The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-26 00:00:00

THE LATE EARTHQUAKE AT

LEG HORN.
By a letter from Leghorn of the 17th of August we
have accounts of a dreadful earthquake in that town and
the volcanic district of Maremmes. The account was
brought over to Marseilles by the Sardinian steamer
under the orders of Capt. Scribanis:—" This town has ex-
perienced an earthquake, which has thrown the inha-
bitants into the greatest state of alarm. On the 14th
inst., at 50 minutes p.m., the first shock was felt, hav-
ing been preceded by a subterranean noise. The shock
lasted from seven to eight seconds. The oscillations
were at first perpendicular, and as if produced by a rising
up of the earth taken from the south-east to the north-
east, and repeated five or six times. Household furL•i-
ture was displaced and thrown down, the church bells,
violently agitated. The noise produced by the cracking
of beams and the walls which opened, gave warning of
an impending catastrophe. The inhabitants, terrified,
threw themselves into the street, evincing the greatest
fear and despair; women throwing themselves down on
their knees, imploring the Madonna de Montenero, the
patroness of the town; the men making the sign of the
cross, and hastening to the residence of their families to
give them succour. During the night several other
,hocks were felt; the earth seemed to be in a continued
convulsion. The sky was free from clouds, but there was
a thick mist in the air which produced a melancholy on
the mind. The palace occupied by M. de la Rochefou-
cault, the French Minister, has been much damaged. A
stone from the ceiling fell on the chair Madame de Is
Iloebefoucault bad left a few minutes before the earth-
quake. The house of M. Brenier, Consul-general, has.
also suffered; at an angle it sunk, and all the inside
walls are full of crevices and shaken. No Frenchman
established at Leghorn has been personally injured,
or his property damaged. The villa established by
M. Moreau, the son of the cashier of the Bank of
France, has been seriously damaged. M. Moreau passes
the night in a carriage in his garden. The earthquake
was more violent and did more damage in the country
round, and great disasters have occurred, especially in the
Maremmes, a volcanic country, which still bears the
signs of a subterranean influence. Whole villages have
been thrown down in the Saulia, Lorenzana, Osciano,
and Casciano, the centre of the oscillating motion, and
at about five leagues from Leghorn. At Voltera, a
government prison fell, burying several prisoners.
The number of persons killed are stated to be, in
all the districts, 38, and 140 wounded, of which 58
seriously. The effects of the shock extended to Pisa.
The vaulted roof of the old Church of St. Michael
fell at the first shock. The congregation had just
left the building after divine service. The houses of the
town were shaken, but the shock being less than at Leg-
horn did not cause so much damage. Several natural
phenomena occurred. Spouts of muddy and boiling water
sprung out of the earth. A lake has been formed in a
sunken space of land. All the villas in the neigh-
bourhood of Pisa have been considerably damaged.

The farms and peasants' dwellings have more or
less suffered on the whole hue of the ihock.

The inhabitants are in the greatest state of alarm,
which is increased by the recitals of the disasters
caused by former earthquakes in this quarter. The
inhabitants have a full recollection of the earthquakes
in the years 1798 and 1816. It is not forgotten that in
1798 the town of Sienna was threatened with total
destruction by shocks which lasted nine days. The last
shock in particular caused many victims. Daring the
last four daysSthe earth has not ceased to shake at in-
tervals. Looking to the state of the houses at Leghorn,
a smart shock would evidently complete the ruin of the
town. A portion of the inhabitants have left the town,
many are bivouacing under tents in the public places,
many are on board the boats. The Government has lost
no time in sending into the rural districts engineers,
medical men, medicine, and provisions. It is stated that
on the 10th of August a slight shock of an earthquake
was felt in the city of Naples, but fortunately without
any injury being done."

MELANCHOLY OCCURRENCE.
It is our painful duty to record, this week, the death
of Mr. Michalowski, a Polish gentleman of high rank,
and who once held the position of major in the Polish
army, but who has recently resided in this city and de-
voted his time to the teaching languages. The un-
fortunate gentleman had la_ten in the habit of
visiting renrith every Tuesday, in his professional
capacity, and thence usually proceeded to Long Marton
Academy, to give instructions to the pupils of the Rev.
Shepherd; lett, on Tuesday last, he had only reached
Brampton-lane, within a mile of the academy, when by
some accident, he fell from his gig, and was severely and
fatally injured. Ile was found, about half-past three
o'clock, lying by the side of the road, by an intelligent
lad named Atkinson, who bad picked up his stick
and umbrella, and at this period Mr. Mi-
chalowski was enabled to speak, and, in answer to
the inquiries of the boy, to say that he had lost
his horse and gig, and required assistance. The gig, in
the meantime, had been taken to the academy, where it
was immediately recognised, and the Rev. Gentleman
promptly proceeded in search of the driver, to whom he
was ultimately guided by the boy Atkinson. The suf-
ferer was then unable to give any coherent answers to
the questions of Mr. Shepherd; but the fact of his wiping
his coat subsequently with his handkerchief, where it was
soiled, showed that he had not lost all consciousness. In-
deed he was afterwards able to enter the gig with very little
assistance; hut on sitting down he gave evidence of being
seriously affected. He was immediately conveyed to the
Spread Eagle Inn, Kirkby There, where medical aid was
promptly procured, and every assistance was rendered
by the worthy clergyman ; but Mr. Michalowski lin-
gered in an insensible condition until five o'clock on
Wednesday morning. An inquest was held upon the body
on Wednesday evening before Mr. G. Thompson, one of
the coroners of the county of Westmoreland, when no
circumstances transpired which could explain the cause
of the calamity, beyond a severe wound on the back of
the head, which showed that he had been thrown or fallen
from the gig ; but the fact that a sum of money and
his gold watch were found on his person, proved that be
had not been exposed to any violence. The jury accord-
ingly found a verdict, " That the deceased died by a fall
from his gig, but from what cause there was no evidence
to show." The body was brought to Carlisle on Thurs-
day morning. Mr. Michalowski has left a widow and
two young sons to lament this sudden bereavement. He
had resided many years at Dumfries, and was deservedly
held in the highest esteem, and during his short stay at
Carlisle, his great abilities and excellent conduct had
gained him many friends, by whom his sad catastrophe
is deeply regretted.—Carlisle Patriot.

GENERAL STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY.—The half-
yearly general meeting of this corporation was held yester-
day, at their offices, 69, Lombard-street • Mr. Wilkin in the
chair. A report from the directors, and a statement of the
accounts for the half-year ending the 30th of June last, were
read to a large assemblage of the proprietors. The report
was very satisfactory, the result of the last half-year's opera-
tions rivalling that of the most prosperous the coraps_ntyane7sr
had. After declaring the usual dividend, the cordanial h
d to_ the
of the proprietors were voted to the ch
directors, for their anabating zeal in ale promotion of the
somptuay'4intervi%