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

WOLVERHAMPTON.

Very great alarm has been experienced by a
large portion of the inhabitants of the western side
and central portion of England by the shocks of an
earthquake, which were most sensibly perceived
throughout that district of the country shortly
after three o'clock yesterday morning.
Our information from the Midland Counties is to
the effect that the shock was very perceptible
throughout Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Shrop-
shire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Somerset-
shire, and other parts.

In Wolverhampton, about the centre of that dis-
trict, most persons but the very soundest sleepers
were aroused by it, and, not knowing from what
the noise proceeded, many people were under the
impression that their houses had been broken into
by burglars, while others appear to have at once
satisfied themselves that the disturbance was that
of an earthquake. The first shock took place at
between 22 and 23 minutes past three. It lasted,
probably, scarcely a minute, and had hardly sub-
sided, when a second, distinct shock was heard, the
second being, if anything, rather more severe than
the first. To persons in bed the general sensation
appeared to be that the whole house was being
shaken from its foundation, with a tremulous,
rapid, and undulatory motion, proceeding, appa-
rently, from north to south, and accompanied by a
sound resembling the passing of a very heavy
vehicle at a rapid pace. Simultaneously with thie
noise there was a vibration of water jugs, wash-
hand basins, glasses, window panes, chairs stand-
ing against walls, and the like. In some cases,
after the shocks had passed away, cracking and
creaking noises were heard at intervals, as if the
whole house had been strained and shaken, and
the timber-work and masonry were making what
builders would call a " setting." At the time men-
tioned, a watchman was on duty at the Wolver-
hampton and Staffordshire Bank, in the central
and highest part of the town, when he and a
policeman who was with him were terrified by
the shaking of the bank, the trembling of the
ground on which it stood, and the rattling
of the gates of the church which adjoins the bank.
Another policeman, while on duty near St. George's
Church, in the same town, heard the gates of that
edifice rattle and also the vibration of windows in a
warehouse close by. A cloud of dust appeared to
rise from the earth, and at the same instant he felt
a gentle blast of warm air. Sleepers left their beds
in affright, and policemen were called to from hastily
opened windows, while others, who could not dis-
abuse their minds that their houses had been clan-
destinely entered, searched their premises for the
supposed burglars. A policeman on duty in the
suburb of the town states that, although the air was
perfectly calm, the surrounding trees were shaken,
and that their leaves were shaken se much that
numbers of them fell to the ground. He was also
much alarmed at seeing a wall vibrating near to
him. Wrottesley Hall, the seat of Lord Wrottesley,
was shaken throughout, and the inmates alarmed.
This was also the case at Teddesley, the residence
of Lord Hatherton. In game preserves, pheasants
were observed to become much alarmed as they
usually are during the raging of a thunder-storm.
As a rule, watch-dogs were not aroused, but there
were cases in which they barked loudly.

We have not at present heard that in the " Black Coun-
try" any serious casualty has happened. Here, however,
from the circumstance of the ground being undermined, it
might naturally be concluded that such a convulsion would
have brought down many of the colliery chimney stacks and
the like. At Sedgley, which is said to be one of the highest
inhabited parts of England, the residence of a gentleman
named Waterhouse was violently shaken. All the inmates
were suddenly awoke by a great shock. The windows
rattled as though they ware coming out of their frames, the
doors trembled as though seized and shaken from the out-
side, and every other part of the building was equally
affected.
The night was calm and frosty.

About ten years ago a shock was experienced in the same
pant of England, but it was of an upheaving and not of a
tremulous character or accompanied with a noise.

SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE AND EAST WOR-

CESTERSHIRE.

At an early hour yesterday morning the inhabitants of
several towns and villages in the South Staffordshire and
East Worcestershire districts were alarmed by a shock which
shook the whole of the buildings, and brought the peaceful
slumbers of the people to an abrupt termination. In the
town of Dudley the shock was most severely felt, beds being
violently shaken, and in some instances doors burst open,
crockeryware broken, and clocks stopped. In detached
buildings in various parts of the town the effect is described
as being most terrifying. The shock was followed by a
rumbling sound, similar to what would be experienced by
persons sleeping immediately over a tunnel as trains were
passing. Many inhabitants left their beds and congregated
in the street, discussing the extraordinary phenomenon.
Mr. Chief Superintendent Burton, of Dudley, who was
aroused, noted the time of the occurrence as 3.35 a.m., and
he states that he experienced a sensation as if standing upon
moving fields. At Coseley and Gomel the shock was
severely felt, furniture and crockeryware being thrown
down and broken. Reports from Stourbridge, Wednesbury,
Walsall, Kidderminster, and other towns in the neighbour.
hoed, state that the shock was severely felt, and that the
inhabitants were aroused by the clanking of glasses, break-
ing of furniture, moving of beds, and bursting of doors.

'WORCESTER.
Yesterday morning, at 25 minutes past three, a shock of
an earthquake was felt almost universally throughout
Wor-
cestershire. The shock was of so violent a nature as to
awaken people from their sleep, and to rattle chairs, glass,
and furniture audibly. It is described by some
persons
who were awake at the time as having been accompanied
by a rumbling noise, while others say they were awoke by
what appeared to be an explosion. At Great Malvern the
windows of the Imperial Hotel, a very large and massive
building at the foot of the Malvern-hills, were violently
rattled, and it is said that one of the railway signals was
displaced. Servants ran downstairs in affright, and general
consternation appears to have been felt. At Upton-on-
Severn the shock was also severely felt, and it appears that
it was most violent in situations bordering on the river
Severn. At Worcester the same rattling of glass, china,
and bed curtains as was noticed elsewhere was observed, and
in the streets nearest to the river the tremour appeared to
be greatest. One inhabitant by the river side points out a
crack in the wall which he had not noticed before, and avers
that the pictures hanging on the wall in his bedroom oscil-
lated violently. Some chimney-pots are said to have been
displaced. The shock appeared to travel from north to south.
'very similar phenonema were noticed in the district
about eight years ago. The weather on Monday was cool,
but pleasant, and yesterday morning the first autumn frost
occurred, followed by a brilliant, sunshiny day.

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them was heard a low rumbling
it is described as having been a gratings° In some localities
seen to move, and in some instances substantiallindWals were
were disturbed as much as very old houses may I,,,bllll,ClingB
passage of a heavy waggon along the street. Windows and
doors rattled considerably, and much vibration was other-
wise experienced. Throughout the district a great number
of persons were awoke from their sleep; many rose
from
their beds and examined their premises, the effects of the
shock being quite as much seen as felt. At Handsworth,
Perry, Barr, Kingsnorton, and other of the rural districts,
the shock seems to have been more perceptible than it was
in Birmingham. A gentleman who formerly resided in
Manilla, and experienced shocks of earthquake there,
describes that which occurred in the neighbourhood this
morning as much resembling those in that region.