was experienced at
Alariret Harborongh at 3.25 this morning, and
which was undoubtedly the shock of an earthquake.
I was awoke from a sound sleep by an indescribable
movement of the bed upon which I was resting,
accompanied by a general creaking of the furniture
of the room, more especially the vibration of a pair
of doors of a hanging press mounted upon friction
rollers ; this last mentioned noise continued three or
four seconds, as I had obtained a light before it
ceased. On comparing notes with the other mem-
bers of my household, I find the sensations expe-
rienced by myself were common to all oi us. I
presume the shock was not merely local, therefore I
expect this account will be confirmed by others,
which you will receive from your scientific corres-
pondents.

BURTON ON-TRENT.—The town of Burton-on-
Trent and the surrounding villages were visited
this morning, at about 20 minutes past 3 o'clock, by
a rather severe earthquake. The shock was so
violent as to awaken many sound sleepers. Beds
were shaken, and windows rattled so as to produce
in many cases the notion that thieves were enter-
ing. The vibrations continued several seconds, and
they were accompanied by a low, distant, rumbling
sound.

HEMEL HEMPSTEAD.—A slight shock of an
earthquake was experienced here this morning at
about 25 minutes to 4 o'clock. It lasted as near as
could be calculated some 15 seconds, and made itself
felt by a kind of swaying shiver. There was no
undulatory motion that I could detect.

UPTON:PARK, SLOUGH, BUCKS.—It may be in-
teresting to some people to know that
a severe
shock of
an earthquake was felt here this morning
at 3.25 a•na , waking six people in this house, and
also felt by. others
just sseadjoiaing, and by one
whom I have person
this. It shook wardrobes and about two miles from
my room, and lasted some enseconds.
dwash-Thha
The
d standsundulatory in
motion was from east to
we
RECTORY, WORDSLEYNst.
Last night I was awakened atEAlt
STOURBRIDGE.—
shock of an earthquake,
which about 3.15 by the
lowed by another. My bed shook was speedily fol-
lowed
windows rattled, the furniture shivered, violently, the ered, and
whole house, which is usually the
as firm as a rock,
quivered from the bottom to the top. M
who sleeps in a distant 1 3' man,
who of the house,
tells me
that the silver was `rattling for
some
time. It ap-
peared as if a sound of a heavy explosion beneath
the cellars accompaniel the seconc
may have been a delusion. Thou
hshock, but that
are near
the mining districts we are not gwe
undermined,
and
therefore an earthquake can be the only solution.
GLOUCESTER.—About three o'clocktlf
:smorning
the inhabitants of this city and the neighbourhood
round were startled by the shock of an earthquake,
which, from its violence, must have been felt over a
wide area. I was awakened from sleep by
shook
a strange
vibration of the bed under me, which to and
fro some half-dozen times, and the tremor was
ac-
companied by a low roaring sound and a rattling of
doors and casements, which imported the cause of
ly to be mistaken for anything
it too plain else, and
least of It is a little singular that all for that favourite simile for all loud
moisestbunder. while
many thousands of persons were aroused from slum-
ter b)th here and in the neighbouring towns,
the earthquake was not perceived by the sorting
cthelerks who were at work in the branch post-effibeat
Midland Railway Station ; but it may be that
their familiarity with the noise and shaking of the
trains
IA the vicinity rendered them less sensitive
f o this most unusual occurrence.
13BasloL.
—A shock of earthquake was felt yes-
terday, between 3 and 4 a.ino at Bristol, Nailsea,
Portishead'and No material
damage has the neighbourhood.
SwAicezA been reported from these districts.
the shock of an earthquake
was felt .slightlyikt 3 a'n3.
at Swansea, Merthyr, Haverford-
west, and Llaneu
Ferryside, and Yi It was more severe at Neath,
Pembroke-dock, broke-dock, and along the
western extremity o
of a vessel reports Swansea Bay. The captain
he felt a coneuesio iathat2O miles from Milford Haven
CHELTENHAm like&Rs strikingr, upon a rock.
morning this town I,:iL COLLEGE.---At 3 20 this
quake, more distinct as
visited by an earth-
and
racter than any which have alarming in its dia-
-1 know, in the past histor been
of this
recorded, as far as
rumbling noise was suddenlyethis ecintrY• A deep
a heard, as
supposed to proceed from an 1 Tni^ht be
frequently described. The vibrations waggon, so
Col-
lege increased with the height
of
the__ne of this
s building,
heaviest pieces of furniture were The
and the fircirons violently agitatelevierfiely Shaken,
ad that the
entire body of the students of this institution Were
awakened, those occuping dormitories Which lie
east to west being conscious at the commencement
of a lateral npheaving of their beds. The impres-
sion upon each one seems to have been that the rest
had conspired in a body to shake the whole build-
ing with their feet until the heavy stone walls on
every side were heard to strain and crack. Con-
sidering that this country lies upon what has been
called the great volcanic belt, it is a matter of our-

prise that these phenomena have been so infrequent
as they have. The night was beautifully calm and
frosty, and my aneroid showed no unsteadiness.
EXETER.—Between 3 and 4 o'clock this morning
the shock as of an earthquake was felt in this city
and neighbourhood. Some persons were much
alarmed, and got up and examined their premises.
In my own house, which is situated in a central
part of the city, none of the inmates beside myself
and wife noticed it. The bed shook under us. The
vibration was similar to that caused by a railway
train passing near, and such a sensation I have
often experienced at Dawlish, where the railway is
near the dwellings, but I never experienced any-
thing like it in Exeter before. Perhaps some of
your readers may be enabled to explain the cause.